Helsinki-based SaaS startup Videobot announced on Tuesday that it has secured €2M in a seed round of funding from Superhero Capital, Expon Capital Digital Tech Fund, and angel investors Urban Gillstrom and Ari Korhonen.
The Finnish company says it will use the funds to accelerate its growth, especially in Europe and the US markets.
Currently, the company claims to have gained a solid foothold with over 200 customers in 15 countries and multiple diverse industries.
Birth of Videobot
Videobot was born out of the recognition that video consumption is becoming increasingly prevalent.
The world is turning towards video consumption on all fronts. As Generation Z and younger are fully adapted and in demand of more video content over text, the global digital video content market size reached US$ 171.5 billion in 2022, reveals the report.
Anssi Kiviranta, co-founder of Videobot, says, “The internet is shifting from text to video. Short videos have already become dominant across social media platforms. Video content now makes up 80 per cent of internet traffic, and demand is continuing to escalate.”
“Basically, nobody wants to read long walls of text on websites anymore. Our attention spans online are lower than ever; brands and companies have a mere second to engage their audiences’ attention online. What’s more, over 70 per cent of people want to hear about new products and services in video format,” he adds.
Videobot: Revolutionising online customer engagement
Founded in 2022 by Anssi Kiviranta and Matias Mäenpää, Videobot merges short videos and chatbots to revolutionise online customer engagement.
In an interview with Silicon Canals, Kiviranta, says, “Videobots combine the engaging power of short video content with the interactivity of a chatbot, creating an immersive and dynamic experience for users. With a Videobot, you’re not just providing information; you’re initiating a dialogue with your audience, guiding them through a personalised journey that’s tailored to their needs and interests.”
“At their core, Videobots use artificial intelligence to interact with users in a human-like way. But unlike a typical chatbot, a Videobot interacts through video, making the experience far more dynamic and engaging. This fusion of interactivity and visual appeal is what makes Videobots so effective and versatile,” adds Kiviranta.
Videobot says the technology can be implemented to any modern website within minutes with a widget or plug-in solution to the existing website, and it works seamlessly on any screen.
Videobot not only offers a tool for engagement but also provides recommendations to clients regarding video format and content to drive higher engagement, generate leads, and boost sales.
The platform’s primary use case is lead generation, but it’s also effective throughout the customer journey.
One of the company’s clients, Supercell, have utilised Videobot on their HR website to enhance recruitment, while others streamline employee onboarding processes with the technology.
Videobot claims that its clients have witnessed significant improvements, including a 98 per cent increase in engagement, a 150 per cent increase in website dwell time, and a 36 per cent increase in overall sales lead volume.
“Videobot opens new horizons for businesses to connect with their audiences. Quite simply, we see a future where fully video-based websites are the norm across industries. Companies that don’t adopt the shift to video will be left behind. We can already see the future of websites with engaging, interactive short videos. We want Videobot to be the go-to choice, as the original video-based chatbot in a world where video is no longer a ‘nice-to-have’ feature, but a business essential,” says Kiviranta.
Since its launch in autumn 2022 at Slush, Videobot has secured significant clients, including game giant Supercell, one of Finland’s largest media company’s event organisations, and Moi Mobiili.
What the investor say
“The world around consumer behaviour and website lead generation is changing rapidly. We saw Videobot’s potential instantly – with an experienced founder team and impressive growth results within the first months of its existence, Videobot was a perfect addition to our portfolio,” says Juha Ruohonen, General Partner at Superhero Capital.
“Videobot is a true trailblazer in this industry, and we wanted to support them in their quickly accelerating growth,” adds Ruohonen.
