Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is having a moment.

RPA is a somewhat new term to describe using intelligent technology (i.e. bots) to emulate human interactions and automate business processes. RPA isn’t new, but it’s a fast-growing area of tech along with AI, particularly now with companies making leaps into digital transformation due to the pandemic.

While a few companies took an early lead in this space, we’ve seen intriguing RPA innovators launch during this boom.

Maker Sergey Yudovskiy launched ElectroNeek RPA a year ago. ElectroNeek, a W20 Y Combinator alum, is an RPA platform for hunting and automating workflows. One of ElectroNeek’s drivers has been to democratize RPA, i.e. make it accessible for small to medium companies. For a fixed price, developers can design and save workflows as RPA bots, then deploy them anywhere with unlimited licenses.

The model seems to be working. In January, ElectroNeek reported 5x annual revenue growth compared to 2019, driven partly by mid-market companies.

Another innovator in this sector is nate. For all of the talk around RPA, not much is said about what it can do for consumers. Maker Albert Saniger introduced Nate in its March launch:

“We’re excited for you all to check out nate - the world’s only universal consumer shopping app, powered by AI… We developed RPA technology that can navigate websites in the same way humans do.”

Hate filling in your details everytime you check out? Autofill and Apple Pay help in specific cases, but nate works to eliminate all of it. With the app, you can skip the checkout process from anywhere.

Worried about spending too much?

“One pro tip: nate actually also applies all publicly available discounts automatically to your purchases, so we can help you save some $$$ and you don't have to lift a finger!” - Thais Branco, Maker

There are concerns about the implications of RPA, namely bots taking human jobs. Right now the tech is mostly just improving tech silos and taking some of the pain out of shopping.