---
id: "entity-smooch"
type: "entity"
entityType: "product"
canonicalName: "Smooch"
aliases: []
source_timestamps: ["¶5"]
tags: ["target", "messaging-platform", "case-study"]
related: ["entity-zendesk", "concept-complementors"]
source_url: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/when-evaluating-an-ma-opportunity-consider-the-broader-digital-ecosystem"
source_title: "When Evaluating an M&A Opportunity, Consider the Broader Digital Ecosystem"
sources: ["ecosystem"]
sourceVaultSlug: "hbr-seg-ecosystem"
originDay: 11
articleStem: "hbr-cl-80-ma-digital-ecosystem"
sourceUrl: "https://hbr.org/2026/06/when-evaluating-an-ma-opportunity-consider-the-broader-digital-ecosystem"
sourceTitle: "When Evaluating an M&A Opportunity, Consider the Broader Digital Ecosystem"
---
# Smooch

**Entity type:** product · **Canonical name:** Smooch

**Role in source — acquisition target.** A business messaging platform acquired by [[entity-zendesk]] in **2019**. Smooch was attractive because it was already **integrated with apps like WhatsApp and Salesforce** and had a robust community of developers building chatbots and industry-specific applications — a ready-made complementor network (see [[concept-complementors]]).

**Enrichment note:** Canonical reference — Smooch, a business messaging platform acquired by Zendesk in 2019; relevant as an example of integrating messaging with support workflows and partner integrations.