A startup rescued by cold outreach built a coach for the inbox. Now Lavender is handing the keyboard to an AI agent - and asking whether better research can keep automation from becoming everybody else’s spam.
Connectly is a San Francisco AI startup that turns WhatsApp, Instagram, SMS and RCS threads into a real sales channel. Its Sofia AI agent talks to shoppers in natural language, recommends products, recovers carts, and hands off to humans when needed. The company raised a $20M Series B led by Alibaba in September 2024 and works with retailers and consumer brands across Latin America, the US, and Asia.