This Startup Automates Customer Service Using AI – Intelswift Startup Review

Customer support can make or break a digital commerce business. Statistics show that poor customer service costs businesses a whopping $75 billion in lost revenue each year. Customers expect swift replies, ideally within an hour, but many companies struggle, often taking 12-24 hours to respond. Slow hiring, reliance on outdated communication channels, and decentralised data are just a few reasons behind this lag.

So, what are businesses doing right now? Many rely on traditional methods—emails, phone calls, and multiple support tools, resulting in slow and fragmented service. But what if you could reduce response time to under five seconds?

Enter IntelSwift, a startup that saw an opportunity in this problem. By using AI, IntelSwift has developed a suite of solutions, including AI chatbots and an AI Copilot. These tools not only automate responses but also visualise data, detect anomalies, and generate summaries, transforming customer service into a simple, efficient process.

We interviewed Oksana Budz, the co-founder of IntelSwift, to learn more about how they turned this possibility into a reality for startups and SMBs in digital commerce.

What is Intelswift?

IntelSwift is a startup focused on automating customer support for startups and small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the digital commerce sector. It primarily caters to online education, e-commerce, and tech product companies.

The central challenge it addresses is the excessively long response times that these businesses often face, which can lead to significant revenue losses. IntelSwift seeks to provide timely responses within five seconds, dramatically improving customer satisfaction.

The solution IntelSwift offers includes AI chatbots and an AI Copilot, each designed to integrate seamlessly into existing workflows.

For instance, the AI chatbots handle repetitive inquiries and FAQs, while the AI Copilot processes and visualises data to help support teams identify abnormalities and generate useful insights. This combination not only automates customer interactions but also empowers businesses to make data-driven decisions quickly.

What sets IntelSwift apart is its sophisticated AI capabilities that enhance productivity and streamline operations. The AI Copilot acts as a comprehensive tool that offers advanced data analytics, elevating customer support from basic response handling to deeper engagement through actionable insights. This approach allows businesses to transform their customer service operations, ensuring they remain competitive in an increasingly demanding market.

Intelswift Founders

IntelSwift thrives under the guidance of its co-founding team, each bringing a wealth of experience and insight from diverse backgrounds. Marian Rydzanych, the CEO and CTO, dedicated over 13 years to developing scalable solutions for Fortune 500 giants like Apple, Cisco, and Zoom. His expertise in AI and data security creates a sturdy backbone for IntelSwift as it navigates the complexities of customer support automation.

Complementing Marian’s technical acumen is Oksana Budz, serving as the CBDO and CMO. With a master’s degree in disruptive innovation and five years of marketing and business development experience, Oksana ensures that the startup remains aligned with the needs of its target audience. Her understanding of market trends and customer behaviours has been instrumental in shaping IntelSwift’s strategic direction.

The early days of IntelSwift were characterised by collaborative effort and shared ambition. The co-founders had spent a decade working together on previous projects, encouraging a strong bond that would prove invaluable during challenging times.

They realised that the challenges they faced in customer service within their own businesses needed addressing. This collective frustration with existing solutions served as the catalyst for the formation of IntelSwift.

The vision for IntelSwift emerged from these experiences. When they launched an online computer science course in 2022, the team confronted significant customer service obstacles. Delays in response times and language barriers illustrated the urgent need for a more efficient support system. After rigorous brainstorming sessions, the concept of leveraging AI for customer service automation crystallised into what IntelSwift represents today.

Interview with Oksana Budz, Co-founder of Intelswift

I recently had the opportunity to sit down with Oksana Budz, the Co-founder and CBDO/CMO of IntelSwift, to delve deeper into the ambitions and insights driving this innovative startup. Our conversation shed light on the journey, challenges, and unique strengths that have defined IntelSwift’s path thus far.

Q: Can you introduce yourself and your role at IntelSwift?
A: Certainly. My name is Oksana Budz, and I am the Co-founder, CBDO, and CMO at IntelSwift.

Q: What does IntelSwift do?
A: IntelSwift focuses on automating customer support for startups and small to medium-sized businesses in the digital commerce sector. We help support teams reduce customer response time to under five seconds with our trainable AI assistants. These can be deployed across various channels like web chat, Telegram, and WhatsApp. Our AI Copilot processes and visualises data swiftly, finding anomalies in support conversations, generating summaries, and more.

Q: Who is your target audience?
A: We specifically target startups and SMBs that sell products or services online. This includes online education, e-commerce, and tech product companies.

Q: What primary problem does IntelSwift aim to solve?
A: Poor customer support costs digital commerce businesses around $75 billion in lost revenue. Customers expect quick responses, but many businesses take 12-24 hours to reply, mainly due to slow hiring and the outdated use of phone and email. Additionally, support teams often juggle numerous tools which hurt productivity. Data decentralisation also makes it harder for businesses to make informed decisions. We aim to address these issues by helping startups and SMBs respond to their customers within five seconds, 24/7, in any language.

Q: How does IntelSwift solve this problem?
A: Our solution includes AI Copilot, AI Chatbots, and Omnichannel Live Chat which integrate into sales and support workflows. This automation handles repetitive tasks like FAQs, lead qualification, summary generation, meeting scheduling, and personalised product recommendations. The Copilot also generates data-rich visualisations and forecasts, empowering businesses to be data-driven.

Q: Could you tell us about your company’s founding team?
A: Marian Rydzanych, our CEO and CTO, has 13 years of experience with Fortune 500 companies like Apple, Cisco, and Zoom in AI, data security, and scalability. I have a master’s in disruptive innovation and five years’ experience in marketing and business development. Our CFO, Iuliia Demchyk, brings 10 years of experience in finance, corporate governance, and B2B sales. We have all known each other for more than a decade and have collaborated on two other startups.

Q: What inspired you to venture into this industry?
A: In 2022, we launched an online computer science course and faced numerous customer service challenges. Follow-ups took days, and our sales reps struggled with specific IT-related questions. The language barrier added to the complications. After brainstorming, we realised the potential of AI in automating these tasks, leading to the birth of IntelSwift.

Q: Can you share details about the early days of IntelSwift?
A: Our journey began with a dedicated team of co-founders, but we quickly hired additional talent to support our vision. The path wasn’t always smooth; we pivoted our idea after launching our MVP, which ended up being a valuable learning experience. Despite the challenging political situation in Ukraine, where our co-founders hail from, we remain committed to our vision.

Q: How does IntelSwift differ from its competitors?
A: Our AI Copilot sets us apart. It not only handles conversation outputs but also excels at complex tasks like data visualisation, forecasting, and anomaly detection. This tool helps businesses be data-driven by simply posting their queries. While AI Chatbots manage front-end interactions, AI Copilot boosts productivity behind the scenes.

Q: Has IntelSwift received external funding?
A: Yes, we recently secured $100,000 in Angel investments and have opened a new funding round. Our experience with investors showed us the importance of being straightforward and passionate about our product. Regular updates also help maintain investor interest and demonstrate our growth.

Q: What are IntelSwift’s plans for the future?
A: We are polishing our core product and planning to expand the AI Copilot’s features and our reach into the US market. We also offer a special startup plan with a discounted price to help early-stage startups with their customer service issues.

Q: Can you talk about your startup’s revenue?
A: We have already secured $3600 MRR just two months after our pivot. We currently serve five paid customers and 120 freemium customers. Though it’s early, we’re expecting a growth of around 1000% in the next 1-2 years.

Q: Do you have any advice for aspiring entrepreneurs?
A: Believe in yourself and persevere through failures; they make you stronger. Conduct thorough market research and competitor analysis to ensure there is a real demand for your solution. Don’t fear competition; it often confirms the need for your product. Network extensively and seek mentors, particularly through accelerator programs.

Q: Are there any statistics related to your industry that you’d like to share?
A: Poor customer support costs digital commerce businesses $75 billion in lost revenue. Additionally, 51% of customers reported reducing or stopping their spending with a company due to a negative experience. Despite customers expecting replies within an hour, businesses typically take 12-24 hours to respond. Our Total Addressable Market (TAM) is expected to grow to $20 billion by 2029.

For more information about IntelSwift and their future plans, you can connect with Oksana Budz through her LinkedIn profile or via email.

Feedough’s Take on Intelswift

IntelSwift is stepping up as a game-changer in the digital commerce sector. By slashing response times to under five seconds, they’re not just enhancing customer service; they’re setting new standards.

Their integration of AI technologies, like chatbots and AI Copilot, is a smart move that automates repetitive tasks and dives deep into data analytics for actionable insights. This not only boosts efficiency but also significantly cuts down on the chances of customer dissatisfaction related to delayed responses.

Looking ahead, IntelSwift’s trajectory seems promising. They’re well-positioned to disrupt the current customer service paradigm. One suggestion would be to continuously innovate and perhaps expand their AI functionalities to cover more diverse aspects of customer interactions. Keeping their technology ahead of the curve will be crucial as the market evolves. Overall, expect big things from IntelSwift as they aim to redefine responsiveness in digital commerce.