US-based customer service software provider Talkdesk has launched a corporate venture capital fund called Talkdesk Innovation Fund with $10m of capital.
Founded in 2011, Talkdesk supplies software for business call centres, improving audio quality on calls while simplifying the process by introducing tools that can, for instance, enable operatives to view details on each customer without switching tabs.
Talkdesk created the fund in order to advance the customer service industry by giving startups in the sector the resources needed to bring their technology to market more quickly.
Tiago Paiva, Talkdesk’s co-founder and CEO, said: “The Talkdesk Innovation Fund demonstrates our support of the contact centre industry as a whole by fostering the advancements that will reshape the space, modernise it and create future-proof solutions for Talkdesk customers.”
The capital for Talkdesk Innovation Fund will come out of the $100m it raised last month in a series B round led by hedge fund Viking Global Investors at a $1bn valuation.
Venture capital firm DFJ also took part in the round, which increased TalkDesk’s total funding to $125m, and the company’s existing investors include Salesforce Ventures, the strategic investment arm of customer relationship management software producer Salesforce .
Paiva told Forbes Talkdesk Innovation Fund was partially based on Salesforce Ventures, and that it will invest in partners that are creating products that can be accessed through Talkdesk’s app store, App Connect.