In 2026 the tidy world of customer-service chatbots split in two. On one side, legacy vendors like LivePerson and Verloop.io are being sold for parts; on the other, voice-native upstarts like Retell AI and deep-pocketed enterprise players like Kore.ai race to answer your next call in under a second.
Observe.AI, PolyAI, Botpress, Forethought and a shrinking pack of rivals are racing to replace hold music with software that talks back. The funding says they are winning. The person still stuck on the line is not so sure.
The Bengaluru company built its business on automating customer support one message at a time, handling more than 20 million conversations a month. In July 2026, Mukesh Bansal's Nurix AI bought it - just as the category it helped pioneer turned into a multi-billion-dollar race.