iAdvize Raises $38M in Series C to Strengthen Presence in Global Market
October 24 2017 - 1:00AM
Business Wire
iAdvize, the European leader in conversational marketing,
announces a $38M Series C round with participation from Idinvest
Partners, Bpifrance via Large Venture and Quadrille Capital. Total
funding to date is $56M.
Additionally, they are opening their first U.S. office in
Boston, MA where the team will be comprised of sales and marketing
teams to secure its footprint in the U.S. Headed by Nicolas de
Rosen, they chose Boston to be closer to their already established
partners and growing network.
“Today, iAdvize is the European leader in conversational
marketing. Our initial $18 Series B funding has helped us open our
European offices and launch a major new offering, ibbü, the
on-demand pool of experts. These savvy enthusiasts generate one
million euros in revenue per week for our customers.
“This new Series C funding round gives us the means to maintain
a strong pace of growth while reinforcing our presence in Europe
and efficiently expanding our activity in the U.S. Our aim is to
become a global leader in Conversational Marketing,” says Julien
Hervouët, CEO of iAdvize.
Created in 2010 by Julien Hervouët, iAdvize is now the European
leader in Conversational Marketing. Used by more than 600
businesses across 60 different countries around the world, the
iAdvize Conversational Marketing platform enables businesses to
engage their customers and prospects who need advice and support
and offer them the best response from paid advocates members of the
ibbü community, a chatbot or their own customer service team.
This Series C funding will enable iAdvize to boost its
development in these main areas:
- Expanding presence in the U.S. market
with Boston office opening;
- Reinforcing European leader status by
growing teams based in London, Düsseldorf, Madrid and Nantes
(headquarters);
- Growing global staff to 250+ by
2020;
- Bolstering research and development
resources for core products and services;
- Developing ibbü’s market strategy
roadmap, which offers on-demand pool of experts.
Alban Wyniecki, Investment Director at Idinvest Partners adds,
“The iAdvize team quickly understood the challenges and potential
of international growth in order to reinforce its European leading
position and be among the international leaders. Moreover, we think
there is a real demand in the US market for a modern conversational
marketing software coupled with a community of advocates which
enables brands to implement a system of on-demand contacts. That’s
why we think iAdvize is well positioned on this continent to tackle
and replace historical market players whose solutions are now
aging.”
Bringing their proven full-stack platform for customer
interactions to the U.S. market, the service includes both
technology and human resources. The platform offers:
- Big data analysis to provide predictive
targeting and answers to high-value contacts in real-time
- Cross-channel and multi-device
connections through websites, social media, messaging apps and
SMS
- Intelligent routing system providing
high language, skills and level of expertise
Plus the unique live, real-time community called ibbü, an
on-demand pool of experts who advises customers and prospects
online. To highlight:
- 100,000+ customers monthly have
interacted with customers and achieved a 90% customer satisfaction
rate
- 12,000+ enthusiasts have expressed
their desire to join the ibbü community since its launch
- In less than a year, more than 50
companies in Europe including large companies such as Sardegna.com,
Cdiscount, Point.P, ManoMano, EDF, Mister Auto, Materiel.net,
Voyages-sncf.com or IKKS.
Additionally, Jean Bertin, Large Venture Investment Director at
Bpifrance states, “We’ve been particularly impressed by iAdvize’s
product vision and its capacity to constantly innovate to
differentiate itself from others. Bpifrance entered into a joint
venture with le Fonds Ambition Numérique in 2015 to finance the
ibbü launch. Today, we are renewing our support to help iAdvize
with it’s business growth and R&D efforts. Now, iAdvize is
working on artificial intelligence by optimising the targeting of
visitors in real-time, increasing the agents’ handling capacity and
turning their customers’ chatbot strategies into a reality.”
About iAdvize
iAdvize is a conversational marketing platform which enables
businesses to engage their customers and prospects on any website
or applications with one single messaging solution (chat, voice,
video). Visitors are offered real-time advice from customer service
and advocates from the brand community via ibbü, the on-demand pool
of experts.
Created in 2010 and ranked as a Great Place to Work in France,
iAdvize achieves an average annual growth of 100%, with more than
600 brand customers across the world and across all sectors from
eCommerce, luxury, tourism to finance. Clients include Disney, BMW,
Michelin, House of Fraser, Air France, TUI, BMW, Interflora, Axa or
Cdiscount.
About Idinvest
With more than €8 billion under management, Idinvest Partners is
a leading pan-European private equity firm focused on the
mid-market segment. Idinvest Partners has developed several
complementary areas of expertise including: investments in
innovative European start-ups; mid-market direct lending
(unitranche, senior loans and junior financing); primary and
secondary investments in unlisted European companies, and private
equity consulting. Founded under the name AGF Private Equity in
1997, Idinvest Partners was formerly part of Allianz until 2010
when it became an independent firm.
About Bpifrance
Equity investment are operated by Bpifrance Investissement.
Bpifrance, a subsidiary of the French state and the Caisse des
Dépôts and the entrepreneurs’ trusted partner, finances businesses
from the seed phase to IPO, through loans, guarantees and equity
investments. Bpifrance also provides operational services and
strong support for innovation, export, and external growth in
partnership with Business France.
With its 48 regional offices, businesses benefit from a
powerful, efficient and close representative, to answer all their
needs in terms of financing, innovation and investment.
More information: www.bpifrance.fr Twitter: @bpifrance /
@bpifrancepresse
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iAdvizeNicolas de Rosen, +1
857-574-5719nicolas.derosen@iadvize.comorOneChocolateDaniel
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0227lizzyc@onechocolatecomms.co.uk