Businesses today want faster and more efficient ways to connect with customers, and artificial intelligence is becoming a key part of that transformation. Startups developing AI-powered customer service solutions are attracting strong investor interest as companies look to automate routine interactions without compromising quality. Berlin-based telli is one of the latest companies to benefit from this trend after securing fresh funding to expand its AI-native customer operations platform.
telli Raises $15 Million in Seed Funding
Berlin-based AI startup telli has raised $15 million in seed funding to accelerate the development of its customer operations platform. The funding round was led by redalpine, with participation from Cherry Ventures, Y Combinator, Mutschler Ventures, and several angel investors.
With this latest investment, telli has now raised more than $18.5 million in total funding since its launch. The company plans to use the new capital to expand its engineering and go-to-market teams, strengthen its AI technology, and support its growing customer base across Europe and beyond.
Building AI for Customer-Facing Operations
Founded in 2024, telli develops an AI-native platform that helps businesses automate customer-facing operations across voice calls, chat, SMS, WhatsApp, and email. The platform is designed to handle customer conversations while allowing businesses to deliver quicker responses and improve operational efficiency.
Rather than focusing on a single communication channel, telli enables organizations to manage customer interactions across multiple platforms through AI agents. These agents can answer questions, qualify leads, schedule appointments, and support customer service workflows, helping businesses reduce repetitive manual tasks.
The company also offers Charlie, an AI coworker that helps businesses build and manage AI agents, connect internal systems, review customer conversations, identify improvement opportunities, and optimize customer engagement.
Experienced Founders Driving Growth
telli was founded by Finn zur Mühlen, Philipp Baumanns, and Seb Hapte-Selassie. The founding team combines experience in technology, artificial intelligence, and business operations to build solutions that simplify customer communication for modern companies.
Since its launch, telli has attracted customers across different industries. The company works with businesses including Sky, Enpal, and Vaillant, demonstrating growing demand for AI-powered customer operations among enterprise and consumer-focused organizations.
Investors Back the Future of AI Customer Service
The latest investment highlights continued confidence in AI solutions that improve customer engagement and business productivity. As companies face increasing customer expectations and higher operating costs, many are investing in AI platforms that can automate routine interactions while allowing employees to focus on more complex tasks.
The participation of leading venture capital firms such as redalpine, Cherry Ventures, and Y Combinator reflects growing confidence in telli’s technology and long-term market opportunity.
Looking Ahead
The new funding gives telli the resources to expand its platform, hire additional talent, and accelerate product innovation. As more businesses adopt AI to improve customer communication, the company aims to strengthen its position in the rapidly growing customer operations technology market.
With fresh capital, an experienced founding team, and support from well-known investors, telli is well positioned to help businesses automate customer interactions across multiple channels while improving efficiency and customer experience.
