Helpful
Helpful was a Toronto-based startup that built AI-powered enterprise mobile products—an AI employee directory, asynchronous video messaging, and Dialog live audio—for fast-growing companies before being acquired by Shopify in January 2019.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Helpful does
Helpful was a Toronto-based, venture-backed startup founded circa 2016 by Daniel Debow, David, and Farhan that developed AI-powered enterprise mobile products for fast-growing companies. The company built and launched three core products: (1) an AI-Powered Employee Directory, a mobile directory and org chart with knowledge retrieval and question-answering capabilities; (2) Asynchronous Video Messages at Work (Helpful Video), a communication tool for distributed teams using short videos, images, and text; and (3) Dialog, a live interactive audio platform that attracted public-figure usage including Ben Stiller, Jake Tapper, and Patricia Arquette.
The company targeted fast-growing enterprises with "hard problems" in mobile workflows where no incumbent solution existed, pursuing a horizontal segmentation approach across industries. Its go-to-market was product-led, relying on direct product launches and earned media generated through celebrity Dialog usage. The revenue model was inferred to be subscription/recurring enterprise software, though pricing and contract terms were never publicly disclosed.
In January 2019, the entire Helpful team was acquired by Shopify, with co-founders joining as VPs at Shopify's Toronto office. As part of the transition, Helpful Video was shut down over a two-week period while Dialog was initially indicated to continue. Helpful operated with a small team of 1-10 employees and raised undisclosed seed funding in 2016 (Graph Ventures, Two Small Fish Ventures) and 2017 (Golden Ventures, Leaders Fund, Version One Ventures).
Helpful firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Helpful
- Website
- https://helpful.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Acquired
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Helpful was a Toronto-based startup that built AI-powered enterprise mobile products—an AI employee directory, asynchronous video messaging, and Dialog live audio—for fast-growing companies before being acquired by Shopify in January 2019.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Helpful industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Enterprise Communication Software
- NAICS
- Custom Computer Programming Services (541511)
- SIC
- Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Enterprise/Workplace Short-Form Video Platforms (Internal Comms & Training) (MPACAHAL)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Enterprise/Team Messaging (BPAMACAB), Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC), Enterprise Work Management & Collaborative Workflow Platforms (HDAEAHAI)
Keywords
Where Helpful is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Helpful business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Enterprise Software Products: Built enterprise mobile products including AI-powered employee directory, asynchronous video messaging, and live interactive audio. Revenue model not explicitly disclosed in available sources.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels2 records
Helpful product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Helpful built AI-powered enterprise mobile products for workplace communication and team collaboration. Its product suite comprised an AI-Powered Employee Directory that helped users find people and answers to questions, Asynchronous Video Messages at Work (Helpful Video) for distributed team communication, and Dialog, a live interactive audio experience used by celebrities and public figures to reach their audiences.
Product overview
Helpful was an enterprise mobile products company that built three AI-powered products: (1) AI-Powered Employee Directory - a mobile directory and org chart with knowledge retrieval capabilities; (2) Asynchronous Video Messages at Work (Helpful Video) - a communication tool for distributed teams using short videos, images, and text; and (3) Dialog - a live interactive audio platform for reaching audiences. The company announced it would shut down Helpful Video while Dialog would continue operations, and the team subsequently joined Shopify.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Dialog: Live Interactive Audio experience - a communication tool for distributed teams using short, emotion-packed videos and images in addition to text.
Products and services
- AI-Powered Employee Directory A mobile employee directory and org chart powered by AI that helped users find people and answers to any question within an organization. Targeted at fast-growing enterprise companies needing mobile-first employee information access.
- Asynchronous Video Messages at Work (Helpful Video) A communication tool for distributed teams that used short, emotion-packed videos and images in addition to text to enable asynchronous workplace communication. Targeted at distributed enterprise teams needing richer asynchronous messaging than text alone.
- Dialog (Live Interactive Audio) A live interactive audio experience that enabled celebrities and public figures to reach their audiences through real-time audio broadcasts. Notable users included Ben Stiller, Jake Tapper, and Golden Globe winner Patricia Arquette.
Quantifiable outcome
- Dialog used by high-profile celebrities including Ben Stiller, Jake Tapper, and Golden Globe winner Patricia Arquette
Companies that use Helpful
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Helpful technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability7 records
Feature3 records
Helpful partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- ShopifycoreHelpful was acquired by Shopify in January 2019. Co-founders Daniel Debow joined as VP of Corporate Development and Farhan as VP of Engineering. The rest of the Helpful team joined Shopify's Toronto presence. The acquisition was part of Helpful joining to help Shopify make commerce better for everyone.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Helpful competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Zoom: Zoom expanded from live meetings into async video and employee engagement (Zoom Clips, Workvivo acquisition), representing the broad incumbent trajectory Helpful's async-video-for-work product anticipated.
- Slack: Slack is the dominant enterprise team messaging platform, providing the broader competitive context in which Helpful's asynchronous video messaging competed as a complementary communication modality.
- Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams bundles chat, meetings, and employee experience (Viva) into a single platform, making it the broad incumbent competing with Helpful's combined messaging, employee directory, and video offering.
Direct peers
- Loom: Loom is the leading asynchronous video messaging platform for distributed teams — directly comparable to Helpful Video's core offering of short, emotion-rich videos for workplace communication. Both target fast-growing companies adopting hybrid/remote work.
- Hippo Video: Hippo Video provides asynchronous video messaging and video email for sales and enterprise teams, directly mirroring Helpful Video's async-video-for-work thesis with similar AI-driven personalization capabilities.
- BombBomb: BombBomb is an asynchronous video messaging platform focused on personal/professional communication via short videos and images, comparable to Helpful Video's emphasis on emotion-packed video messaging.
- Workvivo: Workvivo is an employee communication and experience platform that combines internal comms, employee engagement, and content — directly comparable to Helpful's horizontal enterprise communication thesis aimed at distributed teams.
- MangoApps: MangoApps is an employee app, intranet, and collaboration platform, comparable to Helpful's combination of employee directory, communication tools, and team collaboration features.
- Beekeeper: Beekeeper is a mobile-first employee communication and operations platform, comparable to Helpful's mobile enterprise strategy for distributed workforces, including AI-powered features like chatbots.
Emerging players
- Donut: Donut focuses on relationship-building and team connection inside Slack/Teams, addressing the same 'human way to build relationships at work' value proposition that anchored Helpful's positioning for distributed teams.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Helpful social profiles
Digital presenceHelpful financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Helpful leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Helpful funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors6 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Helpful 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 Helpful
What does Helpful do?
Helpful built AI-powered enterprise mobile products for workplace communication and team collaboration. Its product suite comprised an AI-Powered Employee Directory that helped users find people and answers to questions, Asynchronous Video Messages at Work (Helpful Video) for distributed team communication, and Dialog, a live interactive audio experience used by celebrities and public figures to reach their audiences.
Is Helpful a public or private company?
Helpful is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently acquired.
When was Helpful founded?
Helpful was founded in 2016. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Helpful based?
Helpful is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Helpful make money?
One revenue line is on record: enterprise Software Products.
Who are Helpful's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Teams. Direct peers are Loom, Hippo Video, BombBomb, Workvivo, MangoApps and Beekeeper. Donut is listed as an emerging player.
Does Helpful have an API?
No public API is recorded for Helpful.
What industry is Helpful in?
Helpful's product category is Enterprise Communication Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPACAHAL, Enterprise/Workplace Short-Form Video Platforms (Internal Comms & Training), with a secondary code of BPAMACAB, Enterprise/Team Messaging. Its NAICS code is 541511 and its SIC code is 7372.