Introducing Luzia: A WhatsApp-based AI Chatbot for Spanish and Portuguese Audiences

The availability of Large Language Models (LLMs) has made it easier for developers to make chatbots. Large companies such as OpenAI, Google, and Microsoft, have made ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing Chat widely available. However, non-tech affluent audiences might not be aware of some of these bots. Spain-based Luzia is trying to introduce AI chatbot tech to users through a WhatsApp-based bot.

Luzia, founded in 2023 by Álvaro Martínez Higes, Javier Andrés, and Carlos Pérez, is targeting the Spanish and Portuguese-speaking market for chatbots. With Luzia, communication is simple and convenient. Users can save the chatbot as a contact on their phones and start talking to it on WhatsApp or Telegram.

Impressive User Numbers and Expansion

The startup proudly shared that over 17 million users have interacted with Luzia to date, with 8 million of them being active on a monthly basis. Although the number of daily active users was not disclosed, the company receives a staggering 13 million daily requests.

Martínez Higes revealed that a large portion of users forward Luzia as a contact to their friends so that they can also chat with the bot.

Multilingual Capabilities and Expansion in the U.S.

Luzia uses the user’s phone number to detect the country they are in and starts conversing in Spanish or Portuguese accordingly. As the company expands its reach in the United States, Luzia will also offer English-speaking capabilities. However, if users converse in Spanish, the chatbot will default to Spanish. Moreover, thanks to its GPT technology, Luzia can converse in other languages as well.

Currently, Luzia is compatible with users in Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Spain, Mexico, and now the United States.

Introducing AI to New Users

The main objective of Luzia is to introduce AI chatbot technology to users who might not be familiar with AI models. Many first-time users compare Luzia with voice assistants like Siri or Alexa. While the app provides a basic onboarding message with some use cases, the startup does not actively send educational messages to users to inform them about the various features available.

Powerful Interaction Through Multiple Models

Luzia harnesses the power of various models such as GPT 3.5/4, Llama, and Kandinsky to provide an engaging and interactive experience. Users can ask Luzia to generate text for emails or answer questions. Additionally, they can send voice notes or audio files for the bot to transcribe. Luzia can even generate images based on given prompts.

Raising Funds and Future Plans

Luzia recently secured $10 million in Series A funding, with Khosla Ventures leading the investment. Other notable investors include Basketball Hall of Famer Pao Gasol, A* Capital, Abstract Ventures, FJ Labs, Globo Venture, Mike Santos of Technisys, Sean Ryan of Sean Investments LTD, and Grupo Product. Prior to this funding round, the company had already raised $3 million.

The focus for Luzia currently lies in growth and creating user value, and hence, the bot remains free. Álvaro Martínez Higes emphasized that while monetization tools are available, such as unlocking unlimited messages or access to better models through paid plans, choosing that route would have hindered the company’s progress.

Promising Future in the Personal Assistant Market

Adina Tecklu, a partner at Khosla Ventures, believes that Luzia is well-positioned to address the personal assistant market. Tecklu also emphasized the immense opportunity that exists by targeting the Latin American and Iberian Peninsula markets.

Tecklu stated, “Their product is truly resonating with Spanish and Portuguese consumers, and having such early user traction is impressive.”

Khosla Ventures has shown interest in investing in several startups working on AI and LLM technology this year, including reading coach app Ello and conversational learning app Quazel.