India’s Knowlarity bags $20m for international expansion

Knowlarity co-founder Ambarish Gupta, second from left, at the startup’s office. Photo credit: Knowlarity.

Cloud telephony startup Knowlarity Communications has lapped up US$20 million in a series C round of funding led by Dubai-based private equity firm Delta Partners. Existing investors Sequoia Capital India and Mayfield Fund also participated in the round.

“We are excited about the investment and the quality of investors coming on board. With the domain expertise they bring on board, we are confident that we will be able to provide more innovative solutions to businesses,” said Ambarish Gupta, founder and CEO of Knowlarity.

The investment amount includes an undisclosed amount of venture debt – debt financing provided to venture-backed companies – from Blacksoil and Trifecta Capital. Knowlarity plans to use the funds for international expansion in Southeast Asia and West Asia. Part of the funds will also be used to launch new analytics and AI products for small enterprises.

Knowlarity may also use the funds for acquisitions. The company’s last acquisition was in May, when it acquired Gurgaon-based customer loyalty startup Smartwards Services.

The startup, which includes Google, Amazon, Uber, and Zomato on its 15,000-long client list, has raised US$41 million to date. Founded in 2009 by IIT Kanpur alum Gupta and Pallav Pandey, Knowlarity offers communication tools for small and medium enterprises, such as a virtual contact center, click-to-call feature for mobile apps, and automated text and voice messages.

The company shifted its headquarters to Singapore in 2013, and competes with Exotel Techcom and Ozonetel Systems among others.