nGUVU, a developer of gamification and machine learning software for contact centres, has raised $3 million in funding from Brightspark Venture Capital and Desjardins Venture Capital.

nGUVU created nGAGEMENT, a platform for workers to feel more motivated, leveraging “people’s natural desire for competition.”

In a release, nGUVU played up its Machine Learning roots, calling Montreal a “world-renowned hub” of expertise for machine learning and behavioural analytics research and development. nGUVU is partnering with local universities to embed Machine Learning technology in nGAGEMENT.

“Our mission is to revolutionize contact centers by putting the agent at the core of our strategy,” said CEO Pierre Donaldson.

The opportunity before us is huge because there are over four million agents in North America and 20 million agents worldwide. There is no other solution today that uses gamification and machine learning to improve the agent experience. The funding will be instrumental in accelerating our growth, hiring new talent, and enhancing our software.

-Pierre Donaldson, CEO.

At its core, nGUVU is a cloud-based software provider of gamified solutions that use machine learning and behavioral analytics to create sustained agent engagement in contact centers. The nGAGEMENT platform gamifies their responsibilities, “empowering and motivating them to self-manage and improve continuously by bringing a sense of fun and collaboration to achieving objectives.”

There are some interesting connections within this news. Donaldson was the former chairman of Planora, a Machine Learning-powered startup that was acquired in 2012 by the multinational Red Prairie (JDA Software Group). JF Gagne, an Entrepreneur-in-Residence with Montreal’s Real Ventures, was former CEO at Planora.