Customer support startup Helpshift raises $23 million in series B funding

Helpshift, the customer support startup, has raised $23 million (approx. Rs 153 crore) in a round of funding, which includes new investors- Microsoft Ventures, Salesforce Ventures as well as its existing investors- Intel Capital, Nexus Venture Partners, True Ventures and Visionnaire Ventures.

The funds will be used to fuel expansion across teams in R&D, sales and marketing. "The funding will be used to move the product towards our vision of autonomous customer support where machine learning technology will be used to automate large parts of the customer support workflow driving efficiencies for both companies and their customers," said Abhinash Tripathy, CEO of Helpshift.

Helpshift, which started in 2012, through its user interface, aims to help businesses to support and engage their customers. Their support platform includes native functionality such as in-app FAQ’s, in- app chat, a full CRM ticketing system, in-app campaigns, and in-app surveys.

“Helpshift has been a great partner for Microsoft and our investment today represents our confidence in their messaging-based approach to customer service, as we hold a shared value of providing the seamless experience customers want,” said Nagraj Kashyap, corporate vice president, Microsoft Ventures.

Helpshift’s customers include Zynga, VirginMedia, Microsoft, WesternUnion, Flipboard, Shyp, Luxe and WordPress. Helpshift is installed on more than 1.3 billion devices worldwide, and serves more than 300 million mobile customers monthly, said an official statement. The startup’s total capital raised till date is $36.2 million (approx. Rs 240 crore).

“People want immediate help, wherever they are, especially when using mobile applications. This is the year we champion a new model of support, one that’s better for both consumers, as well as the companies serving them,” said Tripathy.