NLX, a US enterprise artificial intelligence (AI) provider, has raised $12 million in Series A funding for operational expansion and development efforts. JetBlue Ventures, JetBlue's venture capital arm, contributed to the funding round. Meanwhile, United Airlines and Copa Airlines are working with his NLX to incorporate AI into their operations.
NLX and aviation
NLX uses generative AI, cloud software, and conversational AI technology to help businesses deliver superior customer service. Airlines use the company's technology to allow passengers to complete certain tasks at their own pace without having to wait for an agent. Passengers can use a variety of voice, chat, and synchronized multichannel media.
NLX's products can be used by airlines to:
- Gate or flight schedule changes
- Staff schedule update
- Change or upgrade your seat
- wheelchair request
- Flight check-in
- Manage your reservation
- finding lost luggage
- Check travel advisories and travel restrictions for your destination
Andrei Papancea, CEO and Chief Product Officer of NLX, said of the Series A round:
“AI is transforming the customer service journey for brands, ensuring that every touchpoint in that journey feels personalized to the consumer, exceeds their expectations, and is grounded in utility. Essential. This milestone speaks to NLX's success in helping serve the most affluent customers. Renowned global brands deliver world-class customer experiences at scale. We at NLX We are excited to continue to grow and develop with this latest round of capital that will drive market expansion, strategic adoption, and further market-defining capabilities such as our patented multimodal technology.”
Mr. Cercano led the funding round with Thayer Ventures and HL Ventures. JetBlue Ventures was one of his early investors when the company raised his $4.6 million in Series Seed II funding in January 2023. Other participating companies were his Engage with IAG Capital Partners and Tech Square Ventures.
Ryan Chou, Managing Director of Investments at JetBlue Ventures, said of the funding round:
“NLX continues to help businesses by enabling them to provide a seamless end-to-end self-service experience to their customers, which not only delights customers but also helps them manage large fluctuations in call center demand. We are proud of the innovative advances made by NLX and can't wait to see what they have in store to improve the customer experience in the future. is.”
United Airlines and Copa Airlines
NLX has a global presence and offers products in 90 countries and over 65 languages. This international presence works well with companies in the travel and hospitality sector serving customers around the world. NLX's customers include airlines, hotels, airports, travel agencies, and restaurants. Two of his companies, United Airlines and Copa Airlines, are specific customers in the airline industry.
NLX began its partnership with Copa Airlines, Panama's flag carrier, following the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic. The company initially used email to communicate flight disruptions to passengers. However, during the pandemic, flight disruptions increased by 4,900% from 1,000 per month to more than 50,000 per month.Copa Airlines is currently using Conversation with NLX It notifies more than 50,000 passengers of flight changes within 10 minutes and alerts crew of flight disruptions.
Irene Pascal, IT Manager, Commercial Solutions, Copa Airlines, said of NLX's solution:
“This was all done with just a few clicks on the platform, with no coding required. We were very surprised at how easy it was to set up.”
United Airlines announced its partnership with NLX at an event in Las Vegas in June 2022. United Airlines aims to leverage NLX's technology to assist passengers faster than human customer service agents. United Airlines plans to restructure its operations so that AI handles “repetitive” tasks while humans handle more complex needs. Tasks that can be automated include checking if flights arrive on time and redirecting customers with specific questions to the airline's website.
Rachel Walker, Director/MD of Innovation and Solutions for Customer Contact Centers at United Airlines, said at the event:
“We are very excited to partner with NLX to test and experiment with this multimodal capability. We feel like we've found a really interesting segment in there. But when it comes to travel, they get a little nervous and want someone to hold their hand. So with this feature, You can put a physical object in front of you and use a voice AI bot to guide you step-by-step on how to do things.”
Future Plans
NLX will use the funding to enhance how AI serves customers across a variety of industries. The company's products help solve a common passenger problem: long wait times when contacting customer service. Allowing passengers to resolve some issues themselves also reduces the burden on human customer service agents. JetBlue Ventures, an exclusive investor in early-stage startups revolutionizing travel and hospitality, sees the potential for NLX's technology to improve airline operations and the passenger experience.
