Tag: Kik

Kik gets bots | Business Insider

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Facebook’s debut of a bot store is already being heralded as the “most important launch since the App Store.” Except that it hasn’t happened yet.

Kik, a messaging app favored by teens, beat them to the punch today by announcing its own bot shop first.

Chat bots are being touted as the next-generation platform, replacing most of the apps you use today.

People are tired of downloading apps, creating new accounts, and then learning how to use them, explains Kik CEO Ted Livingston. Instead, the next generation of bots act in place of those apps.

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Here Are 4 Intriguing Mobile Startups That Got Cash Infusions This Week | Adweek

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It’s no surprise that investment firms are bullish on mobile upstarts, but a series of recent funding moves reveals the smartphone-driven companies marketers should keep an eye on.

1. Popular teen messaging app Kik closed $50 million from WeChat-owned Tencent, and this week’s news follows the app’s $38.3 million Series C funding in November. Kik is now valued at $1 billion.

With 240 million registered users—70 percent of whom are 13 to 24 years old—Kik’s funding puts it squarely in position to compete head-to-head with Snapchat as both companies look to build out new chat features.

2. Kahuna grabbed $45 million from Sequoia Capital and other investors to go after a bigger piece of the automated marketing space, which includes heavyweights like Oracle and Salesforce.

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