Zendesk Acquires Cleverly: AI Automation for Customer Service

Zendesk Expands Customer Service with Cleverly Acquisition

Zendesk is actively working to enhance its customer service offerings, and has recently announced the acquisition of Cleverly, an early-stage company specializing in artificial intelligence.

The specifics of the financial agreement have not been made public, and Cleverly’s total funding remains undisclosed. Established in 2019, Cleverly is headquartered in Lisbon, Portugal, and has reportedly received support from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.

Recognition as a Leading Deep Tech Company

Earlier this year, TechCrunch highlighted Cleverly as one of the most promising deep tech companies in the Lisbon area. This assessment came from Stephan Morais, a partner at Indico Capital Partners.

Cleverly’s platform offers a suite of AI-driven features. These include an automated triage system for tagging incoming service requests, streamlining workflow categorization. Furthermore, the company provides agent assist capabilities, designed to empower customer service representatives with the correct responses to customer inquiries.

Currently, Cleverly’s technology is compatible with both Zendesk and Salesforce platforms.

Strategic Alignment and Future Vision

Shawna Wolverton, EVP of product at Zendesk, explained the rationale behind the acquisition in a statement to TechCrunch. She emphasized a shared vision for the future of customer service between the two organizations.

“Both Cleverly and Zendesk aim to make AI accessible, enabling businesses to implement practical applications without requiring extensive data science expertise,” Wolverton stated.

She further believes that AI has the potential to significantly improve customer experience. Wolverton anticipates that future exceptional customer interactions will be created through intelligent software, fostering a collaborative environment where humans and AI work together to deliver scalable solutions.

Integration of Cleverly’s Team

Wolverton confirmed that the entire Cleverly team will join Zendesk starting August 30th. This includes founders Christina Fonseca, who will assume the role of VP of Product, and Pedro Coelho, who will serve as principal engineering lead for Machine Learning.

Existing AI Capabilities at Zendesk

Zendesk already incorporates several AI-powered features designed to automate customer interactions, enhance agent productivity, and improve operational efficiency. The Answer Bot, a chatbot, provides responses drawn from Zendesk’s knowledge base.

Additionally, Zendesk’s Content Cues feature utilizes AI to analyze support tickets and identify areas where a company’s help center content can be improved for better user experience.

Expected Benefits of the Acquisition

“By integrating Cleverly’s technology, we will be able to deliver capabilities that automate key insights, reduce manual processes, and optimize workflows,” Wolverton explained. “This will ultimately result in more satisfied and productive support teams.” Further details regarding these advancements will be shared as the integration progresses.

Zendesk’s Financial Performance

Zendesk has demonstrated strong growth in 2021, with second-quarter fiscal 2021 revenue reaching $318.2 million, representing a 29% increase year-over-year.