The Willis Towers Watson and CGU joint venture StartUpCover has introduced a Facebook Messenger chatbot called “Jamie” that gives businesses an indicative quote within five minutes, at any time of day or night.

GM of Affinity and Commercial at Willis Towers Watson Brent Lehmann says start-ups are often too busy to access insurance information within traditional working hours.

“By being available instantly and at any time, our chatbot technology will enable a frictionless and familiar way for people within the start-up business community to learn about the right insurance products,” he said.

A StartUpCover specialist broker is also on hand to tackle advanced questions.

Andi Chatterton, creator of the chatbot and co-founder of inGenious AI, says messaging apps such as Facebook Messenger have surpassed social media platforms such as Instagram and Facebook itself in terms of active monthly users.

Last year’s Global Mobile Messaging Consumer Report, from US communications company Twilio, shows 46% of consumers want to learn about new products through messaging, and 85% want to reply to a message from a business or engage in conversation.

“Our research has shown that Facebook is the preferred tool for start-ups,” Willis Towers Watson Marketing Officer Tim Cotton said.