Mezi combines artificial intelligence and human expertise to learn users' shopping preferences and create personalized shopping experiences through intelligent, humanistic chat conversations. The app simulates the experience of shopping with friends by sifting through thousands of potential choices based on price points, preferences, and learned habits. Mezi simplifies mobile shopping across categories and is available on the iOS App Store and via SMS. Operationally, 25% of purchases made through Mezi are travel bookings, 21% are fashion items, and 15% are gifts. The company was launched in December 2015 by serial entrepreneurs Swapnil Shinde and Snehal Shinde and is based in Sunnyvale, CA. The product relies on a mix of AI and human agents to tailor recommendations and complete purchases for users. Mezi is a mobile, text-based virtual assistant focused exclusively on e-commerce and onerous shopping errands. The app launched in the United States for iOS and Android (Android access is SMS-only) and pairs an AI platform called Smart Assist with human "shopping experts" to complete tasks. Smart Assist uses natural language processing to extract key information and store user preferences; work is currently split roughly 80% human and 20% AI, with the goal of flipping that ratio toward greater automation. Mezi returns multiple options for requests, keeps users updated with reservation and shipping information, and has handled tasks such as sourcing sold-out items, ordering products, and booking group international trips. The company plans to develop verticals like travel, fashion, and electronics and to localize quickly for international markets, describing the platform as currency-less and country-less. Mezi intends to monetize via affiliate partnerships while remaining brand-agnostic so users receive options from a wide range of sites.

Total raised

$12M

Funding rounds

2

Latest round

Series A

Latest activity

Jul 2016