Groupon today announced that it’s purchased Presence AI, a San Francisco-based company developing a communications platform that automates business-to-customer calls and messaging.
The terms of the deal weren’t disclosed, but Groupon chief product officer Sarah Butterfass said that Presence AI’s portfolio will complement Groupon’s existing booking products and help to “accelerate” its development roadmap.
Presence AI — a member of the 2018 Alexa Accelerator cohort — had attracted $20,000 in seed funding from investors, one of which was Amazon’s Alexa Fund.
“We’re pleased to welcome the Presence AI team and their booking technology to Groupon.
Booking is a key part of our voucherless initiative aimed at improving the redemption experience, providing always-on availability, giving consumers more reasons to buy through Groupon and opening up our marketplace to a broader range of merchants,” said Butterfass in a statement.
Presence AI, which was founded in 2015 by Michel Meyer, provides a configurable virtual assistant that integrates with health, beauty, and wellness merchants’ scheduling software to accept and manage bookings.