A new B2C messaging start-up has announced online furniture store Made.com as its first partner.

Hero, a new platform that aims to make consumer interaction with business as simple as using a mobile messaging app, allows consumers to seek expert advice, share images of what theyre looking for, and make bookings all from within a messaging conversation.

The company says payment functionality will be added to the service soon.

The app launched in private beta in December, and the company says it is now opening up the app to new users. It can be downloaded from the Apple App Store, and used with the invite code ENTER.

“Messaging has changed how we all communicate,” says Adam Levene, founder and CEO or Hero. “The logical evolution is to use messaging to redefine how we interact with businesses.”

Businesses can use their own customer service departments to handle the requests, as in the case of Made.com. If a company doesnt yet work with Hero, consumer queries will be handled by Heros own team.

Julien Callede, founder and COO of Made.com, predicts that messaging will grow as a means of consumer communication with businesses. “Innovation and the highest level of customer service has always been at the heart of Made.com,” he says. “Messaging is going to be at the forefront of how customers communicate with businesses – were excited to be amongst the first partners of Hero.”