Tomato AI

Company Overview

Tomato AI is a developer of AI-based voice clarity software used for improving agent calls, particularly for offshore call centers. The company was founded by Ofer Ronen and James Fan, who previously worked at Google leading teams building contact center AI solutions.

Key points about Tomato AI:

• Provides AI-powered accent softening and noise cancellation technology for call centers
• Aims to improve intelligibility and customer experience for offshore call center agents
• Raised over $12 million in funding
• Founded by ex-Google executives with experience in speech technology and contact center AI
• Remote-first company based in the United States
• Offers solutions for both BPO (Business Process Outsourcing) call centers and enterprise call centers

Products Overview

Tomato AI’s main products are:

1. Accent Softening (Beta): An AI-powered solution that softens the accents of offshore call center agents in real-time as they speak. This aims to improve trust, intelligibility, and customer satisfaction.

2. Noise Cancellation: An AI-based noise removal technology that eliminates background noises common in call centers and work-from-home environments.

These products work with various VOIP providers and meeting applications, and can be installed on agents’ PCs.

Founding Team

1. Ofer Ronen (CEO):
   • Previously sold three tech startups, two to Google and one to IAC
   • Spent five years at Google building contact center AI solutions
   • Holds an MS in Computer Engineering with a focus on AI from the University of Michigan and an MBA from Cornell
2. James Fan (CTO):
   • Previously sold a contact center startup
   • Spent four years leading the speech engineering team at Google Cloud
   • Former leading researcher on IBM Watson Question & Answering system
   • Holds a PhD in computer science from the University of Texas in Austin

Problem and Market Fit

Tomato AI addresses the challenges faced by offshore call centers, particularly the issue of accented speech that can lead to customer frustration, lower satisfaction rates, and reduced sales metrics. By improving the intelligibility of offshore agents, Tomato AI aims to:

1. Boost customer satisfaction (CSAT) scores
2. Reduce agent churn
3. Increase sales and cost savings for companies using offshore call centers
4. Expand the pool of hireable candidates for offshore positions

Business Model

While not explicitly stated, Tomato AI likely operates on a B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) model, providing its voice clarity solutions to call centers and enterprises on a subscription basis.

Funding and Runway

Tomato AI has raised over $12 million in funding. The company is supported by several investors, including:

• Jazz Venture Partners
• Octave Ventures
• Point72 Ventures
• Tribe Capital
• Recursive Capital
• Cardumen Capital

Competitive Landscape

The company positions itself as offering “the most powerful AI noise cancellation on the market.” While specific competitors are not mentioned, Tomato AI likely competes with other AI-powered voice enhancement and noise cancellation solutions in the call center technology space.

Customers

Specific customers are not mentioned, but testimonials are provided from executives at:

• LBF Travel
• Super (a company in an unspecified industry)
• Cedar Financial
• Infoperformance (a call center company)

Relevant News

1. The company is currently hiring for several positions, including Senior Speech Generation Scientist, Senior Cloud Engineer (GCP), and Senior Data Engineer.

2. Tomato AI has recently launched or is in the process of launching its Accent Softening solution, which is currently in beta.

3. The company has achieved SOC 2 compliance, indicating a focus on data security and privacy.