Freshdesk vs Kustomer

2023. Kustomer, the CRM startup acquired by Meta last year for $1B, spins out



Facebook has officially spun out Kustomer, the CRM startup it acquired last year for around $1 billion. The existence of potential buyers for Kustomer remains uncertain; however, Meta has opted to retain a minority stake in the CRM business. This allows Meta the flexibility to collaborate with Kustomer in further product development and continue servicing any clients acquired during Meta's ownership tenure. With the ongoing race in generative AI and the introduction of new innovations, both Meta and Kustomer have the potential to create and integrate intriguing tools across Meta's platforms. However, the extent of their existing collaborative business remains unclear. Initially, Kustomer aimed to revolutionize CRM by adopting an "omni-channel" approach to customer contact. According to Kustomer, traditional CRMs did not align with how modern consumers and potential customers interact with businesses today.


2020. Facebook buys Kustomer for $1B



Facebook has recently made the decision to acquire Kustomer, a startup that aimed to revolutionize the customer service industry by offering agents enhanced data and a comprehensive overview of users through the integration of various social media and communication channels. This acquisition aligns with Facebook's strategy of expanding its customer service offerings on the platform. The company plans to further strengthen its position by introducing an advanced platform that goes beyond existing capabilities, potentially as a paid service. As Facebook faces increasing competition from platforms like Snapchat and TikTok, having an enhanced product to offer businesses, in addition to its existing services, will enable Facebook to foster stronger ties within the Facebook ecosystem.


2020. Kustomer acquires Reply.ai to enhance chatbots on its customer service CRM



CRM startup Kustomer has announced its acquisition of Reply.ai, a Madrid-based startup. Reply.ai has developed a code-free platform that enables companies to create customized chatbots for efficient handling of customer service inquiries. These chatbots utilize machine learning to continuously improve their responses over time. Reply.ai's impressive client roster includes renowned brands such as Coca-Cola, Starbucks, Samsung, and several prominent retailers, ad agencies, and marketing agencies. By acquiring Reply.ai, Kustomer aims to challenge industry giants like Salesforce, Zendesk, and Oracle in the CRM space. Kustomer's platform empowers human agents to effectively manage inbound omnichannel customer requests, setting it apart as a comprehensive solution.


2020. Freshworks acquires AnsweriQ



Customer engagement platform Freshworks has completed the acquisition of AnsweriQ, a startup specializing in AI tools for self-service solutions and agent-assisted use cases. The primary objective of this acquisition is to enhance customer service efficiency by providing quick and accurate answers to customers. AnsweriQ's AI tools cater to both Freshworks users and customers of competing products. AnsweriQ will continue operating its existing product lineup for the time being, while Freshworks aims to eventually transition these users to its own platform. Additionally, Freshworks plans to integrate AnsweriQ's technology into its Freddy AI engine, further augmenting its capabilities.


2019. Freshworks raises $150M Series H on $3.5B valuation



Freshworks, a leading provider of SaaS helpdesk and CRM software, has recently secured a significant $150 million Series H investment, valuing the company at an impressive $3.5 billion. In addition to this funding, Freshworks has unveiled a new comprehensive data platform called the "Customer-for-Life Cloud," which seamlessly integrates across all its tools. This unified platform encompasses various aspects of the customer journey, including marketing, sales, support, and customer success. By consolidating data into a common model, businesses utilizing Freshworks gain a holistic view of the entire customer lifecycle. Since its launch in 2010, Freshworks has witnessed substantial growth and currently employs nearly 2,500 professionals. With this latest investment, the company is poised for further expansion. Freshworks boasts a global customer base of 250,000, with nearly 40,000 of them being paying customers. Renowned brands such as Bridgestone Tires, Honda, Hugo Boss, Toshiba, and Cisco are among Freshworks' valued clientele.


2017. Freshdesk acquires chatbot startup Joe Hukum



Help desk service Freshdesk has made an acquisition of Joe Hukum, a startup based in India that specializes in providing a platform for businesses to create their own chatbots. Originally known as Speedy, Joe Hukum initially focused on developing its own personal assistant/concierge app to assist users in ordering goods and services. However, the company later shifted its focus to offer its platform as a service for building chatbots tailored to the needs of other businesses. Joe Hukum's knowledge tree coding is designed to automate sales, service, and support workflows. As part of the acquisition, the startup's team will utilize Freshworks' existing products to create chatbots, thereby enabling Freshdesk to differentiate itself from alternative services. This deal reflects the ongoing interest in chatbots within the customer support realm. Companies are seeking more efficient and cost-effective methods to provide essential information and assistance to their customers, and many see chatbots as a viable solution. Despite being in the early stages of development, the chatbot industry continues to evolve rapidly.


2017. Freshdesk acquired data integration startup Pipemonk



Freskdesk has recently completed the acquisition of Pipemonk, a startup based in Bangalore. Pipemonk specializes in facilitating the seamless transfer of data between various cloud applications, including CRM, eCommerce, marketing, and help desk services. This acquisition holds significant importance for Freshdesk, whose core product offerings revolve around customer service and help desk solutions. Pipemonk offers more than just a generic data automation capability; it presents practical benefits in-house by consolidating the diverse array of services that Freshdesk has acquired during its series of strategic acquisitions over the past 16 months.


2016. Customer service app Freshdesk scores $55 million



Freshdesk has secured a substantial investment of $55 million to expand its offerings beyond being a purely customer service application. With this influx of funds, the company aims to embark on an aggressive expansion across its entire product line, leveraging the newfound resources to drive innovation and growth. While Freshdesk doesn't intend to develop a data product similar to Zendesk's recent announcement, it does have significant plans to utilize the data it collects to enhance its products with smarter, data-driven functionality. Even prior to this funding, Freshdesk has been actively working on incorporating more intelligence into its products throughout 2017. The objective is to empower agents with software that assists them in making the most effective decisions to support customers, regardless of whether they are external or internal to the organization.


2012. Freshdesk gamifies Customer Service


Gamification has made its way into the customer support space, which is beneficial as tech support agents often question their job satisfaction after dealing with difficult customers. The inclusion of game mechanics can provide additional motivation during such moments. One of the pioneers in implementing gamification in helpdesk solutions is Freshdesk. They have integrated traditional game mechanics into their platform, where agents are awarded points based on various factors such as ticket resolution time, first-call issue resolution, and customer satisfaction. These points can be tracked through internal leaderboards, allowing agents to progress through different levels, starting from "Support Newbie" and advancing to "Support Guru." It is interesting to note that Freshdesk, which has already gained significant popularity, was founded last year by Girish Mathrubootham, a former top manager at ManageEngine (a division of Zoho). Girish decided to leave his comfortable position at Zoho and create his own startup after reading a brief comment about Zendesk raising prices for its helpdesk service. You can read the full story here.