Led by CEO Maria Zhang, Palona AI focuses on creating chatbots that can engage users more effectively, even encouraging them to ask questions they might hesitate to pose to human agents. The company aims to deliver personalized and friendly customer experiences, capturing the skillset of top salespeople in its AI models. Zhang's co-founders include CTO Tim Howes and Chief Scientist Steve Liu, both of whom have extensive experience in AI infrastructure and development. Palona AI's technology is already being utilized by companies like Wyze Labs and Mindzero, with the goal of helping brands build stronger relationships with their customers.
Key takeaways:
- Palona AI, officially known as Proactive AI Lab Inc., has raised $10 million to develop more reliable and emotionally attuned AI-powered customer service chatbots.
- The funding round was led by UpHonest Capital, with participation from Fusion Fund, NEO Investment Partners, and angel investors like Maynard Webb.
- Palona AI's technology partners with OpenAI's large language models, adding its own supervisory model to ensure chatbots stay on topic and align with a brand's identity.
- Co-founder and CEO Maria Zhang emphasizes that Palona AI's chatbots can engage users more effectively, providing personalized recommendations and upselling products.