By Lucas Vintrob and Juan Pablo Rodríguez
WhatsApp has significantly transformed business communication in recent years, has emerged as a vital tool for companies to enhance customer engagement and streamline operations. The platform’s widespread adoption has enabled businesses to provide real-time customer support, improve accessibility, and foster more personalized interactions, which are critical in today’s competitive market. Additionally, the integration of AI-driven chatbots and automation within WhatsApp has further optimized customer service, reducing response times and operational costs. This shift has not only increased customer satisfaction but has also opened new avenues for businesses to scale efficiently while maintaining a human touch in their interactions.
According to a survey conducted by Latitud, 63% of startups already report using AI in some capacity. Additionally, 36% say they are not currently using AI but plan to do so in the future. We believe that more use cases for AI will continue to emerge, but sales and customer support will remain among the most significant areas for the following reasons:
1. The WhatsApp Business API, along with the app itself, has seen significant improvements and is expected to continue evolving, with new features like in-app product browsing, store directories, and payments.
2. LLMs have not only advanced technically but have also increased user engagement and willingness to interact with AI.
We have mapped out some of the main use cases for AI and WhatsApp and identified four major categories: CRM, Sales Copilot, AI Chatbot, and AI Agents. Here are just a few examples of companies within each category.
While the ability to create chatbots is a feature offered by several of these startups, Yalo stands out as one of the first in the region to provide a comprehensive and flexible solution for any industry, covering both sales and post-sales processes. Other companies, such as Zumma and Jelou, offer solutions that combine this functionality with additional features like identity verification or billing.
In the chatbot space, there are also players like Darwin and Zenvia, which focus on lead management and routing to a representative—critical in B2B or consultative sales. Finally, companies like Leadsales and AuroraCRM started as core CRM platforms but have since added AI-powered chatbot capabilities to their offerings.
We believe this trend will persist, leading to the development of more specialized solutions tailored to various industries and specific use cases, similar to the evolution we’ve witnessed in the fintech sector in recent years. At Bridge, this belief drove our investment in Darwin AI, an AI-powered sales assistant platform designed to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) effectively manage and optimize both their outbound and inbound sales strategies. The company’s solution has demonstrated significant potential to elevate sales processes and reduce employee costs for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). The versatile application of Darwin’s solution across a range of sectors, including automotive, real estate, education, and services, showcases its broad market appeal and adaptability.
