Infobip vs Invoca

Central European VCs Debate Bootstrapping, AI, and Exit Strategies

At the Infobip Shift conference in Zadar, Croatia, Central European venture capitalists discussed key startup topics including bootstrapping versus VC funding, the trend of founders seeking larger rounds for prestige, and the pitfalls of 'building for a flip'. Jure Mikuž of South Central Ventures cautioned against raising rounds too small for strategy, while David Clark of Tera Ventures noted that bootsrapping is now easier with AI tools. Réka Hidas of Portfolion emphasized choosing VCs that offer more than capital. On AI, Florian Binswanger of Vercel advised founders to integrate AI deeply into their product rather than adding superficial chatbots, and to use model routers to avoid vendor lock-in. Nina Trejos of Stripe highlighted the importance of adopting usage-based AI pricing early. Infobip's CTO Izabel Jelenić shared lessons on co-founder dynamics. The event highlighted a closing gap between Western and Central European startup ecosystems.

• Infobip Shift conference held in Zadar, Croatia, attended by developers, founders, and VCs from Central Europe.
• Jure Mikuž of South Central Ventures warned against raising rounds too small for strategy and seeking spotlight.
• David Clark of Tera Ventures said there was never a better time for Central European founders to bootstrap, citing AI tools.

Infobip Reports 169.3% Global RCS Growth; US +1298.8%

Infobip, a global AI-first cloud communications platform, reported 169.3% growth in Rich Communication Services (RCS) for Business traffic between H1 2025 and H1 2026. The United States led growth with a 1,298.8% year-on-year increase; Infobip customers sent more than 1.5 billion RCS messages in the US during the period. Infobip processed RCS registration requests for over 7.3k unique brands and delivered 14k successful RCS agent launches. Other notable country growth rates included Spain (+290%), the United Kingdom (+282%), India (+108%) and France (+48%). The company also announced Interactive Session billing is now live in the US, enabling two-way conversational pricing across live RCS markets. Dave Boddington, RCS Business Unit Head at Infobip, commented on the channel’s move from experimentation to mainstream deployment.

• Infobip recorded 169.3% growth in RCS for Business traffic between H1 2025 and H1 2026.
• RCS interactions in the United States increased 1298.8% year-on-year; Infobip customers delivered more than 1.5 billion RCS messages in the US during the period.
• Infobip processed RCS registration requests for more than 7.3k unique brands and delivered 14k successful RCS agent launches.

Conversational AI Emerges as Retail Imperative

A Business Wire piece published on MarTech Series (July 20, 2026) reports that insights from Infobip and Retail Economics indicate retail engagement is shifting from one-way “broadcast” messaging to a conversational, AI-driven relationship model. The article cites high WhatsApp open rates (85–95%) versus email (32.7% in e-commerce), notes 24% of Gen Z prefer WhatsApp and SMS for deliveries/returns, and highlights a readiness gap: 88% of retailers are exploring conversational AI while 0% report full integration. Retail Economics CEO Richard Lim and Infobip retail specialist Kim Johal comment on personalization, channel preferences, and AI-driven automation that can handle routine queries and demonstrate ROI in as little as 60 days.

• Infobip and Retail Economics report the retail engagement model is shifting from one-way “broadcast” notifications to a conversational, AI-driven relationship layer.
• WhatsApp engagement open rates are cited at 85–95%, compared with 32.7% for email in e-commerce.
• 24% of Gen Z now prefer WhatsApp and SMS for deliveries and returns, per Retail Economics commentary.

Invoca Named to Fast Company's 2026 List of Best Workplaces for Innovators

Invoca has been named to Fast Company's 2026 List of Best Workplaces for Innovators, announced September 8, 2026.

Proposal: Add Contribution Metrics to Affiliate Reporting

The author argues that affiliate marketing is disadvantaged by strict deterministic (last-click) attribution compared with other channels that claim inferred influence. They propose that affiliate reporting should regularly include two numbers: deterministic tracking (clicks, coupons) and a separate contribution or influence metric (AI inference, other uncredited touchpoints). The article cites next-generation tracking technologies (examples: Partnerize, impact.com) as enablers, and notes historical call-tracking proposals (RingRevenue, now Invoca) that revealed uncredited conversions. Publishing contribution numbers to affiliates could strengthen their negotiating position and put affiliate channels on more equal footing with channels that rely on inferred attribution.

• The author proposes affiliate reports should include two numbers: deterministic tracking (clicks, coupons) and a contribution/influence number (AI inference, other uncredited touch points).
• Partnerize and impact.com are cited as providers of next-generation tracking technologies that can support the proposed reporting approach.
• Affiliate marketing commonly relies on deterministic last-click attribution, while many walled gardens use statistical models to infer influence.