ZOKO
ZOKO is a WhatsApp Business API platform for Shopify-based D2C merchants, offering catalog selling, broadcasts, automated support, and a visual workflow builder. Headquartered in the US with engineering in Bengaluru, it serves thousands of brands across India, Brazil, and the US.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersBengaluru, India
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What ZOKO does
ZOKO is a WhatsApp Business API platform purpose-built for Shopify-based direct-to-consumer (D2C) brands. The company, legally domiciled as Bourbon Science Inc. in Buford, Georgia (US) with engineering operations in Bengaluru, India, was established in 2018–2019 with backing from Y Combinator. Its core product is a unified conversational commerce platform that combines WhatsApp catalog selling, bulk broadcasts, customer-support automation, and a visual workflow builder ('Zoko Flows') integrated with Shopify, Judge.me, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger. The platform is positioned as an Official Meta Business Partner, offering merchants Blue Tick verification assistance, multi-agent shared inbox, and AI-powered catalog recommendations.
The business model is SaaS subscription with a product-led, self-serve go-to-market: merchants discover ZOKO through the Shopify App Store or organic content, start with a 7-day free trial without a credit card, and convert into paid tiers (specific pricing not publicly disclosed). The customer base spans thousands of Shopify merchants concentrated in WhatsApp-first markets — India, Brazil, and the US — across verticals including cosmetics, baby care, pet, fashion, food and beverage, electronics, and furniture. Notable logos include Blaupunkt, Purplle (100+ agents handling 5M+ chats), Happy Jars, Super Bottoms, Provócame, Green Soul Ergonomics, Chemist at Play, Petsy, WaterScience, and Juicy Chemistry. Marketing channels emphasize content (blog, SEO, newsletter), social media, case studies, and Calendly-driven demos.
Strategically, ZOKO has executed a capital-efficient expansion: seed funding of approximately $1.39M in March 2021 (021 Capital, Almoayed Ventures, Pioneer Fund, Unpopular Ventures, Weekend Fund, Y Combinator) followed by a 2022 round from iSeed and Pioneer Fund. Its product roadmap has broadened from single-channel WhatsApp tooling into AI-augmented customer support, predictive analytics, generative chatbots, and a Developer API — positioning the company as a multi-channel conversational commerce layer atop Meta's messaging stack rather than a point solution.
ZOKO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ZOKO
- Legal name
- Bourbon Science Inc
- Website
- https://zoko.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- ZOKO is a WhatsApp Business API platform for Shopify-based D2C merchants, offering catalog selling, broadcasts, automated support, and a visual workflow builder. Headquartered in the US with engineering in Bengaluru, it serves thousands of brands across India, Brazil, and the US.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ZOKO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Conversational Commerce Platform
- NAICS
- Advertising Material Distribution Services (54187)
- SIC
- Services-Advertising (7310)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Shelf & Content Syndication Services (CRAOAOAH)
Keywords
Where ZOKO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bengaluru
- HQ country
- India
- HQ region
- Asia
Offices2 records
Markets served
ZOKO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- SaaS Platform Subscription: ZOKO operates as a SaaS platform with subscription tiers providing access to WhatsApp Business API integration, automation features, and team collaboration tools. The platform offers a free trial period and paid plans for ongoing access.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free 7-day trial available |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels7 records
ZOKO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ZOKO provides a WhatsApp Business API platform purpose-built for Shopify e-commerce merchants, enabling catalog selling, marketing broadcasts, abandoned cart recovery, COD order confirmation, and automated customer support directly within WhatsApp. The platform combines Zoko Flows (a visual automation builder), AI-powered product catalog sync, multi-agent team routing, and a Developer API to let Shopify brands turn WhatsApp into a primary revenue and engagement channel.
Product overview
Zoko is a unified WhatsApp Business Platform purpose-built for Shopify stores. The core offering consists of the Zoko Platform, which serves as the central hub, combined with Zoko Flows (an advanced visual automation builder) and native features including WhatsApp Catalog (AI-powered product sync), WhatsApp Broadcasts (bulk messaging), and WhatsApp Customer Support (automated responses with team routing). The platform also provides a QR Code Generator tool and a Developer API for custom integrations. All components work together to enable merchants to automate marketing, sales, and customer service workflows within WhatsApp.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- ZOKO Platform
- ZOKO Developer API
- QR Code Generator
Quantifiable outcome
- 500% better open rates than email for WhatsApp broadcasts
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use ZOKO
Customer profileNamed customers18 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ZOKO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration4 records
AI capability6 records
Feature5 records
ZOKO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- Meta (Facebook)coreOfficial Meta Business Partner providing ZOKO certified expertise in driving client success across WhatsApp, Facebook, Instagram and other Meta technologies. This partnership enables priority access to WhatsApp Business API features and verification assistance for business accounts.
- ShopifycoreNative Shopify integration enabling seamless sync of product catalogs, customer data, and order information with ZOKO's WhatsApp Business platform. Featured app listing in Shopify App Store.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
ZOKO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Wati: Wati is a WhatsApp Business API platform targeting SMBs and enterprises for customer support, marketing, and broadcasts. It is the most direct competitor to ZOKO with overlapping WhatsApp-first commerce workflows for Shopify and D2C merchants.
- Interakt: Interakt is a WhatsApp commerce and marketing platform focused on Shopify merchants and D2C brands, offering catalog sync, broadcasts, abandoned cart recovery, and AI chatbots — directly overlapping ZOKO's positioning in India.
- Gallabox: Gallabox provides a WhatsApp business inbox, shared team inbox, broadcasts, and Shopify-integrated commerce flows for D2C brands. It targets the same Shopify-merchant buyer as ZOKO, particularly in India.
- AiSensy: AiSensy is a WhatsApp Business API platform with broadcast, chatbot, and e-commerce commerce flows serving Indian SMBs and D2C brands, including Shopify integrations — a close functional peer.
- Respond.io: Respond.io is an omnichannel messaging platform covering WhatsApp, Messenger, Instagram, and Telegram with workflow automation and CRM features, overlapping ZOKO's multi-channel inbox and Flowbuilder.
- WANotifier: WANotifier is a WhatsApp notification and marketing platform with Shopify integration and broadcast campaigns. It is cited alongside ZOKO in head-to-head comparisons of WhatsApp marketing tools.
Broad incumbents
- Gupshup: Gupshup is a large conversational messaging platform offering WhatsApp Business API access, CPaaS, and conversational AI across multiple channels. It competes with ZOKO at the API/infrastructure layer and serves enterprise-scale messaging needs.
- Yellow.ai: Yellow.ai is a conversational AI platform with WhatsApp, voice, and chat automation used by enterprises for support, sales, and marketing. It overlaps ZOKO's AI chatbot and automation positioning at a broader, enterprise scale.
- MessageBird: MessageBird (now Bird) is a global CPaaS and omnichannel marketing platform offering WhatsApp, SMS, email, and workflow tools. It competes at the messaging infrastructure layer that ZOKO also depends on.
Emerging players
- Tidio: Tidio provides live chat, chatbots, and email automation for Shopify and WooCommerce merchants with growing WhatsApp support. It targets a similar SMB/mid-market Shopify segment as ZOKO with an AI-driven chatbot focus.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ZOKO social profiles
Digital presenceZOKO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ZOKO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
ZOKO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds4 records
Investors10 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ZOKO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ZOKO
What does ZOKO do?
ZOKO provides a WhatsApp Business API platform purpose-built for Shopify e-commerce merchants, enabling catalog selling, marketing broadcasts, abandoned cart recovery, COD order confirmation, and automated customer support directly within WhatsApp. The platform combines Zoko Flows (a visual automation builder), AI-powered product catalog sync, multi-agent team routing, and a Developer API to let Shopify brands turn WhatsApp into a primary revenue and engagement channel.
Is ZOKO a public or private company?
ZOKO is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was ZOKO founded?
ZOKO was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is ZOKO based?
ZOKO is headquartered in Bengaluru, India, in the Asia region.
How does ZOKO make money?
One revenue line is on record: saaS Platform Subscription.
Who are ZOKO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Wati, Interakt, Gallabox, AiSensy, Respond.io and WANotifier. Broad incumbents are Gupshup, Yellow.ai and MessageBird. Tidio is listed as an emerging player.
Does ZOKO have an API?
Yes. Zoko offers a Developer API that enables businesses to integrate WhatsApp Business API capabilities into their own systems. The API documentation is available at docs.zoko.io. The platform supports integration with Shopify stores and enables automated workflows through Zoko Flows. Developer documentation is at docs.zoko.io.
What industry is ZOKO in?
ZOKO's product category is Conversational Commerce Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAOAOAH, Product Information Management (PIM), Digital Shelf & Content Syndication Services. Its NAICS code is 54187 and its SIC code is 7310.