Zoovu, an AI-driven product discovery platform, has announced the acquisition of XGEN AI, a company recognized for its expertise in search, merchandising, and recommendation solutions for leading global consumer brands. By joining forces, the companies aim to create a unified, AI-powered ecommerce product discovery platform designed to support every customer interaction, product catalog, and shopping journey.

Many enterprise retailers currently depend on multiple disconnected vendors to manage product discovery, often leading to fragmented shopping experiences and reduced conversion rates. The integration of Zoovu and XGEN AI addresses this challenge by combining search, guided selling, product bundling, recommendations, and conversational AI into a single ecosystem powered by one data model, unified merchandising rules, centralized personalization, and consolidated analytics.

Jonathan Taylor, CEO of Zoovu, explained that the future of product discovery lies in a fully integrated AI engine rather than isolated tools layered together. He noted that the platform continuously learns from customer interactions across channels such as search, email, and recommendations, applying those insights instantly to improve experiences for both luxury retail shoppers and industrial buyers alike.

The merged organization will help ecommerce businesses create more personalized and engaging shopping experiences that can increase conversion rates, average order values, and customer engagement across both B2C and B2B markets.

Mark Steele, CEO of XGEN AI, stated that both companies share the belief that ecommerce AI should benefit both businesses and customers without relying on opaque systems. He added that the partnership enables the delivery of conversational AI search, guided purchasing, bundling, and AI assistants through a single revenue-focused ecommerce platform capable of scaling alongside customer needs.

Alex Malvone, partner at FTV Capital, highlighted Zoovu’s position as one of the most distinctive AI-native ecommerce platforms in the enterprise market. He emphasized that the acquisition strengthens Zoovu’s leadership in a rapidly evolving industry increasingly centered around AI-driven solutions.

The combined technologies are already being used by major global brands such as Valentino, Ferragamo, and Microsoft. Reported results include notable gains in search conversion rates, improved recommendation performance, and a 25% increase in add-to-cart activity for Microsoft.

The acquisition is supported by FTV Capital, Zoovu’s lead investor and a growth equity firm focused on sector-specific investments. Financial details of the agreement were not made public.

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Artificial intelligence has rapidly become the go-to source for information, quietly replacing traditional search engines for many users — and most companies have yet to recognize the shift.

Today, millions of people consult AI tools such as ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini before using conventional search platforms. Around half of consumers now prefer AI-driven answers over traditional search results, and those responses heavily influence purchasing choices, employment decisions, and brand trust. The impact extends even further: 94% of B2B buyers now rely on AI during purchasing decisions, while more than three-quarters of investors worldwide use AI-powered insights to guide investment strategies.

Despite this growing dependence on AI, many organizations still lack visibility into how their brands are represented in AI-generated responses. Are they appearing in results at all? If they are, is the portrayal accurate, balanced, or potentially damaging?

When existing tools failed to provide clear answers for clients, we decided to create a better solution.

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Key Features
Unlike many AI tracking tools focused mainly on product visibility, the AI Visibility Tracker concentrates on reputation — helping organizations understand how AI platforms interpret, discuss, and frame their brands.

The platform also delivers more advanced sentiment analysis than traditional tools. Instead of relying solely on positive or negative keywords, it evaluates the broader context of AI-generated discussions, capturing nuanced perceptions even when responses contain both praise and criticism.

“The foundation of public relations has always been that outside perspectives carry more weight than self-promotion,” Wilkie explained. “AI has amplified that reality even further, but many brands are still unprepared for it.”

As AI increasingly becomes the primary source of information for consumers, employees, investors, and business buyers, understanding how your brand appears in AI-generated content is no longer optional — it’s becoming a business necessity.

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