Will.I.Am's Tech Vision: The Power Of Passionate Investment

Will.i.am, born William Adams, is a multi-faceted entertainer and creative innovator, a seven-time Grammy Award winner, and founder of I AM. He has dabbled in tech over the last few years, investing in startups such as app Knock Knock and launching gadgets such as his own line of headphones. In 2012, he founded i.am+, a tech startup that initially focused on consumer electronics devices such as headphones. The company raised $117 million in venture funding and in 2017, entered the corporate computing market with a voice assistant for customer service. Will.i.am has also invested in other tech startups including Music Messenger, Shellanoo Group, and Honest Dollar.

Will.i.am's company i.am+ raised $117 million in funding to develop a voice assistant for customer service

Will.i.am's tech startup, i.am+, has raised $117 million in funding to develop a voice assistant for customer service. The company, which was founded in 2012, initially focused on consumer electronics devices such as headphones. The new artificial intelligence product, called Omega, marks a sharp departure for the firm, which now employs about 300 people.

The launch was accompanied by the revelation that i.am+ has raised $117 million in venture funding, with the bulk—$89 million—raised by Salesforce Ventures in a round that closed in March but was never announced. Will.i.am, who introduced Omega at Salesforce.com's Dreamforce conference in San Francisco, told Reuters that the corporate community was ready for a new AI-powered voice assistant: "I wanted to create something that allows us to do many things. There's so much you can do with a voice platform."

I.am+'s first enterprise customer is Deutsche Telekom AG, the German telecommunications giant and parent company of T-Mobile. Since July, the company has been using Omega to power an AI customer support chatbot and it plans to add a voice phone system soon. Will.i.am has said that customer support is just the start of Omega. The plan is to use the technology to build several more enterprise voice AI products. "One of those things is handling hundreds of thousands of customers' inquiries about their data plans simultaneously," he said. "If it can do that, your imagination's the limit."

I.am+ is not the only company investing in voice assistant technology. Amazon continues to develop Alexa, Apple has Siri, Google has its Assistant, and even Facebook is reportedly working on voice tech. However, what sets Omega apart from its competitors is its focus on business and customer support rather than average internet users.

i.am+ expanded into hardware, launching a smartwatch and wireless earbuds

I.am+, the technology startup founded by William Adams, also known as will.i.am, expanded into hardware with the launch of a smartwatch and wireless earbuds. This expansion occurred years after the initial launch of i.am+ in 2012, which debuted with its foto.sosho camera accessory line for the iPhone.

The smartwatch and wireless earbuds launched by i.am+ are designed to be used together. The smartwatch features built-in Bluetooth capabilities, allowing it to connect wirelessly to the earbuds. Additionally, the smartwatch has music playback functionality, enabling users to store and play music directly from the watch. This feature enhances the wireless experience by eliminating the need for a separate smartphone or device when listening to music.

The i.am+ smartwatch also offers fitness tracking capabilities, including a heart rate monitor, blood pressure monitor, sleep tracker, and a pedometer for counting steps and calories. These health and fitness monitoring features are designed to provide users with insights into their daily activities and overall well-being.

The wireless earbuds that accompany the smartwatch offer Bluetooth connectivity, ensuring a seamless and wireless audio experience. The earbuds can be paired with the smartwatch or a smartphone, depending on the user's preferences and device compatibility.

The expansion of i.am+ into the hardware space demonstrates will.i.am's commitment to innovation and his interest in technology. By launching a smartwatch and wireless earbuds, i.am+ is entering a competitive market and offering its unique take on wearable technology.

i.am+ sold the assets of Over.ai, an Israeli AI company, to Vonage

I.am+, a tech startup co-founded and co-owned by musician and entrepreneur Will.i.am, sold the assets of Over.ai, an Israeli AI company, to Vonage in 2019. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed, but as part of the acquisition, Vonage obtained Over.ai's intellectual property and its 23-person technical and product and engineering team, who joined Vonage's research and development center in Tel Aviv.

Over.ai, incorporated in 2014 as Sensiya Technologies (Israel) Ltd., was bought by i.am+ in 2016. The company develops voice AI and natural language technology for call centers. Its technology enables intelligent virtual assistant functionality via APIs, allowing businesses to enhance their interactive voice response (IVR) systems and handle complex interactions with human-like conversations over phone lines.

Vonage, a global business cloud communications leader, intends to incorporate Over.ai's speech-to-text and natural language algorithms into its applications. This acquisition strengthens Vonage's expertise in conversational AI and expands its R&D team in Tel Aviv to over 100 high-tech professionals.

Will.i.am, born William Adams, is a multi-faceted entertainer, creative innovator, and seven-time Grammy Award winner. He is known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas and has had a number of tech investments and partnerships over the years, including with Intel, Coca-Cola, and Beats Electronics.

i.am+ acquired Wink, a smart home platform, in 2017

I.am+, the lifestyle and technology company owned by musician and entrepreneur will.i.am, acquired Wink, a smart home platform, in 2017. Wink, which was created by Quirky, a failing tech incubator, had a rocky start. It was spun off after Quirky went bankrupt.

In a statement, Wink said that the app and Wink hub would continue to operate as before, and that the acquisition would not change anything with regards to the Wink user experience. Wink's mission is to tie together any smart device brought into a smart home. However, it is worth noting that major players like Apple, Google, and SmartThings (backed by Samsung) are also trying to do the same.

Will.i.am's first venture into the smart home space will be interesting to watch, given his previous tech forays, which include an expensive iPhone case, a luxury car-turned-camera, and two smartphone watches, one of which received poor reviews.

The acquisition of Wink aligns with will.i.am's interest in the technology industry and his entrepreneurial ambitions. He has also invested in startups like Knock Knock and Music Messenger, and was an early shareholder in Beats Electronics.

Will.i.am has invested in startups such as Knock Knock and Music Messenger

Will.i.am, born William Adams, is a multi-faceted entertainer and creative innovator. He is a seven-time Grammy Award winner and founder of I AM. He is also known for his work with The Black Eyed Peas, who have sold 31 million albums and 58 million singles worldwide.

In addition to his music career, will.i.am has made several investments in tech startups. In 2017, he invested in and acquired a £3.5 million stake in the startup, app-only bank Atom, becoming a "strategic board advisor". He has also invested in startups such as Knock Knock, an app, and Music Messenger, investing £5 million in the company's Series A round in 2014. Will.i.am has also launched his own line of headphones and other gadgets, including a smartwatch and wireless earbuds.

Will.i.am's tech startup, i.am+, was founded in 2012 and initially focused on consumer electronics devices like headphones. The company has since expanded into artificial intelligence, creating an AI product similar to Apple's Siri and Amazon's Alexa. i.am+ has raised $117 million in venture funding, including an $89 million investment round led by Salesforce Ventures. The company has also partnered with Deutsche Telekom AG to power an AI customer support chatbot.

Will.i.am's investments in tech startups and his own technology ventures demonstrate his interest in innovation and entrepreneurship beyond the music industry.

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