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§ Private Profile · Berlin, Germany
WhatsApp Solution Provider offering B2B SaaS for ecommerce and retail brands, focused on conversational commerce via WhatsApp.
charles is a business-to-business software-as-a-service provider that enables ecommerce and retail brands to communicate with their customers and execute conversational commerce strategies directly through WhatsApp. As a recognized Meta partner, the enterprise combines specialized software and industry expertise to facilitate personalized consumer experiences across a variety of marketing, customer service, and sales use cases. The core platform integrates asynchronous messaging, bulk campaign sending, native commerce functionality, customer relationship management capabilities, and extensive workflow automation into a single centralized interface. Originally launched as a sustainable fashion brand, the organization subsequently pivoted its business model to commercialize the internal messaging software initially developed to meet its own retail marketing requirements. The software company was established by Artjem Weissbeck, previously a co-founder of the accessories brand Kapten & Son, and Andreas Tussing, a former ecommerce lead at McKinsey.
charles has raised $30.2M across 4 funding rounds.
charles has raised $30.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
charles has raised $30.2M across 4 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $20.0M Series A in July 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 1, 2022 | $20M Series A | Salesforce Ventures | 2048 Ventures, 20VC, Accel, Bread And Butter Ventures, Cedar Capital Group, Construct Capital, Cyberstarts VC, Flybridge Capital Partners, Greycroft, Insight Partners, Meron Capital, NOMO Ventures, TLV Partners, Y Combinator, Amit Jhawar, HV Capital | Announced |
| Apr 1, 2021 | $8M Seed | Accel, HV Capital | 20VC, Amit Jhawar | Announced |
| Dec 9, 2020 | $1.2M Venture Round | — | Alexander Graf, Tarek Müller | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2020 | $1M Seed | — | Venista Ventures | Announced |
Charles (hello-charles.com) is a Berlin-based B2B SaaS company founded in 2018 that builds a conversational commerce platform focused on WhatsApp and other messaging channels like Instagram, Messenger, and webchat.[1][3][5] It enables brands to deliver personalized marketing, automate customer service, drive sales, and build customer relationships through AI agents, workflow automation, CRM integrations, and bulk messaging, solving the challenge of high customer acquisition costs (CACs) by fostering loyalty via conversational experiences.[1][3][5] With around 105 employees, Charles serves businesses seeking cost-efficient growth in digital commerce, positioning itself as a pioneer in WhatsApp marketing in Europe and a Meta partner.[1][3]
The platform addresses the gap in digital customer interactions—replacing forgotten passwords and unread emails with engaging, asynchronous 2-way chats—while integrating with existing systems for omni-channel performance.[3][5] Early traction came from founders' own needs for robust WhatsApp tools, leading to strong momentum as a "hottest startup in Berlin" transforming messaging into revenue channels.[3]
Charles was founded in 2018 in Berlin, Germany, by Artjem Weissbeck and Andreas Tussing, who identified a lack of suitable software for personalized customer conversations on WhatsApp despite its massive potential for marketing, service, and sales.[1][3] Frustrated by inadequate tools for their own requirements, they built a WhatsApp-first solution combining bulk messaging, deep commerce/CRM integrations, and automation to enable creative, data-driven experiences.[3]
Pivotal early moments included launching as Europe's WhatsApp marketing pioneers, quickly gaining recognition as a B2B startup turning messaging apps into revenue drivers.[3] The company's evolution emphasized a robust platform for all conversational use cases, with leadership drawing from technology innovation, product development, and digital commerce expertise—though some sources mention a CEO Charles Giancarlo with IT background, likely a data inconsistency as founders remain central.[1]
Charles rides the conversational commerce (cCom) wave, capitalizing on messaging apps' dominance—WhatsApp's 2+ billion users—as consumers shift from email/in-app fatigue to preferred chat interactions amid rising CACs.[3][5] Timing is ideal post-2018 founding, aligning with Meta's Business API push and AI agent proliferation, enabling brands to cut acquisition costs via retention-focused channels.[1][3]
Market forces like e-commerce personalization demands and regulatory openness in Europe favor Charles, influencing the ecosystem by setting standards for WhatsApp as a sales backbone and inspiring competitors in AI-CRM hybrids.[3] As a Berlin standout, it contributes to Europe's SaaS resurgence, bridging digital transformation gaps for mid-market brands globally.[1]
Charles is poised to expand as the global backbone of conversational commerce, scaling AI agents and omni-channel features amid surging demand for channel-agnostic CRM tools.[3][5] Trends like advanced AI personalization, Web3 commerce integrations, and stricter data privacy will shape its path, potentially through partnerships with more CRMs and enterprise expansions beyond Europe.[1][3]
Its influence may evolve from WhatsApp specialist to full messaging CRM leader, driving sustained growth if it maintains developer-friendly integrations and playbook innovations—tying back to its origin as the tool founders wished existed, now empowering brands worldwide.[3]
charles has raised $30.2M in total across 4 funding rounds.
charles's investors include Salesforce Ventures, 2048 Ventures, 20VC, Accel, Bread and Butter Ventures, Cedar Capital Group, Construct Capital, Cyberstarts VC, Flybridge Capital Partners, Greycroft, Insight Partners, Meron Capital.