As CRM vendors race to bolt generative AI onto aging stacks, France-based Splio is taking a more structural approach: rebuilding its platform around predictive intelligence.

The company this week unveiled an AI-first CRM powered by Tinyclues—the Paris-based predictive marketing specialist it acquired in 2023. Alongside the integration, Splio introduced “Ask My CRM,” an AI agent designed to function as a marketing copilot, embedded directly into a brand’s customer data environment.

The move signals more than a feature update. It’s a strategic repositioning in a CRM market increasingly defined by AI arms races, from predictive segmentation to conversational commerce.

From Add-On AI to AI at the Core

Many CRM platforms now tout AI capabilities. But in most cases, those tools sit as overlays—recommendation engines layered on top of legacy automation systems.

Splio’s approach is different. Tinyclues AI is now integrated at the core of its CRM stack, underpinning marketing automation, loyalty management, and cross-channel orchestration across email, SMS, RCS, and WhatsApp.

That architectural shift matters.

Instead of segmenting audiences based on static rules or historical filters, the system uses predictive modeling to identify customers most likely to respond, convert, or churn. Campaigns are then orchestrated around those probabilities, rather than generic demographic or behavioral slices.

For brands struggling with personalization at scale—particularly in retail, travel, and e-commerce—this could mean sharper targeting without exponentially more manual segmentation work.

Splio says 30% of its annual recurring revenue now comes from AI-driven offerings. By 2027, it aims to push that figure past 50%, effectively redefining itself as an AI-first CRM provider rather than a traditional marketing automation vendor.

Why Predictive AI Is Having a Moment

The CRM industry’s recent AI narrative has largely been dominated by generative AI and chat-based interfaces. Tools that summarize dashboards or draft email copy have proliferated quickly.

But predictive AI—machine learning models that forecast customer behavior—has been delivering measurable ROI for years, albeit less visibly.

Splio is leaning into that foundation. Predictive audiences, for example, dynamically surface high-propensity segments based on conversion likelihood rather than broad targeting logic.

The proof point? Retailer Mademoiselle Bio, an early user, reports a threefold increase in average conversion rates after integrating Tinyclues AI into its marketing automation workflows. The company also observed that 90% of revenue from A/B test campaigns was generated by just 28% of its database—insight that helped refine campaign prioritization and resource allocation.

That kind of Pareto-style distribution isn’t unusual in e-commerce. What’s notable is how quickly predictive modeling can operationalize it.

Major brands including Air France, Fnac Darty, SNCF Connect, Samsung, ETAM, Maisons du Monde, and Cyrillus already rely on Tinyclues AI, according to Splio.

Introducing “Ask My CRM”: The Agentic Layer

The second pillar of the announcement is “Ask My CRM,” Splio’s new AI agent.

If predictive AI answers the question “Who should we target?”, Ask My CRM tackles “What should we do next?”

Positioned as an intelligent marketing copilot, the agent plugs directly into a brand’s CRM database in real time. Rather than simply executing keyword-based queries, Splio says the tool understands business context and can:

• Diagnose performance drops

• Identify new campaign opportunities

• Generate reports and one-pagers

• Recommend action plans based on live customer data

In practice, this means marketing teams can “converse” with their CRM. Instead of navigating dashboards or exporting data to BI tools, they ask questions in natural language and receive context-aware recommendations.

This shift toward conversational CRM reflects a broader trend: as AI agents mature, software interfaces are becoming less dashboard-driven and more dialogue-based.

It’s a development echoed across enterprise software. From copilots in productivity suites to AI-driven analytics assistants, vendors are betting that natural-language interaction will lower the barrier to advanced data use.

For CRM teams juggling segmentation, campaign timing, channel orchestration, and reporting, that simplification could reduce operational drag—assuming the recommendations are accurate and trustworthy.

Preparing for Agentic Commerce

Splio’s leadership frames this evolution as preparation for “agentic commerce”—a future in which AI agents increasingly mediate interactions between brands and customers.

In such a landscape, CRM systems must do more than store data and automate campaigns. They must serve as the intelligence hub for conversational, real-time engagement across channels.

By embedding predictive AI deeply and layering generative and agentic capabilities on top, Splio is attempting to future-proof its stack for that shift.

It’s also a defensive move. Global CRM heavyweights are rapidly expanding their AI portfolios, and mid-market players face pressure to differentiate. Owning a proprietary predictive engine—rather than relying on third-party AI integrations—gives Splio tighter control over its roadmap and monetization strategy.

Market Implications

The CRM market is at an inflection point. Saturation, consolidation, and rising customer acquisition costs have made incremental feature updates less compelling.

What brands increasingly want is measurable performance uplift: higher conversion rates, improved retention, and clearer attribution.

Predictive AI directly ties into those goals. But embedding it into core workflows—rather than treating it as an optional module—could mark a more meaningful transition.

If Splio succeeds in driving over half its revenue from AI by 2027, it will signal that predictive and agentic capabilities are no longer premium add-ons but baseline expectations.

For marketing leaders evaluating CRM platforms, the question may soon shift from “Does it have AI?” to “Is AI the foundation—or just a feature?”

Splio is betting that foundation wins.

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