Sequoia leads $10m round of SG voice AI startup

AI Rudder, a voice-focused AI startup based in Singapore, has raised US$10 million in a series A funding round co-led by Sequoia Capital India and Sequoia China Seed Fund.

The round also saw participation from existing investors ZhenFund, IMO Ventures, Zizhu Xiaomiao Fund, and Huashan Capital.

Photo credit: AI Rudder

Founded in 2019, AI Rudder provides voice-based AI solutions for business-to-consumer communications. Its solutions cover a variety of sectors, such as banking, ecommerce, and fintech. Since its inception, the startup has worked with more than 100 companies. Some of its top clients are Kredivo, Adira Finance, and FinVolution.

AI Rudder said it raised US$1 million in a seed funding round in January last year. Five months later, the company raised another US$2 million as an extension of the round.

The startup plans to use the fresh funds for further expansion into more countries in Asia Pacific and other regions. It will also invest in enhancing its AI and product capabilities.

The company will hire new talent across various functions, including sales and marketing as well as solutions consulting. These roles will be based in AI Rudder’s headquarters in Singapore, and they will be responsible for overseeing global and regional operations, the startup said in a statement.

“With the new funding, we will be able to support more languages and expand our capabilities, enabling our mission to boost customer experiences across industries. We are grateful to our investors for their support and feel supercharged for the next phase of growth,” Kun Wu, AI Rudder’s co-founder and managing director, said in the statement.