Futr, the live chat and customer service chatbots leader, has secured new funding from Gloucester Business Park-based investment firm Blackfinch Ventures to continue its mission of using artificial intelligence to disrupt the delivery of customer service.

The investment, worth a total of £2.1 million, sees Blackfinch Ventures join Praetura Ventures and the British Robotics Fund in supporting Futr.

With cutting edge technology, an exceptional team and a growing and diverse customer base, Futr said this new round of funding is testament to its proven success.

Over the past year, the company is said to have seen significant new client wins in policing, social housing and retail, and also expanded its own workforce with hires in engineering, customer success and sales.

The business said today's customers expect organisations to be accessible around the clock. Futr's live chat and chatbot platform make this possible by supercharging customer service teams. From multilingual live chat and two-way connections on all social channels, Futr provides superpowers to service teams, allowing them to serve their customers more effectively.

Futr said it will use this new investment to continue its mission to disrupt how customer service is delivered and experienced.

Andy Wilkins, co-founder and CEO at Futr, said: "Interest in intelligent chat solutions has exploded, as more organisations realise that this is accessible platform technology they can deploy instantly which completely changes how they deliver customer service. It is testament to our progress as a business and the appetite from our customers that we're welcoming Blackfinch as an investor, along with increased support from Praetura and the British Robotics Fund."

Dr Reuben Wilcock, head of ventures at Blackfinch, said: "At Blackfinch Ventures we strive to invest in disruptive companies with talented founders that are addressing real world needs. Futr is an exact match on all three values, with the quality of its technology shining through as well as the experience of its brilliant team.

"We are delighted that Andy and Lee [CTO and co-founder] see the value of having Blackfinch as an investment partner and look forward to playing an important role in furthering Futr's growth ambitions."

David Foreman, MD Praetura Ventures said: "As a world leader in messenger technology, it's been incredible to watch Futr use their skills for such a broad range of problems faced by so many different industries. From mental health charities to police responses, they've grown a great team and we're excited for their next chapter. This latest round of investment will help them bring their bots to more service teams around the world and forge new partnerships."

Futr previously raised £2.4 million from Praetura Ventures in 2019.