Groupon Buys Presence AI

grouponGroupon (NASDAQ: GRPN) acquired Presence AI, a San Francisco, CA-based AI-powered text and voice communications tool that enables and facilitates messaging between customers and merchants.

The terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Groupon increased bookable inventory 12 % year over year and booked tens of millions of diners, concert goers, spa visitors and more in 2018. As the company transitions towards universal bookability for certain services, With the acquisition, Presence AI’s technology will provide merchants with the capabilities to support this booking vision.

Founded in 2015 by CEO Michel Meyer, Presence AI answers to the trend seeing consumers, especially millennials, preferring messaging and chat-based communications over phone calls by offering a 24/7 business assistant that integrates with a merchant’s existing scheduling software––or replace pen and paper––to accept and manage bookings, provide instant answers to customer questions, remind people when it’s time to re-book and much more.

The company, which operates in the health, beauty and wellness space, which is one of Groupon’s largest categories, already has a number of key integrations with popular booking software providers.

Presence AI was backed by the Amazon Alexa Fund and participated in the 2018 Alexa Accelerator, powered by Techstars.

FinSMEs

09/08/2019

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