Meta-backed Hupo experiences growth by shifting focus to AI sales coaching from mental wellness.
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The Evolution of Hupo: From Mental Wellness to AI-Powered Sales Coaching
When Justin Kim, co-founder and CEO of Hupo, launched his company four years ago, it began as Ami, a mental wellness platform. The focus was on helping individuals manage stress, build habits, and change behavior over time, rather than providing AI-driven sales coaching for banks, financial services, or insurance companies.
The Inspiration Behind Hupo
Kim’s deep-rooted passion for sports—whether basketball, football, Formula One, or MMA—fuels his intrigue in human performance. In an interview with TechCrunch, Kim said, “What draws me to all of them is performance. I’ve spent much time thinking about what drives human performance.”
This curiosity paved the way for his professional journey. He started delving into the factors that contribute to performance in the workplace, leading him to identify a critical theme: mental resilience. This insight ultimately inspired him to establish Hupo in 2022.
Learning from Experience: Early Days with Meta
Hupo’s early collaboration with Meta proved instrumental, offering insights that would define the company’s direction. Kim learned that software must integrate seamlessly into daily routines and that tools aimed at improvement often fail if they are judgmental or disconnected. He noted, “Software only works when it fits into daily behavior like how people already live and work.”
These lessons informed Hupo’s pivot to a focus on sales coaching. Rather than replacing human judgment, Hupo aims to empower individuals in critical moments, especially within the realms of banking, insurance, and financial services.
Addressing Performance Challenges in BFSI
Transitioning from mental wellness to sales coaching may seem like a significant shift. However, according to Kim, the underlying issue remains consistent: performance at scale. “In banking and insurance, results vary not because of motivation, but because training, feedback, and confidence differ,” he explained.
Traditional coaching struggles to reach everyone, as managers cannot oversee every interaction. Hupo leverages AI to recognize real-time conversations, thereby delivering consistent coaching in these high-regulation industries.
Funding and Market Expansion
Recently, Hupo secured $10 million in Series A funding, led by DST Global Partners, with backing from Collaborative Fund, Goodwater Capital, January Capital, and Strong Ventures. This funding has propelled the Singapore-based startup into new markets, serving clients like Prudential, AXA, Manulife, HSBC, Bank of Ireland, and Grab across APAC and Europe.
Kim highlights the challenges in the Banking, Financial Services, and Insurance (BFSI) sector, noting, “BFSI is notoriously difficult for early-stage companies. However, our customers typically expand contracts 3–8x within the first six months.”
With plans to enter the U.S. market in the first half of this year, Kim sees an opportunity in distribution-heavy financial models that require scalable coaching solutions.
A Foundation in Financial Expertise
Kim’s career began at Bloomberg, where he sold enterprise software to banks and asset managers, gaining insights into the complexities of regulated sales. His subsequent role in product development at South Korean fintech company Viva Republica, which created Toss, reinforced his understanding of how technology can reshape financial services.
“Hupo sits at the intersection of those experiences,” Kim emphasized. “I understood the buyer, the end-user, and the operational realities of selling financial products.” With the advancement of AI capable of understanding context and coaching in real time, Kim recognized that the banking and insurance sectors were ripe for innovative sales coaching solutions.
A Unique Approach to Sales Coaching
Many AI-driven sales coaching tools prioritize technology over industry understanding. In contrast, Hupo builds its platform centered around how banks and insurers operate. Kim suggests that grasping an enterprise’s business and industry specifics is vital for success. The company’s models were developed with real financial products, common objections, client types, and regulatory requirements in mind.
With recent funding increasing total investments to $15 million, Hupo is positioned to advance its product offerings. Upcoming developments include refining real-time coaching features and enhancing enterprise-grade deployments while bolstering its presence in banking and financial services.
Looking to the Future
Over the next five years, Kim envisions Hupo expanding its focus from mere sales coaching to fostering large-scale team performance. The aim is to provide managers and employees with clearer insights and actionable guidance, reaching even tens of thousands of individuals.
Through continued innovation and a deep understanding of industry nuances, Hupo is poised to redefine how performance is optimized in sectors that demand resilience and adaptability.
In summary, Hupo’s journey from a mental wellness platform to a leader in AI-driven sales coaching exemplifies the power of aligning technology with human behavior. By focusing on the intricacies of banking, insurance, and financial services, Hupo is not only enhancing individual performance but also facilitating significant organizational growth.
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