Silicon Valley Chatbots With Berlin Roots

Rasa’s founder Alexander Weidauer, now strategic advisor, remains a Berliner. – © Rasa

In 2016 Alan Nichol and Alexander Weidauer founded Rasa in Berlin to provide the technology behind conversational AI assistants, enabling companies to build their own AI chatbots. Their Large Language Model (LLM) chatbots have natural-like conversations and interactions with customers while enabling companies to retain control over the course of the conversations and the statements made by the bots. Rasa successfully expanded to the US, setting up its stateside HQ in San Francisco in 2019, yet maintaining their European office in Berlin. Rasa’s customers include banks, including the Berlin-based neobank N26, telecommunications companies such as T-Mobile and Orange, and the insurance group Ergo. Now the German-American AI start-up has received $30M (around €28M) in a series C financing round, as Business Insider reports. CEO Melissa Gordon says that the additional capital will be used to help sharpen Rasa’s market edge: “We will use the funding to advance our technological leadership and strengthen our position in the market.”