Keplar, a two-year-old market research startup utilizing voice AI for customer interviews, announced Wednesday it has secured $3.2 million in seed funding. The investment round was led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from SV Angel, Common Metal, and South Park Commons. This funding supports Keplar's objective to accelerate and reduce the cost of customer satisfaction analysis, a process historically marked by significant time and financial investment.
The company's platform aims to offer a faster and more economical alternative to traditional market research firms. Keplar's system allows organizations to configure studies rapidly, converting product-specific questions into an interview moderation guide. A voice AI assistant then engages participants with probing questions to gather nuanced feedback on product preferences and dislikes, a process previously requiring weeks to complete through human-led methods, according to company statements.
Founded in 2023 by Dhruv Guliani, a former Google engineer specializing in speech and voice AI models, and machine learning engineer William Wen, Keplar’s methodology leverages recent advancements in Large Language Models (LLMs). This technological foundation is cited by Guliani as enabling highly realistic voice interactions, to the extent that participants have reportedly addressed the AI moderators by name, sometimes forgetting they are conversing with an artificial intelligence.
Keplar's AI voice researcher can integrate with client Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems to directly contact existing customers. The insights from these AI-driven conversations are then compiled into structured reports and presentations, mirroring the deliverables of conventional market research consultants. The company currently lists Clorox and Intercom among its customer base.
The shift towards AI-powered market research is attracting significant investment as industrial entities seek more efficient data acquisition methods. While Keplar establishes its market presence, other companies are also advancing in this sector. These include Outset, which secured a $17 million Series A funding round in June led by 8VC, and Listen Labs, which raised $27 million from Sequoia in April, indicating a growing competitive landscape for AI-driven insights platforms.
