American Express buys Mezi

American Express Co., the New York based credit card issuer, has acquired chatbots firm Mezi, which enables travel related booking over text messages. Mezi will become a subsidiary of American Express after the transaction is completed.

Mezi was started by entrepreneurs Swapnil Shinde and Snehal Shinde, who had earlier founded music streaming app Dhingana and sold it off to Rdio in March 2014. Nexus Ventures Partners is an early investor in Mezi. It put $2.5 million in December 2015 and a part of the company’s $9-million fund-raise in July 2016, which also saw participation from Saama Capital and American Express Ventures, the strategic investment arm of American Express.

After its investment, American Express tested out Mezi’s chat platform for servicing its card customers through an app called AskAmex, which managed customer loyalty programmes and bookings for hotels and restaurants. By November that year, Mezi has pivoted to focus exclusively on travel.

Mezi app allows travellers to message their requests for flights, hotel and restaurant reservations, and also provides recommendations based on user preferences and past interactions on the platform. Mezi will focus on developing its core technologies and enhance its capabilities in digital travel concierge services.