Behaf launches WhatsApp-based conversational commerce for D2C brands

How the platform works

According to YourStory, Behaf provides D2C brands with a free WhatsApp chat store where customers can engage in natural-language conversations to discover products, seek recommendations, and ask questions. The platform uses AI to interpret context—such as the occasion, recipient, budget, or problem being solved—rather than requiring customers to navigate categories, filters, or search terms.

Instead of forcing customers to translate preferences into technical filters, the AI allows them to describe their needs in everyday language. For example, a customer might say, “Mummy ke birthday ke liye ek achhi silk saree chahiye, 5 hazaar ke andar,” and the system will understand the occasion, material, and budget to suggest relevant products.

What the platform handles for brands

Behaf aims to simplify the selling process for D2C brands by consolidating multiple steps into a single conversation. Beyond product discovery, the platform manages payments, order confirmations, shipping updates, and customer support within WhatsApp, eliminating the need for brands to integrate separate tools for each function.

The startup’s model is transaction-based, meaning brands only pay when a successful order is completed. This differs from traditional software-as-a-service (SaaS) models that charge monthly subscriptions regardless of sales performance.

Behaf’s founders emphasize that the customer relationship remains with the brand, while the platform handles the operational work behind each sale.

Target market and current stage

Behaf is designed for Indian D2C brands, particularly those operating in Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 cities. These brands often start on social media platforms like Instagram and rely on direct relationships with customers, but may lack the resources to build or maintain a complex technology stack.

The startup is currently in a pre-launch phase, onboarding its first group of founding D2C brands. This stage is focused on gathering feedback from real sellers and customers to refine the product before scaling.

Company background

Behaf Research Labs, the company behind the platform, is headquartered in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and was incorporated in 2024. The team consists of fewer than 10 employees, with Jerish Jacob listed as a co-founder.

The startup positions itself as an alternative to marketplaces or standalone e-commerce websites, aiming to reduce the friction of setting up and managing online sales for small and emerging brands.

What this means

Lazyfounder analysis — our interpretation, not reported fact.

Behaf’s approach signals a shift in how D2C brands might interact with customers, particularly in markets like India where WhatsApp is already a dominant communication tool. For founders and operators, this model lowers the barrier to entry for selling online by replacing multiple tools with a single conversational interface. The transaction-based pricing could also appeal to early-stage brands cautious about fixed costs. However, the success of this model will depend on how well AI can handle the nuances of natural-language shopping and whether brands see value in outsourcing parts of the customer journey.