Dstny adds chatbot features to product portfolio with acquisition of Belgian firm Faqbot
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New step in support for companies in developing omnichannel communication and integration
Diegem, 11 March 2021 – Dstny, provider of secure cloud communications solutions for innovative enterprises, is expanding its product portfolio with the acquisition of the Belgian chatbot player Faqbot. The text-based chatbot technology will be integrated into Dstny’s cloud interaction platform, giving customers simple and direct access to advanced, flexible chatbot features. This will allow them to improve their customer engagement and general customer experience and automate 90% of their efforts in the field of customer support, sales and lead generation. Corona has accelerated the adoption of digital communication, for example via chatbots, in the business world. Today, customer engagement mainly revolves around communicating via the right channels, in addition to communicating the right message. Omnichannel business communication is the future and properly integrating all channels in the customer journey, the greatest challenge for SMEs and companies. With this acquisition, Dstny seeks to pave the way in making the transition to omnichannel communication and integration as easy as possible for them.
The Belgian tech start-up Faqbot from Mons was founded in 2017 by Wallonian entrepreneur with French roots, Mathis André (21), and has chalked up successful growth in the fast-growing market of conversational AI. It delivers a SaaS platform for the design of chatbots based on an existing file of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to a broad range of companies in retail, recruitment, energy, customer support and the events industry, among others. Faqbot is now turning a profit and has more than 30 customers, including Hubo, Recupel, Barco and Buy Way.
Daan De Wever (left) & Mathis André (right)
Daan de Wever, CEO of Dstny: “The strong match in terms of entrepreneurial spirit and corporate culture was an important factor in this acquisition. Mathis is a brilliant young entrepreneur who reminds me a lot of my own brother Samuel. I look forward to our further collaboration and being able to provide Dstny’s customers with even better support from now on in terms of customer engagement and the integration of their omnichannel communication. The addition of Faqbot’s chatbot technology fits in perfectly with our buy-and-build strategy to become European market leader in secure cloud communications solutions. It’s easy to roll out in other countries so that we can offer it throughout the whole Destiny Group, including in the Netherlands and France. And it’s also a perfect match for our own customer base, which is largely the same as Faqbot's and among whom the demand for chatbot features is increasing rapidly.”
Mathis André, Founder and CEO of Faqbot adds: “Chatbot technology is very much on the up, thanks to the success of instant messaging applications like WhatsApp, but also due to the current Corona pandemic, which has forced companies to go digital. This takeover puts us in a position to build and scale considerable market potential together with Dstny. It’s a big decision for me to let go of my ‘baby’, which I founded as a 17-year-old entrepreneur, but I see it as a new step. I look forward to working with Daan and his team. We have a lot of similar customers and as entrepreneurs we are on completely the same wavelength.”
Faqbot’s five staff are joining the Destiny Group. Mathis André will stay on as Managing Director of Faqbot and continue to develop the business unit. In that role he will be part of the team headed up by Joachim Lauwers, Managing Director Belgium and Chief Product Officer at Dstny.
About Faqbot
Faqbot, founded in 2017 by Mathis André (21), supplies a SaaS-platform for the design of chatbots. It has five staff and more than 30 customers in a number of industries, including Hubo, Recupel, Barco, Buy Way. A few months after its launch Faqbot secured capital from business angels such as Jean Zurstrassen (Skynet), Harold Mechelynck (Ogone), Lorenz Bogaert (Netlog), Wim Derkinderen (Xpenditure) and Boris Bogaert (Xpenditure). Mathis André made the company profitable within a year. More information: www.faqbot.co
About Dstny
Dstny, founded in 2008, is an originally Belgian provider of secure cloud communications solutions for innovative enterprises. With more than 350 employees spread across Belgium, the Netherlands and France, and an annual turnover of 90 million euros in 2020, the telecoms company has developed into the fastest-growing cloud and telecoms player on the Belgian B2B market. The company's ambition is to develop into a European leader and challenger in secure cloud communications solutions.
Using the Dstny cloud interaction platform, companies can communicate more efficiently with any device, from anywhere, thanks to the seamless blend of telecoms and IT in the underlying architecture. Dstny thereby offers very flexible and scalable solutions, which are a perfect match for the current needs of the customer and which can also be adapted to future needs.
Dstny’s proprietary network guarantees speed and advanced service for more than 25,000 business customers, including reputable companies such as Cevora, Colruyt, Decathlon, Democo, DPD, Ecover, Gabriëls, Interparking, Katoen Natie, McDonald’s, Officenter, Standaard Boekhandel, Würth and ZEB. More information: www.destiny.be