Today, we are very excited to announce that Abe AI has been selected to participate in the 2017 Barclays Accelerator program powered by Techstars in Cape Town, South Africa.
The Barclays Accelerator program is the world’s leading fintech accelerator, fueling the growth and success of innovative fintech companies from across the globe. This year, companies from 52 countries around the world applied to participate in the program. After a rigorous and competitive selection process, Abe AI was one of ten companies selected to participate in the accelerator.
At Abe AI, we build innovative artificial intelligence solutions that help banks engage and support their customers at scale. Our AI-powered chatbots enable banks to communicate with their customers on the world’s fastest-growing messaging platforms (including SMS, Slack, Facebook Messenger, and Google Home). Our lightweight chatbot programs reduce customer service costs, provide actionable insights into customer needs, and improve engagement and retention across digital touchpoints.
Abe AI was founded in 2016 with a vision of simplifying money management. Since then, our team has grown to 16 full-time employees — including veterans from Disney, Johnson & Johnson, and Coca-Cola — and we’ll be hiring for five more positions in the next three months. Abe AI is headquartered in Orlando, FL, with offices in New York, NY, Louisville, KY, and Leuven, Belgium. We’re currently engaged in product pilots with multiple banks in North America and abroad.
The Barclays Accelerator is an opportunity for us to expand our global footprint and take advantage of the expertise and influence of the Barclays and Techstars networks. Throughout the program, we’ll work closely with Barclays Africa Group, designing cutting-edge banking solutions that will potentially be released to over 12 million customers in ten African markets. We’re also excited to work with the Techstars worldwide network to accelerate our growth and worldwide expansion.
“The Barclays Accelerator program is an incredible opportunity for Abe AI. Working with Techstars and Barclays Africa Group will allow us to solve global banking problems with artificial intelligence, streamlining operations and boosting revenue for the world’s leading financial service institutions,” said Abe AI Co-founder and CEO Rob Guilfoyle.
The Barclays Accelerator program takes place from May 9th – August 2nd, 2017. While select members of the Abe AI team are participating in the accelerator program in Cape Town, our US-based offices will remain in operation and continue delivering products to our customers.
Our acceptance to the Barclays Accelerator program is just another step in our rapid growth trajectory. We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to expand our business outside the US and into one of the fastest-growing consumer banking markets in the world.
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To read the official Techstars announcement of the 2017 Barclays Accelerator program, click here.
About Abe AI
Abe AI is an Orlando-based artificial intelligence software company working at the leading edge of digital banking technology. Founded with the vision of streamlining banking operations, Abe’s conversational AI platform offers banks a fully customizable banking chatbot that extends their digital services to leading messaging platforms. Abe AI’s solutions help banks engage and support their customers at scale, significantly reducing the costs of servicing and acquiring customers through digital channels. For more information about Abe AI, please visit www.abe.ai.
About Techstars
Techstars is a global ecosystem that empowers entrepreneurs to bring new technologies to market wherever they choose to live. With dozens of mentorship-driven accelerator programs and thousands of community programs worldwide, Techstars exists to support the world’s most promising entrepreneurs throughout their lifelong journey, from inspiration to IPO. Techstars provides access to tens of thousands of community leaders, founders, mentors, investors, and corporate partners, allowing entrepreneurs to accelerate the pace of innovation and Do More Faster™. Techstars supports every stage of the entrepreneurial journey – from early stage grassroots community development to more formal opportunities that provide education, experience, acceleration, funding, and beyond. For more information about Techstars, please visit http://www.techstars.com/.
About Barclays
Barclays is a transatlantic consumer, corporate, and investment bank offering products and services across personal, corporate, and investment banking, credit cards, and wealth management, with a strong presence in two home markets of the UK and the US. With over 325 years of history and expertise in banking, Barclays operates in over 40 countries and employs approximately 130,000 people. Barclays moves, lends, invests, and protects money for customers and clients worldwide. For more information about Barclays, please visit www.home.barclays.