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Zurich Buys Estonian AI Chat Start-Up

By Aiko Tanaka
1 min read
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1616146278918 scaled
In this article (4)

The Swiss insurer is buying an Estonian start-up for conversational artificial intelligence. The move is a bid to improve the digital capabilities of its customer services.

The Zurich-based insurer it is buying Alphachat, a four-year-old Tallinn-based company with a messaging automation product that understands natural language, authenticates users, and provides personalized responses, it said in a statement on Thursday. Zurich didn’t disclose the financial details of the deal.

The insurer said it wants to use Alphachat’s conversational artificial intelligence to try and meet increasing demand from customers for personalized products and services, 24/7. Alphachat represents a considerable reinforcement of Zurich’s AI capabilities.

The start-ups’ CEO, Indrek Vainu, said Zurich will launch a hub for intelligent automation in Estonia in order to create AI-powered messaging automation solutions for its customers.

Questions & Answers

Q.

What is the main reason Zurich is acquiring the Estonian start-up?

A.

Zurich is buying Alphachat to enhance the digital capabilities of its customer services. The insurer aims to use conversational AI to meet customer demand for personalised products and services around the clock, improving its overall AI strength.

Q.

What kind of technology does Alphachat provide?

A.

Alphachat offers a messaging automation product that utilises conversational artificial intelligence. This technology is capable of understanding natural language, authenticating users, and delivering personalised responses to customer queries.

Q.

Will Alphachat's operations remain in Estonia after the acquisition?

A.

Yes, Alphachat's CEO stated that Zurich plans to establish a hub for intelligent automation in Estonia. This hub will be dedicated to developing AI-powered messaging automation solutions for Zurich's customers.

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