Indian startup buys rival to take on Facebook’s new personal assistant app

India’s Helpchat, a personal assistant app, announced today that it acquired Niffler, a deals and discounts discovery site. The deal size remains undisclosed.

Niffler provides deals and discounts from local brick and mortar stores. It recently introduced chat-based interactions between consumers and local businesses. Helpchat, on the other hand, is a personal assistant app that helps with running errands like recharging the phone, booking travel tickets, ordering food, finding deals and discounts, suggesting electronic items, and getting your laundry.

The acquisition comes just a few months after Facebook launched Facebook M. Facebook uses artificial intelligence (AI) along with actual people to help users complete tasks. When you ask M a question, the AI works to understand what you’re asking and formulates a response. But rather than sending it to you, the system sends this response to human trainers first for refinement.

Some of the tasks it helps with include making table reservations, booking tickets for a weekend getaway, and shopping. Facebook says M’s differentiating factor from Siri or Cortana is the fact that it’s smarter and can complete tasks fully.

Gaining muscle

Helpchat wants to take a hyperlocal approach. The acquisition will help the Delhi-based startup launch its services in Pune and Mumbai.

“The acquisition of Niffler is one of the first major steps in expanding pan-India. The Niffler team has expertise on community-driven experiences and retailer supported commerce,” says Helpchat founder Ankur Singla.

He adds: “The acquisition will help Helpchat accelerate the growth of the personal assistant engine across the areas of offline commerce and local deals based on user’s intent.”

The entire team at Niffler will join Helpchat.

Started in July 2014 by engineers Edul Patel, Prince Arora, and Viraj Shah, Niffler secured US$1 million from SAIF Partners in March. Helpchat, on the other hand, is a heavily-funded startup, having raised US$15 million in around led by Sequoia in May.