Zendesk acquires agentic customer service startup Forethought
Forethought was years ahead of its time and the 2018 winner of TechCrunch Battlefield.
TL;DR
- Zendesk is acquiring Forethought, an AI company focused on automating customer service.
- Forethought won TechCrunch Battlefield in 2018, predating the widespread popularity of AI agents like ChatGPT.
- The acquisition aims to integrate Forethought's technology into Zendesk's AI products, accelerating its roadmap.
- Forethought has served major clients like Upwork, Grammarly, Airtable, and Datadog.
- Deal terms were not disclosed; Forethought had previously raised $115 million in funding.
- Zendesk, now privately held, has a history of modest acquisitions.