Vambe, a Chilean startup founded by Nicolás Camhi, Matías Pérez Pefaur, and Diego Chahuán, has raised a $3.85 million seed round to accelerate the growth of its AI-powered sales and marketing tool. The funding, led by Brazilian VC firm Monashees, with participation from Mexico-based Nazca and U.S.-based M13, comes after the company's successful pivot from debt collection to AI-driven customer engagement.

Initially, Vambe developed a CRM for debt collection, but its customers showed more interest in the WhatsApp AI agents built to facilitate the process. The startup realized that its true value lay in these AI agents, which could help small and medium-sized businesses automate communications with customers and close sales on platforms like WhatsApp. Since pivoting in March 2024, Vambe's annual recurring revenue (ARR) has surged from $20,000 to $1 million in November.

Vambe's customers range from small mom-and-pop businesses to retail companies with thousands of employees. The company's AI agents are designed to help these businesses automate communications, offer personalized products or services, and close sales. With 15% of its revenue currently generated in Mexico, Vambe is looking to expand further in the country, which is why it sought out Nazca as an investor.

This seed round marks M13's first investment in a Latin American startup. The firm's partner, Brent Murri, noted that M13 had been building its thesis on the region for two years but hadn't found the right company, team, or terms to invest until meeting Vambe's team at the Berkeley Skydek accelerator. Murri praised Vambe's tech, citing an experiment where his team built a fake business and set up an AI agent using Vambe's platform, impressing him with its ease of use.

Murri believes that Vambe's success is due to the unique cultural dynamics of Latin America, where business is more conversational than transactional. This affinity for sales tech is driven by the region's strong preference for personal interaction and communication. Vambe's AI agents are well-positioned to capitalize on this trend, providing businesses with a scalable solution for customer engagement.

Vambe is not alone in the WhatsApp AI application space, with competitors like Mercately, based in Ecuador, building similar solutions. In the U.S., companies like Sierra, ElevenLabs, and Voiceflow are also developing conversational AI agents for businesses. However, Vambe's focus on Latin America and its understanding of the region's cultural nuances set it apart from its competitors.

Looking ahead, Vambe plans to cater to Spanish-speaking businesses in the U.S., expand its team, and continue developing its technology. With its seed funding in place, the startup is poised to make a significant impact in the Latin American sales and marketing landscape.

As Camhi noted, Vambe's mission is to put advanced technology in the hands of businesses that may not have the expertise to leverage it otherwise. By doing so, the startup aims to help these businesses increase their sales and reduce their costs, ultimately driving growth and innovation in the region.