FJ Labs

FJ Labs, established in 2015 and headquartered in New York, is a stage-agnostic investment firm focusing on marketplaces and consumer-facing startups. It invests in seed and series A rounds, with a typical investment range of $50,000 to $5,000,000. The firm's portfolio includes notable companies such as Alibaba Group, Beepi, BrightRoll, Betterment, Adore Me, and Earnest, spanning sectors like e-commerce, fintech, and ad tech.

Matias Barbero

Investor

Zineb Belghiti

Operations Associate

Fabrice Grinda

Co-Founder

William Guillouard

Venture Partner

Arne Halleraker

Principal

Christopher Keshian

Investor

Ariel Lebowits

CFO

Jose Marin

Co-Founder

Güimar Vaca Sittic

Venture Partner

Jeff Weinstein

Principal

Past deals in Messaging

OTPless

Seed Round in 2024
OTPless is a software company based in Delhi, India, founded in 2021. It specializes in developing SaaS products that allow users to log into various platforms using WhatsApp, thereby providing a secure and efficient alternative to traditional authentication methods. By partnering with WhatsApp, OTPless ensures that its solutions are reliable and safe for users. The company focuses on optimizing and customizing WhatsApp-based login systems, enabling businesses to achieve smoother user experiences while enhancing security and reducing customer acquisition costs. Through its innovative approach, OTPless aims to transform the way users authenticate themselves online.

LuzIA

Series A in 2023
Luzia has developed an AI platform that specializes in transcribing audio messages on WhatsApp. The platform features a user-friendly chatbot accessible through WhatsApp, which can respond to inquiries across diverse topics, generate text, translate languages, and create creative content. This technology empowers users to efficiently perform a variety of tasks, enhancing communication and information access within the WhatsApp environment.

LuzIA

Seed Round in 2023
Luzia has developed an AI platform that specializes in transcribing audio messages on WhatsApp. The platform features a user-friendly chatbot accessible through WhatsApp, which can respond to inquiries across diverse topics, generate text, translate languages, and create creative content. This technology empowers users to efficiently perform a variety of tasks, enhancing communication and information access within the WhatsApp environment.

Popsy

Pre Seed Round in 2023
Popsy is an innovative AI-powered mobile application designed for local buying and selling, establishing itself as a next-generation classifieds platform. Users can list a wide range of items, including electronics, clothing, housing, cars, and furniture, by simply taking a photo. The application employs advanced image recognition technology to provide real-time suggestions for titles, prices, and categories, streamlining the selling process. Popsy focuses on creating a user-friendly marketplace where individuals can trade second-hand and refurbished goods, particularly cell phones, quickly and safely. The platform facilitates instant communication between buyers and sellers, allowing users to receive offers within minutes while avoiding commissions and transaction fees, thus promoting a more accessible and cost-effective trading experience.

User Interviews

Series B in 2022
User Interviews, Inc. operates a platform that facilitates the recruitment of participants for product testing and market research. The company offers a flexible recruiting tool called Recruit, which caters to a variety of research needs, and Research Hub, a centralized system for managing research participants. Additionally, User Interviews provides a UX Research field guide that serves as a resource for researchers, designers, and product managers, regardless of their experience level. Founded in 2013 and based in Brooklyn, New York, User Interviews, Inc. was previously known as MobileSuites, Inc. and rebranded in August 2015. The platform simplifies the recruitment process by providing access to diverse demographics and professions, incorporating features such as screener surveys, calendars, incentives, and messaging tools. Users can also create a Research CRM at no cost for up to 100 contacts, enhancing the efficiency of participant management.

CloserContact

Series A in 2022
CloserContact develops software and digital tools that organizes and manages various messaging platforms. It is based in Hong Kong.

Channel AI

Series A in 2022
Building the truly open AI messaging platform

Lara AI

Pre Seed Round in 2021
Lara AI is an AI-powered HR member that helps companies reduce turnover and enhance HR team efficiency. Lara is introduced into the company as the new AI-powered HR Business Partner, available to all employees in stores, locations, or working remotely, accessible via WhatsApp, Teams, Slack, and various messaging apps. Thanks to Lara, companies can automate: - Real-time measurement of employee engagement, sharing real-time analytics with HR and managers. - Support for employees: from answering frequently asked questions to managing requests and simplifying task submissions. - Automating internal communications.

Meesho

Series E in 2021
Meesho operates as an online reselling platform that enables anyone to start a business without investment. Meesho connects manufacturers, wholesalers, and suppliers with resellers who use social media platforms like WhatsApp and Facebook to sell products to their network of friends and family. The company was founded in 2015 by Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwa and is headquartered in Bangalore, Karnataka.

User Interviews

Series A in 2021
User Interviews, Inc. operates a platform that facilitates the recruitment of participants for product testing and market research. The company offers a flexible recruiting tool called Recruit, which caters to a variety of research needs, and Research Hub, a centralized system for managing research participants. Additionally, User Interviews provides a UX Research field guide that serves as a resource for researchers, designers, and product managers, regardless of their experience level. Founded in 2013 and based in Brooklyn, New York, User Interviews, Inc. was previously known as MobileSuites, Inc. and rebranded in August 2015. The platform simplifies the recruitment process by providing access to diverse demographics and professions, incorporating features such as screener surveys, calendars, incentives, and messaging tools. Users can also create a Research CRM at no cost for up to 100 contacts, enhancing the efficiency of participant management.

Gorgias

Series B in 2020
Gorgias, established in 2015, is a San Francisco-based company specializing in a unique customer service platform tailored for e-commerce businesses. It streamlines customer support across multiple channels, including email, voice, SMS, live chat, and social media, using advanced automation and AI capabilities. Gorgias serves over 12,000 merchants, such as Steve Madden and Glossier, and has expanded its team to over 250 employees across eight global offices. As a certified B Corporation, it prioritizes sustainable and equitable workplace practices.

Octane AI

Venture Round in 2020
Octane AI, Inc. is a company that specializes in conversational marketing automation for e-commerce. Founded in 2016 and based in Irvine, California, it provides an all-in-one platform that enables merchants to create engaging quizzes, collect data, and implement personalized marketing through Facebook Messenger and SMS. The platform facilitates chatbot creation, allowing users to integrate various content sources such as YouTube, blogs, and Google Sheets, enhancing customer interaction and service. Trusted by over 1,000 brands on Shopify, Octane AI focuses on personalizing the customer journey to improve connection, conversion, and retention. The company operates in a remote work environment with team members located in more than ten countries and is backed by prominent Silicon Valley investors.

User Interviews

Seed Round in 2019
User Interviews, Inc. operates a platform that facilitates the recruitment of participants for product testing and market research. The company offers a flexible recruiting tool called Recruit, which caters to a variety of research needs, and Research Hub, a centralized system for managing research participants. Additionally, User Interviews provides a UX Research field guide that serves as a resource for researchers, designers, and product managers, regardless of their experience level. Founded in 2013 and based in Brooklyn, New York, User Interviews, Inc. was previously known as MobileSuites, Inc. and rebranded in August 2015. The platform simplifies the recruitment process by providing access to diverse demographics and professions, incorporating features such as screener surveys, calendars, incentives, and messaging tools. Users can also create a Research CRM at no cost for up to 100 contacts, enhancing the efficiency of participant management.

MessageYes (formerly ReplyYes)

Seed Round in 2016
MessageYes' mission is to help people effortlessly discover and purchase items they love using their mobile phones. MessageYes is the first platform to offer frictionless e-commerce over mobile messaging for brands looking to engage and transact directly with their customers. Leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), human-assisted AI, and integrated payments, the MessageYes platform learns from customer feedback to make the experience serendipitous to each person and brand. Message recipients simply reply "Yes" to instantly buy from their mobile phones.

Angel.ai

Series A in 2015
Angel.ai, founded in February 2015, operates as a free, text message-based personal concierge service that connects users with trained operators to fulfill various requests around the clock. Utilizing Human Assisted Artificial Intelligence, the service allows clients to make requests via SMS for a wide range of tasks, including ordering food, making travel bookings, and securing restaurant reservations, all without any hidden fees or markups. Angel.ai is designed to save users time and simplify everyday tasks by providing efficient and convenient assistance whenever needed. Despite rumors of an acquisition by Amazon in 2016, the company has continued to operate independently.
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