London-based startup Futr. has developed a simple conversation-as-a-service interface that uses machine learning to facilitate communication and the sharing of information across platforms, languages, and organizations.
Founded in 2017, Futr. has secured €2.7 million in seed funding in a round led by Praetura Ventures. The funding will be used to accelerate delivery of the startup’s ambitious tech road-map, and it plans to more than double its team to meet the growing demand for its products.
Futr. is already being used by clients across a range of industries, including police departments, central and local governments, and leading private sector organizations. Futr.’s technology simplifies how organizations communicate and deliver services on the channels that their staff and consumers use every day, such as Alexa, WhatsApp, and Facebook Messenger, in over 100 languages.
With Futr.’s plug n’ play model, integration with existing systems is easy, providing users with a single intelligent chat interface that overlays any number of back-end systems. The products cover a wide range of internal and external conversation solutions, for instance an organizational assistant for employees, and 24/7 self-service for citizens or customers. This comes as consumer appetite for instant, natural language communication with brands and public services is higher than ever, with the market set to grow to $15.7 billion by 2024, at a CAGR of 30.2%.
“Lee and I founded Futr. because we believe that simple conversation is the ultimate user interface,” said Andy Wilkins, CEO of Futr. “We’re passionate about delivering universal access to products and services – where tech savviness, language, availability and channel shift are no longer barriers.”
Futr. has already been invited to partner with a number of global tech giants such as Amazon and Microsoft – who identified Futr. as ‘a top priority partner’. The funding will enable them to further this growth and expedite the development of Futr.’s platform.
“Since we met Futr., we’ve been really impressed with how quickly their pipeline of opportunities has grown,” said Guy Weaver, Director of Praetura. “The platform architecture gives Futr. a competitive advantage, meaning its leading developments in the rapidly expanding Conversation as a Service market. We believe chatbot technology is a high-growth area, and Futr. is in a great position to take advantage of the increased demand.
“With Praetura’s experience in successfully scaling Software as a Service businesses, we’re well suited to help Futr. develop its go-to-market strategy and scale its tech team which will be vital to ensure the business meets its potential.”
