Gladly secures $40M in funding led by AXA Venture Partners (AVP) and launches AI-powered unified customer service platform, transforming support into a revenue driver

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 26, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Gladly, a leader in customer service innovation, has announced its groundbreaking unified Customer Service Platform, powered by advanced AI. The platform is set to disrupt the industry by replacing outdated ticket-based systems, enabling retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to offer seamless, personalized support that resolves support issues and drives customer loyalty and revenue. Recognizing the transformative potential of Gladly's approach to customer service, venture capital firm AVP led a $40M funding round to fuel the company's growth. AVP, known for backing high-growth, technology-driven companies, sees Gladly as a catalyst for change in the customer service industry. With this investment, Gladly is poised to help brands deliver exceptional, cost-effective customer experiences and redefine customer service as a strategic, revenue-generating asset.

The platform launch comes at a pivotal moment, as customer experience becomes a crucial differentiator for brands, and generative AI gains widespread adoption. While AI has recently been heralded as a solution for improving customer service efficiency, it has struggled to address two fundamental issues. First, legacy ticket-based systems leave agents without the comprehensive context needed to deliver personalized support, resulting in fragmented experiences and unresolved issues. Second, AI solutions bolted onto these outdated platforms may answer more queries but still lack complete customer history, leading to ineffective interactions and increased frustration when transitioning to human agents. Furthermore, add-on AI solutions can pose risks to brand integrity and operational safety.

Gladly's AI-Powered Customer Service Platform addresses these challenges head-on. By centering every interaction around the customer rather than tickets, Gladly enables AI to provide more accurate, human-like responses, while equipping agents with the context they need to be more effective. This seamless integration of Gladly's Gen AI capabilities with its core platform not only mitigates the risks associated with AI implementations but also guarantees a consistently high-quality customer experience, whether driven by AI or human agents.

"In today's challenging retail environment, where customer loyalty is hard-won and easily lost, our AI-powered, unified Customer Service Platform is a game-changer. It not only enhances customer experience but turns support into a strategic asset that drives growth and loyalty," said Joseph Ansanelli, CEO of Gladly.

Gladly's Customer Service Platform aggregates all customer interactions, regardless of channel, into a single lifelong customer record that powers both AI and agent-led support, leading to more personalized and efficient service. Gladly accelerates agent efficiency by automating routine inquiries, allowing agents to focus on high-value customer interactions such as cross-selling and upselling opportunities. Gladly also employs rigorous quality control of its AI offering, with features such as the ability to configure AI behavior to specific tone and brand guidelines, and advanced hallucination detection technology that ensures AI-generated content remains factual and relevant. Gladly's customers achieve faster resolutions, reduced agent handle times, and realize higher CSAT scores.

"Gladly is solving critical challenges in how customer service is delivered," said Alex Scherbakovsky, General Partner at AVP. "With its people-centered product philosophy, next-gen AI offerings, and experienced go-to-market leadership, Gladly is poised to transform the multi-billion dollar customer service market."

With this new unified platform, Gladly is inviting retailers and direct-to-consumer brands to redefine what's possible in customer service. By transforming support teams into growth drivers, Gladly is setting a new standard for the industry. To learn more about how Gladly can help your business turn customer service into a competitive advantage, visit gladly.com.

About Gladly
Gladly is the AI-powered, people-centered Customer Service Platform built to navigate today's rapidly evolving consumer landscape. Gladly empowers brands to deliver world class customer experiences at scale, enabling them to efficiently overcome the challenges of declining customer loyalty and rising costs. Its unique approach puts customers at the center, unifying all interactions into a single, lifelong conversation. This ensures customers have seamless, personalized experiences across all channels, driving faster resolutions and deeper, more meaningful connections that boost customer loyalty and lifetime value.

Trusted by hundreds and hundreds of iconic brands like Nordstrom, Warby Parker, and Crate & Barrel, Gladly delivers impressive, industry-leading results. Businesses have seen up to 470% yearly ROI, a 45% reduction in handle times, and customer satisfaction scores as high as 98%. With Gladly, businesses can provide the radically personal service their customers deserve, while maximizing operational efficiency—transforming customer service into a powerful engine for growth, loyalty, and competitive advantage in today's marketplace. Learn more at gladly.com.

About AVP
AVP is a global venture capital firm specializing in high-growth, technology-enabled companies, managing more than $2 billion in assets across four investment strategies: Venture, Growth, Late Stage and Fund of Funds. Since its establishment in 2016, AVP has invested in more than 60 technology companies in Venture and Growth stages in the US and Europe.
With offices in New York, London and Paris, AVP supports companies in expanding internationally and provides portfolio companies with tailored business development opportunities to further accelerate their growth. For more information on AVP, please visit axavp.com.

SOURCE Gladly