What Botfuel does

Botnation (formerly operating as Botfuel) is a Paris-based conversational AI platform founded in 2016 that enables businesses to build, deploy, and manage AI-powered chatbots and shopping assistants without coding. The platform combines a proprietary NLP and generative-AI engine with a no-code, drag-and-drop workflow builder, and uses both OpenAI and Mistral AI as LLM backends while keeping all customer data hosted under French and European jurisdiction, independent of US hyperscaler infrastructure. Products are organized into five modules: lead generation, e-commerce, FAQ, customer support, and HR/recruitment, and a single bot can be published across web, WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, SMS, and voice channels via native integrations with Shopify, HubSpot, WordPress, Mailchimp, Brevo, Monday.com, and Zapier.

The company operates a hybrid go-to-market: a product-led, freemium self-serve funnel (entry pricing from €39/month) targets SMBs and individuals, while an Accompaniment tier offers Botnation-led design, optimization, and managed services on multi-year enterprise contracts. Reported scale metrics include more than 500 business customers, deployment across 75+ countries, 2 billion messages processed, and 15 million end users. Named enterprise references include SNCF Voyageurs (23M-message regional FAQ deployment), Cdiscount, Enedis, and Arkopharma; named SMB references include Maxicoffee, Fraisiers de France, Essentiel Patrimoine, and AutoEasy.

The business is funded with approximately $4.1M in disclosed equity (a 2017 round led by BREEGA and Seventure Partners, followed by a 2018 EISMEA instrument) and operates with 11-50 employees under co-founder co-CEOs Javier Gonzalez Helly and Yan Georget. No later-stage fundraising, M&A, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed, and revenue is inferred from pricing and customer-count signals rather than reported ARR.

Name

Botfuel

Legal name

Botnation

Website

https://botfuel.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Botnation (formerly Botfuel) is a Paris-based conversational AI platform, founded in 2016, that enables businesses to build and deploy no-code chatbots across web, WhatsApp, social, SMS, and voice, serving SMBs and enterprises with self-serve and managed offerings.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Conversational AI Software

NAICS

Software Publishers (513210)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Agents & Autonomous Workflows (Tool Use, Planning, Multi-Agent) (HDAAACAF), AI Integration & Orchestration Platforms (Connectors, Workflow, iPaaS for AI) (HDAEANAI)

Keywords

• Conversational AI platform
• No-code chatbot builder
• Customer support automation
• Lead generation chatbot
• E-commerce chatbot software

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Subscription: Monthly subscription model for chatbot creation and usage. Pricing starts at €39/month for basic usage, with plans adapting to more significant business needs. Optional credits available for additional usage beyond plan limits.
2. Expert Services (Accompaniment): Custom chatbot development and management services provided by Botnation AI experts for enterprise clients requiring tailored solutions and hands-on support.
3. Optional Credits: Additional credits available for purchase beyond included monthly allocation, providing usage-based revenue component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Botfuel (Botnation AI) sells a SaaS conversational AI platform that lets businesses build, deploy, and manage AI-powered chatbots and conversational agents across web, WhatsApp, Instagram, Messenger, SMS, and voice channels without coding. The platform combines proprietary NLP and generative AI with a no-code drag-and-drop workflow builder and is offered through a self-serve subscription tier (from €39/month) plus an expert-managed enterprise tier (Accompaniment) that includes custom development and ongoing management.

Product overview

Botnation AI is a unified multi-channel conversational AI platform (operating since 2016) that combines a proprietary NLP and generative AI engine with a no-code workflow builder to enable businesses to create and deploy AI-powered chatbots across web, social media, WhatsApp, SMS, and voice channels. The platform is organized around several named product modules — Chatbot Génération de Leads (lead capture and qualification), Chatbot E-commerce (product recommendations and purchase assistance), Chatbot Support Client & SAV (automated customer service resolving up to 80% of inquiries), Chatbot FAQ (knowledge-base Q&A), and Chatbot Recrutement (HR automation for onboarding and hiring) — supported by two delivery models: Self-Service (no-code, user-managed) and Accompagnement (expert-managed). The platform integrates with external tools via webhooks and Zapier, and offers a free tier for initial chatbot creation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nation AI: AI platform referenced in footer links
• ChatbotGPT
• MyImageGPT

Products and services

• Botnation AI Platform Multi-channel conversational AI platform that lets businesses create, deploy, and manage AI-powered chatbots and agents without coding, with proprietary NLP and generative AI, a no-code workflow builder, and deployment across web, social media, WhatsApp, SMS, and voice channels.
• Chatbot Lead Generation (Chatbot Génération de Leads) Lead generation chatbot product that automatically captures, filters, and prioritizes leads by engaging visitors, qualifying needs, collecting key information, and sending qualified leads directly to a CRM 24/7.
• Chatbot E-commerce E-commerce chatbot that provides product recommendations, cross-sell, assisted cart conversion, and purchase guidance to increase conversion rates, average basket size, and reduce cart abandonment for online retailers.
• Chatbot FAQ FAQ chatbot that automatically answers frequently asked questions, directs users to relevant resources, and handles routine inquiries without human intervention.

Quantifiable outcome

• Resolve 80% of customer requests automatically
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability8 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OpenAIcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with OpenAI technology to enhance Botnation AI's generative AI capabilities. The platform displays OpenAI logo indicating deep integration for LLM-powered conversational experiences.
• Mistral AIcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with Mistral AI, a European AI provider, to offer alternative LLM capabilities. Supports Botnation's positioning as a GDPR-compliant, European-based AI solution independent of US tech giants.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration with Shopify e-commerce platform enabling seamless chatbot deployment for online stores with product recommendations, cart management, and purchase assistance capabilities.
• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationCRM integration with HubSpot allowing automatic lead capture and synchronization of chatbot conversations with HubSpot's marketing and sales platform.
• WhatsAppcoreTechnology or IntegrationOfficial WhatsApp Business integration enabling chatbot deployment on WhatsApp platform for customer messaging and support.
• WordPresscoreTechnology or IntegrationNative WordPress integration and dedicated chatbot plugin for WordPress websites, one of the most popular website platforms globally.
• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationZapier integration enabling connection to hundreds of tools and APIs via webhooks, extending platform connectivity beyond native integrations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• User.com: User.com is a European (Polish-founded) marketing, sales, and customer service automation platform with built-in chatbots and AI agents. It is a direct competitor in the European mid-market conversational AI space.
• Crisp: Crisp is a European (French-founded) multichannel customer messaging platform with chatbot, live chat, and CRM features. It is one of Botnation's closest direct competitors, particularly within the French and European SMB and mid-market segment.
• Tidio: Tidio offers an AI-powered customer service and chatbot platform tightly integrated with e-commerce platforms like Shopify. It competes directly with Botnation's e-commerce and customer support chatbot modules for the SMB and mid-market segment.
• Drift (Salesloft): Drift, now part of Salesloft, pioneered conversational AI for B2B sales, marketing, and customer service. It overlaps with Botnation's lead generation and customer engagement chatbot modules, particularly for B2B use cases.
• Ada: Ada is an AI-native customer service automation platform serving enterprise clients with branded virtual agents. It is a direct competitor for Botnation's enterprise support automation use case, including automatic resolution rates comparable to Botnation's 80% claim.
• LivePerson: LivePerson is an enterprise conversational AI platform for customer support and sales across messaging channels. It competes with Botnation at the larger end of the market where Botnation sells its 'Accompaniment' expert-managed tier.
• ManyChat: ManyChat is a leading no-code chatbot platform focused on marketing, sales, and customer support across Messenger, Instagram, WhatsApp, and SMS. It directly competes with Botnation in the SMB conversational AI space with similar PLG mechanics.

Broad incumbents

• HubSpot: HubSpot offers a CRM and marketing automation platform with built-in chatbot and conversational AI tools (including ChatSpot). It is both a partner (CRM integration) and a competitor in lead qualification and customer engagement.
• Intercom: Intercom is a leading customer messaging platform with AI agent 'Fin' for automated support. As a broader incumbent it competes with Botnation across customer support, lead generation, and conversational commerce, particularly at the mid-market and enterprise tier.
• Zendesk: Zendesk is a large customer service and engagement platform with AI-powered bots and agent-assist capabilities. It competes with Botnation's customer support chatbot offering as part of a wider ticketing and CX portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/botfuel
• Facebookfacebook.com/botfuel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/botfuel

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors3 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 Botfuel