respond.io

What respond.io does

Respond.io is an AI-powered customer conversation management platform that unifies business messaging channels — WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and TikTok — into a single omnichannel inbox with autonomous AI Agents for customer service, lead qualification, appointment booking, and retention. Founded in 2017 in Hong Kong as Rocketbots and relocated to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia in 2019, the company operates under legal entity Rocketbots Limited and serves over 10,000 enterprises across more than 180 countries, with named customers spanning automotive (Toyota, Srikandi/Mitsubishi), food and beverage (McDonald's, Subway, Lamarsa Coffee), travel and hospitality (British Airways, Radisson, Hertz), healthcare (Roche, Doctor Heal, Praga Medica), and education (Dalilk Academy).

The core product architecture consists of three layers: a Capture layer for ingesting leads from ads, social, website, and offline sources; a Convert layer centered on AI Agents, a shared Team Inbox, lead qualification and routing, and meeting booking; and a Retain layer covering conversational support, promotions, renewal reminders, and CSAT/NPS surveys. The platform is built on AWS infrastructure and integrates deeply with CRM systems (HubSpot, Segment), communication APIs (Twilio, Telnyx), AI model providers (OpenAI, Mistral AI, Google Vertex AI, ElevenLabs), and workflow tools (Zapier, Make.com). AI Agents are the headline capability, leveraging large language models, vector embeddings, speech processing, and OCR to handle roughly 2 billion messages per quarter at 99.999% uptime.

Respond.io operates a per-conversation subscription SaaS model rather than per-seat licensing, which decouples customer cost from team size. The company reported $35 million in annual recurring revenue as of June 2026 with 169% year-over-year growth and approximately 30% profit margin, supported by a hybrid go-to-market combining product-led self-serve onboarding (free trial, mobile apps, developer hub) with enterprise field sales targeting large enterprises expanding into new geographies. Total funding raised is approximately $69.5 million across a 2020 seed, 2022 Series A led by Headline Asia, and 2026 Series B led by Camber Partners.

Name

respond.io

Legal name

Rocketbots Limited

Website

https://respond.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Respond.io is an AI-powered customer conversation management platform that unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, Telegram, and TikTok into one inbox with autonomous AI Agents, serving over 10,000 enterprises across 180+ countries in retail, healthcare, education, automotive, and travel.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Customer Conversation Management Software

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conversational Marketing & Chat Lead Capture (Chatbots, Live Chat) (BPAFAKAJ), Enterprise/Team Messaging (BPAMACAB), Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation) (HDAAAFAL)

Keywords

• Customer conversation management
• Omnichannel messaging platform
• AI customer service agents
• Conversational commerce software
• WhatsApp business platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Kuala Lumpur

HQ country

Malaysia

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations

Revenue model

1. Subscription SaaS - Per-Conversation: Respond.io operates on a subscription SaaS model with per-conversation pricing rather than traditional per-seat licensing. This allows businesses to automate customer inquiries across messaging platforms without scaling costs linearly with team size. The company reports $35M in annual recurring revenue with 169% year-over-year growth and approximately 30% profit margin.
2. Subscription SaaS - Additional Charges: Additional charges may apply when usage exceeds subscription limits in a billing month. Third-party fees from messaging platforms (e.g., WhatsApp) are separate and charged by the platform directly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Respond.io provides a subscription-based AI-powered customer conversation management platform that unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, and voice into a single team inbox with autonomous AI Agents for lead qualification, routing, and customer support. The platform is sold on a per-conversation pricing model with a free trial, targeting businesses that need to manage high-volume omnichannel customer messaging at scale. Free WhatsApp utility tools (pricing calculator, link generator, QR generator) are offered as standalone lead-generation products.

Product overview

Respond.io is an AI-powered customer conversation management platform that operates as a unified omnichannel messaging solution. The platform's core architecture consists of AI Agents as the primary AI engine, combined with Team Inbox for human collaboration, supported by a comprehensive lead management system (Capture from Ads/Social/Website/Offline, Lead Qualification, Lead Distribution, Book Appointments). Customer retention is handled through Conversational Support, Promotions and Newsletters, Renewal Reminders, and CSAT/NPS Surveys. The platform unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, Telegram, and TikTok channels into a single conversation thread. A WhatsApp Business Calling API add-on enables voice capabilities. Free tools include WhatsApp Pricing Calculator, Link Generator, and QR Generator. Available as web platform and native Mobile App for iOS/Android.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Respond.io Customer Conversation Management Platform AI-powered, omnichannel customer conversation management SaaS platform that unifies WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, TikTok, Telegram, voice, and email into a single team inbox with autonomous AI Agents for lead qualification, routing, appointment booking, conversational support, promotions, renewal reminders, and CSAT/NPS surveys. Sold to enterprises, mid-market, and SMBs on a per-conversation subscription model.
• Respond.io Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% faster sales cycle
• +15 more outcomes

Named customers27 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration25 records

AI capability10 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• EndeavorflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026CEO Gerardo Salandra selected as Endeavor Entrepreneur following International Selection Panel in Singapore, joining global network of over 3,000 high-impact founders with access to global mentors, investors, and strategic partners.
• MetaflagshipTechnology or IntegrationMeta Business Partner with preferred status for early feature access. Respond.io integrates with Facebook Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp Business API. Facebook pixel and Facebook Ads conversion tracking are supported.
• TikTokflagshipTechnology or IntegrationTikTok Marketing Partner with preferred status for early feature access. Respond.io integrates with TikTok Business Messaging channel. TikTok nearly tripled its market share in 2025 following launch of TikTok Business Messaging.
• TwiliocoreTechnology or IntegrationTwilio provides communication APIs (SMS, WhatsApp, etc.) for the Respond.io platform. Listed as a subprocessor for communication APIs.
• AWS (Amazon Web Services)coreTechnology or IntegrationCloud infrastructure and hosting provider. Respond.io is a cloud-based solution running on AWS with data stored and transferred with encryption.
• SegmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationCustomer data pipeline and event tracking integration. Segment is used for tag management and data flow between services.
• OpenAIcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI language model inference provider for AI Agent and AI Assist features. Enables the AI-powered conversation management capabilities.
• Google Cloud / Vertex AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationVector embedding generation for knowledge source retrieval and translations. Powers semantic search and multilingual AI capabilities.
• Mistral AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationAI language model inference for AI Agent features; OCR processing of PDFs and images in knowledge sources.
• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationWorkflow automation and integrations platform enabling Respond.io to connect with third-party services and automate data flows.
• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM, sales, and marketing platform integration. Respond.io connects with CRM systems for full customer context in every conversation.
• StripecoreTechnology or IntegrationPayment processing integration. Stripe DPA is available for payment-related data processing compliance.
• TelnyxcoreTechnology or IntegrationVoIP telephony infrastructure and call recording for the Voice channel. Enables WhatsApp Business Calling API functionality.
• ElevenLabscoreTechnology or IntegrationVoice processing for AI-powered voice conversations including text-to-speech and speech-to-text capabilities.
• LangSmith (LangChain)coreTechnology or IntegrationAI observability and tracing of model interactions for monitoring and debugging AI Agent behavior.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Intercom: Intercom is a customer messaging platform offering AI agents (Fin), a team inbox, and conversational support across web, email, and SMS. It is the closest direct competitor to respond.io in AI-powered customer conversation management, with overlapping ICP in B2C mid-market and enterprise.
• Zendesk: Zendesk provides customer service and engagement software with AI agents, omnichannel messaging, and ticketing across email, chat, and social. Competes directly with respond.io in conversational support, particularly for mid-market and enterprise B2C customers seeking omnichannel coverage.
• Freshworks (Freshchat/Freshdesk): Freshworks offers Freshchat for messaging and AI-powered customer engagement alongside Freshdesk for ticketing, serving SMB and mid-market B2C businesses globally. Directly comparable to respond.io in target customer profile, AI agent capabilities, and omnichannel messaging approach.
• LivePerson: LivePerson is a conversational AI platform for enterprise customer service, with messaging across SMS, WhatsApp, and in-app channels. Compares directly to respond.io in AI-driven messaging automation, though LivePerson skews more toward large enterprise contact center replacement.
• Tidio: Tidio offers AI-powered live chat and chatbot solutions focused on SMB e-commerce businesses, integrating with Messenger, Instagram, and WhatsApp. Closely comparable to respond.io in SMB segment focus, vertical strategy (e-commerce, retail), and AI agent positioning.
• WATI: WATI is a WhatsApp Business API platform targeting SMB and mid-market businesses with shared inbox, broadcasts, and chatbot automation. Particularly close peer in geographic focus (emerging markets, APAC) and customer segment (SMB B2C, education, healthcare).
• Bird (formerly MessageBird): Bird is an omnichannel communications platform with Flow Builder, AI agents, and a focus on WhatsApp Business, SMS, and email for B2C businesses globally. Directly comparable to respond.io in messaging-first customer engagement, mid-market B2C focus, and pricing model.

Broad incumbents

• Twilio (Flex, Conversations): Twilio provides communications APIs and Twilio Flex, a programmable contact center. While respond.io actually uses Twilio as a subprocessor, Twilio competes at the platform layer for enterprise messaging workloads and could expand into AI agent orchestration. A broad incumbent in adjacent infrastructure.
• HubSpot (Service Hub, Conversations): HubSpot offers Service Hub with shared inbox, AI agent (Breeze), and CRM-integrated messaging. While respond.io integrates with HubSpot, HubSpot is also an incumbent competitor in the broader CRM/conversations category with significantly larger scale and SMB market reach.
• Salesforce (Service Cloud / Marketing Cloud): Salesforce offers enterprise-scale messaging, AI agents (Agentforce), and customer service via Service Cloud and Marketing Cloud. A broad incumbent competing for enterprise conversational AI deals where respond.io also plays (e.g., Toyota, British Airways).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/respond_io
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/respondio

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors8 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about respond.io