Alibaba backs Connectly to enhance AI-driven customer messaging

Connectly.ai, a startup focused on AI-driven customer messaging, has secured funding from Alibaba to enhance its platform. Founded by Stefanos Loukakos and Yandong Liu, Connectly aims to address the challenges faced by online retailers in engaging potential customers through personalized messaging. The platform integrates with various messaging services, allowing brands to automate conversations and tailor marketing campaigns based on customer preferences and behaviors. The technology utilizes AI to analyze a retailer's product catalog and customer data, enabling it to send targeted messages about price changes, stock availability, and special offers. This capability includes features like cart abandonment follow-ups, which can help increase conversion rates by offering discounts or incentives to customers who leave items in their carts. Despite skepticism about customer willingness to engage with chatbots, Connectly has gained traction, boasting over 300 paying customers and projecting significant revenue growth. The company’s revenue increased fivefold last year, and it anticipates reaching $7 million by the end of this year. This growth reflects a broader trend in the industry, where companies are increasingly looking to automate customer interactions to improve efficiency. The recent funding round, which also included participation from other venture capital firms, will be used to expand Connectly's platform and increase its workforce in San Francisco. As competition in the conversational e-commerce space intensifies, Connectly's innovative approach positions it well for future success.