Zoom has invested in AI-powered virtual sales coach provider Second Nature as part of the start-up’s Series A round.
Second Nature specialises in training salespeople with its AI-powered coach, Jenny. Salespeople have conversations with the software and receive feedback in real-time based on criteria set by businesses.
Managers can then view employee performance against these metrics without having to watch hours of footage.
Zoom has now become an investor in the firm having already been a customer.
Colin Born, Head of Zoom Ventures, said: “After more than a year of our global sales team training and certifying on Second Nature, we truly understand the enormous potential in AI-driven sales training.
“We decided to become a strategic investor in Second Nature because we’re already enjoying the fruits of this cutting-edge solution – and expect to continue reaping benefits in the years to come”
Second Nature has now raised a total of $12.5m, adding to the $3m it had already secured. Other investors in the latest round included Signals Venture Capital, StageOne Ventures and Cardumen Capital.
The firm says its solution solves the problem of upskilling salespeople in large organisations, particularly with remote work becoming more prevalent.
The solution uses artificial intelligence and natural language processing to provide an interactive experience for salespeople, with Jenny able to ask questions and offer answers that are not scripted.
Ariel Hitron, Co-Founder and CEO at Second Nature, said: “This demonstration of confidence from our new and current investors will help us transform enterprise sales productivity at scale.
“In the growing sales tech landscape, Second Nature has established itself as a leader in AI-powered simulation and role-play for customer facing roles.
“By helping companies transition their sales coaching from being ad hoc to data-driven and structured, we’re empowering executives to drive real change in their organisations.”
Zoom has made a number of investments in companies over recent months, including DTEN, Genesys and Neat.
It also launched a $100m app fund last year which has dished out money to dozens of developers.
