Malaysia’s respond.io scales AI agents for 200 million messages monthly

Respond.io is trying to prove that Southeast Asia can produce a durable AI software winner, not just another funding story. The Malaysia-based company says it now serves more than 10,000 brands in over 85 countries and handles roughly 200 million messages a month, giving it a scale advantage in a crowded market for AI agents and customer messaging tools.

Its pitch rests on a different billing model from the enterprise software standard. Respond.io charges by Monthly Active Contacts and users, not purely by seats, and it has built its platform around “conversation-led growth,” unifying WhatsApp, TikTok, Facebook Messenger, Instagram, email and calls in one inbox. The company says its AI agents can manage customer conversations from hello to handoff, covering sales, support and automation at scale. It has also rolled out WhatsApp Business Calling on the platform, with user-initiated calls available globally for numbers in all regions, while its help materials note beta status and some regional restrictions.

The company’s adoption numbers matter because they suggest real usage rather than speculative demand. In 2022, Respond.io raised $7 million in a Series A led by Headline Asia, with participation from AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, Sterling Oak Group and Calendula Ventures. At that point, it said it had already empowered more than 10,000 businesses and processed more than 140 million messages a month. In 2023, it became a WhatsApp Business Solution Provider, a status that Digital News Asia said was held by fewer than 150 providers globally at the time, giving Respond.io direct access to Meta’s support team for WhatsApp Business verification and related issues.

Respond.io later moved its headquarters to Permata Sapura Tower in Kuala Lumpur’s central business district in August 2023, underscoring how quickly the business has expanded. Its customer roster includes Lamarsa Coffee, Sport Center Los Naranjos, Praga Medica, Sleek, Srikandi, Kleta and Doctor Heal, with reported outcomes ranging from 50% sales growth across six countries to 20% more conversions, 70% more global leads, 3x more qualified leads and streamlined communications across 47 branches.

Founder and CEO Gerardo Salandra, a Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia honoree in Enterprise Technology, previously worked at IBM, Google and Runtastic. Co-founder and COO Iaroslav Kudritskiy is also publicly listed by the company. Respond.io is now eyeing acquisitions in North America and Europe, a sign that the real test is whether it can turn regional traction into a broader software franchise that can compete with incumbent tools built for email and phone calls.