Analysis · Enterprise Software & IT

Helo.ai founder explains AI-first engagement approach

What they do

Helo.ai is an AI-first customer engagement platform built from AI outward

Founder Vikram Raichura discusses shifting from campaign thinking to conversation thinking

The platform reads customer signals in real time to determine the right message and moment

Helo.ai is an AI-first customer engagement platform designed from AI outward, not by bolting AI onto an existing product.
The platform reads customer signals in real time to determine the right moment and message.
It shifts from campaign thinking (sending batch messages) to conversation thinking (continuous dialogue).
Founder Vikram Raichura previously worked at VivaConnect, helping large brands send messages at scale via SMS, push notifications, and bulk campaigns.
The interview was conducted by Kashish Srivastava of Indian Startup Times on 25 May 2026.

Brands currently talk at customers, not with them, leaving customers feeling bombarded rather than connected.
Legacy systems are built for predictable paths, not nonlinear customer journeys.
Two enablers have changed: customer expectations (they want brands to know them across channels) and technology (LLMs, real-time data, smarter automation).

Helo.ai is an AI-first customer engagement platform.
It is designed from AI outward, not by adding AI to an existing product.
The platform reads customer signals in real time to decide the right moment and message.
It shifts from campaign thinking to conversation thinking.
The goal is for AI to become invisible connective tissue between all brand touchpoints, making them coherent.

The goal is for AI to become invisible connective tissue between all brand touchpoints, making them coherent.
This does not mean replacing channels or eliminating human decisions.