Telli, a Berlin-based startup founded by Seb Hapte-Selassie, Philipp Baumanns, and Finn zur Mühlen, has successfully raised $3.6 million in pre-seed funding to enhance customer service through AI voice agents.

The funding round was led by Cherry Ventures and Y Combinator, along with contributions from various angel investors.

As a Y Combinator alum, Telli aims to develop AI voice agents that efficiently manage high-volume customer interactions by filtering complex queries for human operators.

Telli is focused on redefining the collaboration between humans and AI in call operations, addressing challenges in performance management and customer experience during peak call volumes.

The startup has reported over 50% month-over-month revenue growth and has processed nearly one million phone calls with a small team of just six employees.

Customers across sectors such as real estate and healthcare are already seeing benefits from Telli's services, with positive feedback highlighting improved sales conversion rates.

Since its founding, Telli has expanded its customer base across multiple regions, including Germany, the UK, Latin America, and the US, with plans for further growth.

The founders were inspired by their experiences at Enpal, a successful German startup, where they recognized the challenges associated with call automation in customer acquisition.

Telli's voice agents utilize advanced AI voice-cloning technologies from platforms like 11 Labs and Cartesian AI to create realistic interactions by cloning the voices of hired voice actors.

The newly acquired funding will support Telli's growth and the development of its AI solutions, further enhancing efficiency in call-heavy industries.

Telli's AI voice agents are designed to automate various tasks such as booking appointments and qualifying leads, while ensuring that more complex issues are escalated to human operators.

With over 80% of new customers coming from referrals or inbound inquiries, Telli's growth trajectory indicates strong market demand for its innovative solutions.