Native Minds

About Native Minds

Founded in 1996, NativeMinds, Inc. was a San Francisco-based software company that developed and marketed automated online customer service solutions. The firm was an early player in the field of virtual assistants, creating a product line centered around "Virtual Representatives," or vReps™, designed to enhance customer self-service on websites. These automated agents were engineered to interpret and respond to customer inquiries in a conversational manner, aiming to emulate the interaction of a live customer service representative. The core of this technology was the NeuroServer engine, which managed the dialogue between the user and the virtual representative, and a management system to track and analyze performance.

The company's business model focused on providing these self-service software solutions to large organizations to help them reduce support costs by deflecting inquiries from more expensive channels like call centers and email. The technology was capable of context-sensitive conversations, allowing the vReps to understand shifts in dialogue and provide more accurate, human-like responses. This was achieved by linking specific questions and answers to particular subjects, enabling the system to discern the context of ambiguous queries. NativeMinds catered to a client base that included prominent companies such as Ford Motor Company, Oracle, Nissan, and GlaxoSmithKline. Walter Tackett served as the company's co-founder and chairman.

After securing venture funding from investors including Band of Angels, CIBC Capital Partners, Camelot Ventures, Horizon Ventures, and Oracle, NativeMinds operated as a private entity for several years. On March 3, 2004, the company's journey as an independent startup concluded when its intellectual property and other strategic assets were acquired by Verity Inc. for a reported $3.8 million.