Fonio.ai closes 3-million-euro investment round

The Viennese AI start-up fonio.ai has successfully completed a financing round of 3 million euros. The capital comes exclusively from business angels. A total of 13 experienced investors participated.

Record speed in the search for investors

According to the company, the round was completed within eleven days. The angels involved include well-known names from the European start-up scene, including Daniel Gutenberg, Christian Stieber, Robert Wuttke, Jens Lapinski and a Sequoia Scout. Many of the participants are among the most active early-stage investors in Europe.

The strong demand shows that we are solving a deep-rooted problem that has been affecting companies for years. The way telephone customer communication is organized today is from a different era.

Daniel Keinrath, CEO and co-founder of fonio.ai

AI modernizes customer communication

Fonio.ai specializes in AI-based customer communication and modernizes traditional telephony processes. The technology enables companies to process incoming calls automatically. This is done with an AI that, according to the provider, sounds natural, recognizes emotions and can respond empathetically.

The model is designed so that individual employees can handle all customer communication with the support of the AI. This should cut costs and reduce the need for external call centers.

Expansion into an omnichannel AI platform planned

The platform is to be significantly expanded with the new capital. The existing telephony solution is to be turned into a comprehensive omnichannel AI that will also automate emails, chats and other communication channels in future. The company's aim is to establish a new global standard for scalable, intelligent customer communication from Europe.

Rare pace of growth in the European SaaS market

Fonio.ai is currently one of the fastest growing SaaS companies in the German-speaking world. According to its own figures, the start-up serves almost 4,000 customers, automates around 800,000 calls per month and has been profitable since it was founded.

Founders who manage to bootstrap from 0 to 300,000 euros monthly turnover in 14 months are not something you see every day, even as one of the most active angel investors in Europe.

Christian Stieber, Investor

Monthly turnover is currently just under 300,000 euros, generated by a team of just twelve employees. By June 2026, fonio.ai plans to reach the EUR 1 million monthly turnover mark.

Although investors were interested in around 6 million euros, the startup deliberately only accepted half. The goal: low dilution, clear control and a continued focus on operational growth.

Expansion into other European markets

Following the strong development in the DACH region, the company is now planning to expand into other European markets. The platform is to be made available quickly in other countries in order to continue the growth and further expand the technological market position.