Zendesk, a customer service firm, has launched Zendesk Ventures, a fund that will help early-stage AI-first startups that aim to improve customer and staff experiences.

In addition to finance, Zendesk Ventures wants to provide expertise in customer experience (CX) and artificial intelligence (AI), as well as identify strategic collaboration opportunities to help developing firms in the area flourish.

The company has invested in PolyAI, a developer of advanced conversational voice assistants, as well as unitQ, an AI-powered consumer feedback platform. It has made investments in Observe.AI, a conversational intelligence platform, and Zuper, a field service management software supplier.

The government’s Make AI in India initiative is helping to expand India’s AI startup ecosystem. Zendesk Ventures is committed to assisting AI-first entrepreneurs in India that seek to tackle significant business problems in the CX and EX area.

Zendesk, created in 2007, is a cloud-based customer support software that helps businesses manage customer relationships more effectively. It comprises customer support, ticketing, self-service alternatives, and customer engagement tools, with the goal of assisting organizations in integrating AI agents, workflow automation, and human agents for both customers and staff.