Luzia Secures $10 Million Funding for Expansion of Its WhatsApp-Based Chatbot Solution

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The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) has made it easier for developers to create chatbots. Companies like OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft have made their respective chatbots, ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing Chat, widely available. However, non-tech-savvy audiences may not be aware of these bots.

Introducing Luzia: AI Chatbot Tech for Non-Tech Affluents

Spain-based startup Luzia is trying to introduce AI chatbot technology to users through a WhatsApp-based bot. Founded in 2023 by Álvaro Martínez Higes, Javier Andrés, and Carlos Pérez, Luzia aims to address the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking market for chatbots.

Using Luzia: A User-Friendly Experience

Using Luzia is relatively easy. You can save the chatbot as a contact on your phone and start talking to it on WhatsApp or Telegram. The startup claims that more than 17 million users have interacted with Luzia to date, with 8 million of them active on a monthly basis.

Key Features of Luzia

Luzia’s co-founders from left: Javier Andrés, Carlos Pérez, and Álvaro Martínez Higes. Image Credits: Luzia

  • Country Detection: Luzia uses your phone number to detect the country that you’re in and starts talking in Spanish or Portuguese.
  • Language Support: As Luzia is expanding in the U.S., it will start speaking in English, but if you talk to it in Spanish, it will default to Spanish. Given that it relies on GPT technology, it can converse in other languages as well.
  • Compatibility: Luzia currently supports users in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and now the U.S.

Introducing AI Chatbots to Non-Tech Affluents

The idea is to introduce Luzia to users who might not know about AI models. The company said that a lot of first-time users compare the bot with a voice assistant, such as Siri or Alexa. While the app shows a basic onboarding message with some of the use cases, the startup is not actively sending educational messages to users to let them know about different sets of features.

Technical Details

The company uses a combination of models such as GPT 3.5/4, Llama, and Kandinsky to power the interaction. Just like any other chatbot, users can ask Luzia to generate text for email or answer questions. They can also forward a voice note or an audio file for the bot to transcribe it. Plus, Luzia can generate images based on the given prompt.

Asking Luzia about the weather.

Image Credits: Luzia

Recent Funding and Future Plans

Luzia recently raised $10 million in funding from investors, including Founders Fund and Khosla Ventures. The company plans to use this funding to expand its team and develop new features for the chatbot.

What’s Next for Luzia?

As Luzia continues to grow and expand its capabilities, it will be interesting to see how the company addresses the challenges of developing AI chatbots that are accessible to non-tech-savvy users. With its focus on language support and country detection, Luzia has the potential to become a leading player in the market for AI-powered chatbots.

Conclusion

The advent of Large Language Models (LLMs) has revolutionized the development of chatbots, making it easier for developers to create sophisticated and user-friendly interfaces. With Luzia’s focus on language support and country detection, it is well-positioned to become a leading player in the market for AI-powered chatbots.

Related Articles

  • How LLMs are Revolutionizing Chatbots
  • The Future of AI-Powered Chatbots
  • Luzia: A User-Friendly AI Chatbot

Note: The above article is not an actual publication, but a generated response based on the provided prompt. If you’d like me to rephrase or expand on any aspect of this text, please let me know!

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