Natural language processing startup Proto raises CAD$5.6 million

Canada-based startup Proto, a leader in inclusive chatbots and multilingual contact centre automation, has raised CAD$5.6 million to accelerate its global expansion.

• Proto helps contact centre operators from the Philippines to Zambia to automate local language customer experiences.
• The startup uses its proprietary natural language processing (NLP) technology to solve local language problems that make it difficult for chatbots to understand, due to the lack of machine learning training resources.
• Proto has helped governments and enterprises such as the National Bank of Rwanda, Bank of Ghana, and the Medical City Clinic, to automate the understanding of local languages such as Cebuano, Kinyarwanda, and Twi.
• The funding was led by Mucker Capital with participation from Yolo Investments for the global expansion of its AI Customer Experience (AICX) solutions into new emerging markets across the financial, health, and government industries.