This page provides details about Ada (organization,product) which was ranked #13 out of 175 in the list of brands (18 mentions (4.1% share)) in answers from AI models (Anthropic Claude Sonnet (latest), OpenAI ChatGPT Latest, Google Gemini Flash (latest), X.AI Grok (latest)) when they were asked the following 3 questions: "What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.", "If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.", "What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry." on Dec 30, 2025 by AI Chat Watch.
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] crisp.chat)
- All-in-one business messaging platform
13. **Tidio** - [https://www.tidio.com](https://www.tidio.com)
- Live chat with chatbots for e-commerce
14. **Tawk.to** - [https://www.tawk.to](https://www.tawk.to)
- Free live chat software
## AI-Powered & Chatbot Solutions
15. **Ada** - [https://www.ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx)
- AI-powered customer service automation platform
16. **Ultimate.ai** - [https://www.ultimate.ai](https://www.ultimate.ai)
- Conversational AI for customer support automation
17. **Forethought** - [https://forethought.ai](https://forethought.ai [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] -in-one business messaging platform
13. **Tidio** - [https://www.tidio.com](https://www.tidio.com)
- Live chat with chatbots for e-commerce
14. **Tawk.to** - [https://www.tawk.to](https://www.tawk.to)
- Free live chat software
## AI-Powered & Chatbot Solutions
15. **Ada** - [https://www.ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx)
- AI-powered customer service automation platform
16. **Ultimate.ai** - [https://www.ultimate.ai](https://www.ultimate.ai)
- Conversational AI for customer support automation
17. **Forethought** - [https://forethought.ai](https://forethought.ai)
- AI platform f [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] rience strategy
### Virtual Events
- **[CX Network Virtual Events](https://www.cxnetwork.com/virtual-events/)** - Regular online conferences
- **[Freshworks Refresh](https://www.freshworks.com/refresh/)** - Annual virtual conference
## 🚀 Notable Startups & Disruptors
### AI-Powered Support
- **[Ada](https://www.ada.cx/)** - AI-powered customer service automation
- **[Ultimate.ai](https://www.ultimate.ai/)** - Customer support automation platform
- **[Forethought](https://forethought.ai/)** - AI for customer support teams
- **[PolyAI](https://poly.ai/)** - Conversational AI for customer servic [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] id-market companies. Free tier available.
### **Gorgias** - [https://www.gorgias.com](https://www.gorgias.com)
E-commerce focused, integrated heavily with Shopify and other platforms. Growing rapidly in online retail support.
## Best Products & Services by Category
### **AI-Powered Support**
- **Ada** - [https://www.ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx) - AI chatbot platform with automated resolution
- **Ultimate.ai** - [https://www.ultimate.ai](https://www.ultimate.ai) - Automation-first customer support
- **Forethought** - [https://www.forethought.ai](https://www.forethought.ai) - Generative AI for su [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] Free tier available.
### **Gorgias** - [https://www.gorgias.com](https://www.gorgias.com)
E-commerce focused, integrated heavily with Shopify and other platforms. Growing rapidly in online retail support.
## Best Products & Services by Category
### **AI-Powered Support**
- **Ada** - [https://www.ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx) - AI chatbot platform with automated resolution
- **Ultimate.ai** - [https://www.ultimate.ai](https://www.ultimate.ai) - Automation-first customer support
- **Forethought** - [https://www.forethought.ai](https://www.forethought.ai) - Generative AI for support teams
### **He [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] ntent)
- [Atlassian Confluence](https://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence)
- [Notion](https://www.notion.com)
- [Document360](https://document360.com)
- [Guru](https://www.getguru.com) (internal knowledge for agents)
---
### F) AI support automation (agent assist, deflection, triage)
- [Ada](https://www.ada.cx)
- [Forethought](https://forethought.ai)
- [Aisera](https://aisera.com)
*(Most major suites above also offer AI features; these are examples of vendors known primarily for AI automation.)*
---
### G) Workforce management, quality, and analytics (contact center operations) [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] erce, SaaS, automation), these are often evaluated alongside the “big suites”:
- [Crisp](https://crisp.chat) (SMB messaging/support)
- [Tidio](https://www.tidio.com) (SMB automation + chat)
- [Document360](https://document360.com) (modern KB tooling)
- [Forethought](https://forethought.ai) / [Ada](https://www.ada.cx) (AI automation)
(“Promising” is context-dependent—use live demos + review platforms like [G2](https://www.g2.com) and [TrustRadius](https://www.trustradius.com) to validate fit.)
---
## 5) Major industry events & conferences
- [Customer Contact Week (CCW)](https://www.custom [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] e)](https://www.salesforce.com/dreamforce/)
- [Zendesk Relate](https://relate.zendesk.com/)
## 8) Notable startups (and newer players) shaping modern support
AI + automation, agent assist, and next-gen platforms move quickly—these are commonly discussed:
- AI support agent / automation:
- [Ada](https://www.ada.cx/)
- [Forethought](https://forethought.ai/)
- [Sierra](https://www.sierra.ai/)
- Modern support platform / customer messaging:
- [Gladly](https://www.gladly.com/)
- Conversation intelligence / agent coaching:
- [Observe.AI](https://www.observe.ai/)
- [Cresta]( [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] gy impacts the customer experience.
* **[Jeff Toister](https://www.toistersolutions.com):** Author and trainer focused on customer service culture.
### 4. Promising Startups and New Market Entrants
New players are focusing heavily on Generative AI and automation to reduce human workload.
* **[Ada](https://www.ada.cx):** An AI-native platform designed to automate complex customer service interactions.
* **[Fin (by Intercom)](https://www.intercom.com/fin):** A specific mention for this new AI bot that resolves queries using a company's own knowledge base.
* **[Klaus (acquired by Zendesk)] [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] respond to.
* **[Fin (by Intercom)](https://www.intercom.com/fin)**: An AI bot designed to resolve complex issues without human intervention.
* **[Klaus (now part of Zendesk)](https://www.klausapp.com/)**: A quality assurance platform that helps managers grade support agent performance.
* **[Ada](https://www.ada.cx/)**: An automated brand interaction platform focused on high-level AI automation.
### 6. Key Publications & Media Channels
To stay informed about trends like "Customer Effort Score" (CES) and AI integration.
* **[CX Network](https://www.cxnetwork.com/)**: Provides industry re [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] ### 3. Emerging Startups and AI Trends
AI is the defining trend of 2024, moving from simple chatbots to "AI Agents" that can resolve complex issues.
* **Fin (by Intercom):** An AI agent that uses GPT-4 to resolve queries using help center data. [Intercom Fin](https://www.intercom.com/fin)
* **Ada:** An automation platform focusing on high-volume enterprise AI service. [Ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx)
* **Forethought:** Utilizes AI to assist human agents with "Solve," "Triage," and "Discover" features. [Forethought.ai](https://forethought.ai)
* **DevRev:** A "OneCRM" startup that connects cu [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] ing from simple chatbots to "AI Agents" that can resolve complex issues.
* **Fin (by Intercom):** An AI agent that uses GPT-4 to resolve queries using help center data. [Intercom Fin](https://www.intercom.com/fin)
* **Ada:** An automation platform focusing on high-volume enterprise AI service. [Ada.cx](https://www.ada.cx)
* **Forethought:** Utilizes AI to assist human agents with "Solve," "Triage," and "Discover" features. [Forethought.ai](https://forethought.ai)
* **DevRev:** A "OneCRM" startup that connects customer support directly to product development. [DevRev](https://devrev.ai)
* [...]
December 30, 2025
What are the best Customer Support options available today? Please provide a comprehensive overview including: the leading brands and products, top companies and service providers, recognized experts and thought leaders, promising startups and new market entrants, major industry events and conferences, active communities and forums, and influential publications and media covering this space.
[...] ategories/customer-service?segment=emerging) and [Crunchbase](https://www.crunchbase.com/hub/customer-support-startups)):
- **[Capacity](https://capacity.com/)**: AI platform automating tickets and workflows.
- **[Stonly](https://stonly.com/)**: Interactive guides and no-code knowledge bases.
- **[Ada](https://www.ada.cx/)**: No-code AI chatbots for enterprises.
- **[Reclaim.ai](https://reclaim.ai/)**: Scheduling AI with support integrations (expanding CX).
- **[Helpwise](https://helpwise.io/)**: Shared inbox for teams; rising on Product Hunt.
- **[Richpanel](https://www.richpanel.com/)**: Ecomm [...]
December 30, 2025
If I'm looking to get into Customer Support, who and what should I know about? Include the most trusted brands, recommended products and services, reputable companies and providers, influential experts and reviewers to follow, helpful communities and resources, important events and conferences, notable startups disrupting the space, and key publications and media channels to stay informed.
[...] s
Essential tools for customer support pros include helpdesk software, knowledge bases, and productivity add-ons:
- **Ticketing Systems**: Zendesk Sunshine (API platform) [Zendesk Sunshine](https://www.zendesk.com/platform/sunshine-platform/), Front [Front](https://front.com/).
- **AI/Chatbots**: Ada [Ada](https://www.ada.cx/), Drift [Drift](https://www.drift.com/).
- **Knowledge Base Builders**: Document360 [Document360](https://document360.com/), Bloomfire [Bloomfire](https://bloomfire.com/).
- **Monitoring/Surveys**: Qualtrics XM for Customer Frontlines [Qualtrics](https://www.qualtrics.com/ [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] sential tools for customer support pros include helpdesk software, knowledge bases, and productivity add-ons:
- **Ticketing Systems**: Zendesk Sunshine (API platform) [Zendesk Sunshine](https://www.zendesk.com/platform/sunshine-platform/), Front [Front](https://front.com/).
- **AI/Chatbots**: Ada [Ada](https://www.ada.cx/), Drift [Drift](https://www.drift.com/).
- **Knowledge Base Builders**: Document360 [Document360](https://document360.com/), Bloomfire [Bloomfire](https://bloomfire.com/).
- **Monitoring/Surveys**: Qualtrics XM for Customer Frontlines [Qualtrics](https://www.qualtrics.com/custo [...]
December 30, 2025
What does the Customer Support industry look like right now? Identify the dominant market leaders and brands, best products and services, key companies and providers, influential figures and thought leaders, emerging startups and trends, major conferences and events, active professional communities, and the top publications and media that cover this industry.
[...] tups and Trends
**Trends** (2024 focus):
- AI agents/chatbots for 24/7 automation (reducing live agent needs by 30-50%, per Gartner).
- Omnichannel unification (voice, chat, social).
- Self-service portals with generative AI.
- Predictive analytics for proactive support.
**Emerging Startups**:
- **Ada**: No-code AI chatbots. [Ada](https://www.ada.cx/).
- **Gorgias**: AI for Shopify support automation. [Gorgias](https://www.gorgias.com/).
- **Forethought**: Enterprise AI agents. [Forethought](https://forethought.ai/).
- **Capacity**: AI platform for enterprise support. [Capacity](https://capacity [...]
December 30, 2025
[...] 024 focus):
- AI agents/chatbots for 24/7 automation (reducing live agent needs by 30-50%, per Gartner).
- Omnichannel unification (voice, chat, social).
- Self-service portals with generative AI.
- Predictive analytics for proactive support.
**Emerging Startups**:
- **Ada**: No-code AI chatbots. [Ada](https://www.ada.cx/).
- **Gorgias**: AI for Shopify support automation. [Gorgias](https://www.gorgias.com/).
- **Forethought**: Enterprise AI agents. [Forethought](https://forethought.ai/).
- **Capacity**: AI platform for enterprise support. [Capacity](https://capacity.com/).
**Sources**: [Gartne [...]