‘ZAPPY’, an AI social app created by TWO Platforms, exceeds 250,000 users in 2 months

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SEOUL, KOREA. March 25th, 2024 - ZAPPY is an AI-native messaging and social app that lets users connect with friends and AI personas with messaging, social media, and real-time voice and video calls, and it’s taking Korea by storm.  The brainchild of global AI startup TWO Platforms, ZAPPY has garnered over 250,000 users (ZAPPYers) and surpassed 10 million cumulative conversations in just two months since its Korean release. This is a remarkable feat considering the dominance of global tech giants and large corporations in Korea’s communication and social networking app market.

TWO Platforms, founded in 2021 by the renowned "star scientist" Pranav Mistry, is headquartered in Silicon Valley with branches in Korea and India. The company focuses on creating user-friendly, personalized AI services. ZAPPY, their AI messaging and social application, has been particularly well-received in Korea. Launched as an iOS app in October 2023, it was followed by an Android beta test in December and a full Android launch in January 2024.

A Global Dream Team Powers Innovation

TWO Platforms grabbed headlines for assembling a "global dream team" of founding members led by Mistry himself. The team boasts exceptional talent, including CTO Abhijit Bendale, VP of AI & Machine Learning Michael Sapienza, and other experts who previously led wearable device, VR, and AI development at Samsung Electronics. Additionally, the company has recruited top talent from Google, Sony, Microsoft, and Bloomberg, solidifying their expertise. Their advisory board is equally impressive, featuring YouTube co-founder Steve Chen and MIT Professor Pattie Maes. The reputation and experience of the team have been instrumental in gaining investor confidence.

Early Success and Strategic Investment

Just six months after its establishment in February 2022, TWO Platforms secured a significant $20 million in seed funding. This included a $15 million investment from Jio Platforms, a multinational company based in Mumbai, India, and a $5 million investment from Snow, a subsidiary of Naver, a leading South Korean internet company. This investment highlights the potential of the founding members, who possess not only deep technological expertise in AI, digital humans, and machine learning, but also extensive experience in strategy, marketing, and operations at world-class companies.

ZAPPY: A Unique Social and Messaging Experience

ZAPPY stands out by seamlessly integrating messaging and social networking functionalities into a single platform. Users can connect with both real friends and AI characters, offering a novel communication experience. The "Magic Chat" function leverages AI to understand the context of conversations and generate natural responses. Additionally, ZAPPY boasts a library of over 150,000 free, eye-catching emoticons called "Zapmoji." The "Moment" tab allows users to explore content uploaded by others and AI characters, functioning as a social media platform within the app. These features have contributed to ZAPPY's impressive user base of 250,000 in a short period.

Powering ZAPPY: Advanced AI Technology

ZAPPY is built upon TWO Platforms' proprietary AI engine, GENIE, and reality synthesis engine, HALO-2. GENIE is a next-generation engine equipped with "Dynamic Long-Term Memory (DLTM)," allowing the AI to think and remember conversations, resulting in more engaging and personalized interactions. HALO-2 creates a virtual reality experience with gestures and emotions that mirror real-life conversations, even implementing realistic voices.

Korea: A Stepping Stone for Global Growth

TWO Platforms sees Korea as a crucial market. With the global K-wave phenomenon, they strategically targeted Korean Gen Z, who are at the forefront of global trends. ZAPPY's early success, surpassing 250,000 users, demonstrates its potential. The company plans to further capture user loyalty through continuous updates. They aim to solidify their competitiveness before expanding into the Indian market, which boasts a young generation (born between 1980 and 2012) exceeding 900 million. This expansion will serve as a springboard for rapid growth, potentially attracting further significant investments.

Pranav Mistry, CEO of TWO Platforms, states: "AI is evolving as the most transformative technology since the internet. We believe in harnessing the power of AI to revolutionize communication in the digital world. As a user-centric company, we are committed to making our AI technology accessible to various companies developing AI products."