Flok (company)

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flok
Company typeSubsidiary
IndustryMobile, Apps, Chatbots, Loyalty Programs
Founded2011; 13 years ago (2011)
Defunct}}
HeadquartersNew York City
ParentWix.com
Websiteflok.com

Flok (formerly Loyalblocks)[1] was an American tech startup based in New York City that provides marketing services such as chatbots/AI,[2] customer loyalty programs, mobile apps and CRM services to local businesses.[3][4][5][6]

In January 2017, the company was acquired by Wix.com.[7][8] Around March 2017, Flok ceased communication.

On October 1, 2019, Flok communicated via email stating that Flok is shutting down on March 1, 2020.[citation needed]

On March 1, 2020, Flok communicated via email stating that Flok has officially shut down.[9]

Background[edit]

Flok was founded in 2011 by Ido Gaver and Eran Kirshenboim and has offices in Tel Aviv, Israel.[10] In May 2013, Flok secured a $9 million Series A Round from General Catalyst Partners with participation from Founder Collective and existing investor Gemini Israel Ventures.[11] In total, Flok has raised over $18 million in venture capital in three rounds.[12][13]

In May 2014, Flok announced a self-service loyalty platform for SMBs to build their own programs with beacon integration. At that time, approximately 40,000 businesses were using the service.[14] In 2016, Flok released a turnkey chatbot service for local businesses,[15][16] and was featured in AdWeek for developing the first weed bot chatbot for a California cannabis business.[17]

Services[edit]

Flok offers an eponymous customer-facing app[18] that consumers use to receive rewards and deals from partner businesses,[19] and a Flok business app for merchants to manage the platform.[20] Both are available for iOS and Android operating systems.[citation needed] Flok's main products center around customer loyalty and rewards. The platform offers a digital punch card, proximity marketing, push messaging and CRM services in addition to its chatbots and AI features.[21]

Flok provides partner businesses with beacons that can locate customers and verify store visits.[22] As of July 2016, Flok had a 4-star rating on Merchant Maverick review site.[23]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Your next loyalty 'punch card' will be driven by AI". VentureBeat. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  2. ^ "Flok uses Bluetooth and chatbots to lure people inside thousands of small businesses". VentureBeat. 26 July 2016. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  3. ^ Forbes Communications Council. "How Conversational UX And The Internet Of Things Are Changing The Way We Communicate". Forbes. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  4. ^ "Should Your Business Create an App?". American Express OPEN Forum. 25 March 2016. Archived from the original on 14 September 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  5. ^ "Small Business Loyalty Programs : flok". Trend Hunter. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  6. ^ "Loyalty Is Not Enough — It's All About Customer Relationship Management Now". Geomarketing. 7 June 2016. Archived from the original on 15 July 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  7. ^ Lunden, Ingrid (19 January 2017). "Wix buys Flok to add loyalty and mobile CRM to its business tools". TechCrunch. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. ^ "Wix acquires Israeli CRM co flok - Globes". Globes (in Hebrew). 22 January 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2018.
  9. ^ "Is Flok Closing Down or Being Discontinued?". Stamp Me loyalty Solutions. 22 November 2019.
  10. ^ Zimmerman, Eilene (16 September 2014). "LoyalBlocks Simplifies Mobile App Creation for Small Merchants". The New York Times. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  11. ^ "LoyalBlocks Nabs $9M for Its Automated Mobile Loyalty Program". 23 May 2013.
  12. ^ Taylor, Colleen (23 May 2013). "LoyalBlocks Lands $9 Million Led By General Catalyst To Scale Out Its Mobile-Based Loyalty Program". TechCrunch. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  13. ^ "Your next loyalty 'punch card' will be driven by AI". VentureBeat. 7 April 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  14. ^ "LoyalBlocks Adds Beacon to Self-Serve Loyalty Platform for SMBS".
  15. ^ "Flok uses Bluetooth and chatbots to lure people inside thousands of small businesses". 26 July 2016.
  16. ^ "Flok wants to bring chatbots to the small business masses". 27 July 2016.
  17. ^ "This California Marijuana Dispensary Is Using Bots to Understand Customers' Preferences". Adweek. 24 June 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  18. ^ "flok - get rewarded on the App Store". App Store (iOS). Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  19. ^ "Startup LoyalBlocks helps small businesses zap deals and rewards to customers' smartphones". New York Daily News. 7 September 2012.
  20. ^ "flok business on the App Store". App Store (iOS). Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  21. ^ "Flok Launches Chatbots to Bolster Customer Engagement for Local Businesses | Street Fight". 26 July 2016.
  22. ^ "Beacons 101: What Smart Brick-and-Mortar Retailers Need to Know | Payment Week". Payment Week. 17 May 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.
  23. ^ "Flok Review - Merchant Maverick". Merchant Maverick. Archived from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 26 July 2016.

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