In the latest event tech acquisition news, New York and Tel Aviv-based startup Bizzabo has announced that it has acquired x.ai “to tackle the industry’s greatest frustrations and help everyone get the most out of their event experiences,” according to Eran Ben-Shushan, Bizzabo’s Co-Founder and CEO.
x.ai is an artificial intelligence scheduling tool that automates meeting scheduling through features such as generating compatible times to meet across time zones and sending follow-ups and reminders. The tool’s user base grew 363% in 2020, and once integrated, it will greatly facilitate attendee interactions and connections at virtual and hybrid events hosted on Bizzabo’s platform.
“In 2021 and beyond, we’re doubling down on creating personalized and immersive event experiences for attendees, speakers, sponsors, and organizers,” Ben-Shushan said in a statement. “x.ai’s sophisticated scheduling and matchmaking technology will let attendees meet the right people at the right time.”
In addition to improved meeting scheduling, Bizzabo’s platform will also offer Bizzabo for Exhibitors to enable companies to engage with their most relevant customers, and Smart Recommendations, which will suggest relevant content and people for attendees to interact with. “Our goal with this acquisition is to leverage x.ai’s unique AI technology and talent to make every event of 5,000 people feel like 5,000 different experiences,” said Ben-Shushan.
Bizzabo had previously raised $138 million in Series E funding in December, which it had planned to use to expand its team and build out its hybrid offerings. Just last month, the company also acquired Whalebone — its first-ever acquisition — to better connect attendees and speakers during digital events through its Crowd Amplification and Crowd Visualization features.
“We’re excited to continue reimagining what an event platform can do in the post-COVID-19 era,” added Ben-Shushan. “We’re thrilled to bring in the x.ai team as partners and provide their powerful AI scheduling engine to our customers — and we’re just getting started.”