San Francisco-based Startup Empowers Businesses to Create Chatbots in Minutes

Octane AI, a startup based in San Francisco, has announced the release of its product: a platform that allows businesses to set up chatbots via Facebook Messenger in minutes. The San Francisco-based company also revealed that it received $1.5 million in funding from investors led by General Catalyst Partners.

Phil Libin, managing director at General Catalyst, said in a statement that chatbots will be just as “transformative and ubiquitous” as today’s websites. Majority of businesses today do not want to spend months or even hours setting up a chatbot, this according to Octane AI Co-founder and CEO Matt Schlicht.

Octane AI, Schlicht said, provides a venue for businesses “to build a powerful chatbot in minutes without the need to code anything.”

Octane AI’s platform is currently an invite-only beta program. It presently powers the chatbots of artists like 50 Cent, Aerosmith and KISS via Facebook Messenger.

Octane AI describes its platform as a place for businesses to build chatbots from the ground up by simply choosing and customizing plugins. These chatbots, according to Octane AI, can do the following:

  • Feature content
  • Show off merchandise
  • Answer questions automatically
  • Send notifications
  • Schedule meetings

In April this year, Facebook launched the Messenger Platform. On this platform, developers can create chatbots in order for companies to connect with their customers.

According to Facebook, “Bots can provide anything from automated subscription content like weather and traffic updates, to customized communications like receipts, shipping notifications, and live automated messages all by interacting directly with the people who want to get them.”

Facebook’s Messenger is the second most popular app on iOS. Every month, this app is used by 900 million people around the world.