Company:Yalochat

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Short description: Artificial intelligence platform
Yalochat
IndustryArtificial intelligence, chatbots, services on messaging apps
FounderJavier Mata
Headquarters,
Number of locations
4
Websiteyalochat.com

Yalochat is an artificial intelligence platform specializing in emerging markets. It is based in San Francisco with offices in Mexico City, Mumbai, Shanghai, Bogotá, and São Paulo.[1]

Overview

Yalochat enables companies to interact with their customers in conversational commerce on messaging apps including WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, and WeChat.[1]

Customers include Walmart, Nike, Volkswagen, Aeroméxico, appliance and electronics retailer Elektra, Mexico's largest department store, Coppel, and Mexico's largest theme resort Xcaret.[1]

The company was founded in Mexico by CEO Javier Mata and is now based in San Francisco. Its board of directors includes Mark Fernandes and Rashmi Gopinath.[2]

In February 2018, the company announced the opening of its office in Shanghai, China, in alliance with venture capitalist Michael Kuan's company Strategic Impact Group.

In May 2021, Yalo raised $50 million in new funding lead by B Capital, for a total of $75 million in total funding.[3]

Platforms / Apps

Facebook Messenger

Yalochat introduced a variety of services on Facebook Messenger in 2016, shortly after Facebook launched its chatbot platform.[4][5]

In April 2017, it announced that its chatbot with Aeroméxico had added an artificial intelligence component to the Facebook Messenger bot.[6][7][8]

WhatsApp

In October 2017, Aeroméxico announced that together with Yalochat it would launch services on the new enterprise platform of WhatsApp, the world's most popular messaging platform, and that it would be the first airline in The Americas to do so. Services available via WhatsApp include shopping for and purchasing flights, making changes, checking in and obtaining a boarding pass, and tracking a flight. It includes both an artificial intelligence-powered chatbot, and chat with the airline's human agents.[9][10][11][12][13][14]

WeChat

In February 2018 Yalochat announced the opening of its office in Shanghai, China and that it had begun offering services on WeChat, China's most popular messaging app.[1]

Line

In an interview, Yalochat CEO Javier Mata said that the company was planning to offer services on Line messenger, popular in Japan, Korea and Thailand.[15]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Yalochat abre oficinas en China y profundiza su relación con Aeromexico" (in es). Entrepreneur en Español. 22 February 2018. https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/309439. 
  2. "Yalochat Inc.," Bloomberg, accessed 23 August 2021.
  3. Ingrid Lunden, "Yalo raises $50M to build ‘c-commerce’ services for chat apps like WhatsApp," TechCrunch, 26 May 2021.
  4. "A Chatbot Is Just The Beginning". https://aibusiness.com/chatbot-just-beginning/. 
  5. Aeromexico. "Aeromexico Introduces Aerobot, the First Airline Chatbot in the Americas". www.prnewswire.com (Press release).
  6. Elliott, Christopher (22 June 2017). "New artificial intelligence promises to make travel a little smarter. Does it?". The Washington Post. https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/new-artificial-intelligence-promises-to-make-travel-a-little-smarter-does-it/2017/06/22/819c0880-3590-11e7-b373-418f6849a004_story.html. 
  7. "Aeromexico Taps Yalochat.com and IV.AI to Build First Advanced AI Customer Service Chatbot". PRNewswire. April 18, 2017. https://www.bizjournals.com/prnewswire/press_releases/2017/04/18/NY64897. 
  8. "Chatbot Or Not? Facebook Messenger Strategies Gain Modest Traction With Brands". AdExchanger. 25 April 2017. https://adexchanger.com/mobile/chatbot-not-facebook-messenger-strategies-gain-modest-traction-brands. 
  9. Forbes Staff (26 October 2017). "Aeroméxico te atenderá por WhatsApp durante 2018" (in es). Forbes. https://www.forbes.com.mx/aeromexico-te-respondera-por-whatsapp-durante-2018/. 
  10. Notimex. "Aeroméxico, ¿check-in desde el WhatsApp?" (in es). El Economista. https://www.eleconomista.com.mx/empresas/Aeromexico-check-in-desde-el-WhatsApp-20171027-0094.html. 
  11. "Aeroméxico ofrecerá atención a clientes por WhatsApp" (in es). 27 October 2017. https://www.cnet.com/es/noticias/aeromexico-atenciona-clientes-whatsapp/. 
  12. "Podrás ponerte en contacto con Aeroméxico por WhatsApp" (in es). El Financiero. 27 October 2017. http://www.elfinanciero.com.mx/empresas/podras-ponerte-en-contacto-con-aeromexico-por-whatsapp.html. 
  13. "Aeroméxico ofrecerá servicio de atención a clientes por WhatsApp" (in es). Expansión. 27 October 2017. https://expansion.mx/empresas/2017/10/27/aeromexico-ofrecera-servicio-de-atencion-a-clientes-por-whatsapp. 
  14. Redacción (27 October 2017). "Podrás hacer 'check in' y consultar tu vuelo con Aeroméxico a través de WhatsApp" (in es). Huffington Post. http://www.huffingtonpost.com.mx/2017/10/27/podras-hacer-check-in-y-consultar-tu-vuelo-con-aeromexico-a-traves-de-whatsapp_a_23258181/. 
  15. Review, Tec (23 February 2018). "Empresa mexicana de chatbots se expande a China" (in es). TecReview. http://tecreview.itesm.mx/empresa-mexicana-chatbots-se-expande-a-china/.