Alex Turnbull, known for growing Groove to $5M ARR without investors, launched Helply, a support platform that upends traditional per-seat pricing by offering unlimited free access and billing only when AI successfully resolves tickets. Targeting mid-size B2B companies, Helply aims to prove that AI-powered support can be profitable and customer-centric.
- Helply offers a free, unlimited B2B support platform with no seat charges.
- Customers pay only when AI successfully resolves a support ticket or flags key revenue signals.
- Alex Turnbull guarantees 65% AI resolution within 90 days or Helply costs nothing.
What happened
Alex Turnbull, the solo founder who bootstrapped Groove to $5 million ARR, has introduced Helply, an AI-first customer support platform designed specifically for B2B companies earning $1 million to $50 million annually. Helply is free to use with no limits on seats or integrations, and charges customers only when its AI successfully resolves a ticket or delivers actionable revenue insights such as churn alerts or upsell opportunities.
The platform departs from traditional per-seat pricing models that dominate legacy helpdesks like Zendesk and Intercom, which Turnbull views as obsolete in the age of autonomous AI resolution. By building a product that businesses can adopt with zero upfront cost, Helply aims to prove the effectiveness of AI-driven support through a bold guarantee: a 65% AI resolution rate within 90 days or no payment at all.
Why it matters
Helply disrupts the conventional SaaS support pricing approach by aligning revenue with actual business outcomes rather than arbitrary seat licenses. This model could save B2B companies significant costs immediately upon switching, as billing is triggered strictly by measurable AI success rather than attempts handled. This challenges incumbents who rely on per-seat fees even as AI takes on a greater share of support work.
Moreover, Helply’s focus on integrating revenue-related context—such as CRM data, product usage, and billing history—enables its AI to identify and surface opportunities across multiple revenue functions in real time, transforming support from a cost center into a vital signal stream for growth and retention. This strategic customer-centric approach addresses the evolving needs of mid-market B2B firms.
What to watch next
Helply’s bet on a free-to-use, outcome-priced support platform hinges on maintaining or exceeding its promised 65% AI ticket resolution within the first 90 days of use. How the startup scales adoption and consistently delivers on this promise across diverse B2B clients will be critical to its competitive positioning against entrenched vendors with far larger sales and marketing budgets.
Investors and market watchers should also watch how Helply balances its focus on bootstrapping with ambitions to hit $10 million ARR and 50% EBITDA margins within three years. The company’s public-building approach and unique marketing tactics—such as the recent SaaStr AI conference protest highlighting flaws of per-seat pricing—signal a strong conviction to reshape the customer support market landscape.