Yelp Purchasing AI Lead Management Platform Hatch for $300 Million

Core Insights - Yelp is enhancing its AI capabilities through the acquisition of Hatch, an AI-powered customer communication platform, for approximately $270 million in cash, with an additional $30 million for employee retention over the next two to three years [2][3]. Company Strategy - The acquisition is a significant step in Yelp's AI transformation strategy, aimed at providing advanced AI tools to local businesses [2]. - Yelp plans to utilize Hatch's lead management solutions to better support service businesses in their AI adoption [2][3]. Technology and Innovation - Hatch, founded in 2018, offers solutions that improve customer communication and retention using conversational AI agents for SMS, email, and phone interactions [4]. - Yelp has been integrating AI tools over the past few years, including new AI-powered search capabilities in 2023 and AI-driven business summaries planned for 2024 [4]. Market Trends - The acquisition aligns with a broader trend where businesses are increasingly adopting agentic AI, with a significant drop in companies merely considering AI from 52% in August to 30% by November [6]. - By November, nearly 25% of chief product officers reported either piloting or fully implementing agentic AI, a substantial increase from just 3% in August [6][7].