For many years, Fortune 500 businesses depended on specialized market research agencies to gain valuable feedback on customer satisfaction. These services were expensive and frequently took several weeks to deliver results.
Keplar, a startup in the market research space, leverages voice AI to carry out customer interviews, enabling clients to receive insights much more quickly and at a significantly reduced cost compared to traditional consulting firms. On Wednesday, the company—which launched two years ago—revealed it had secured $3.4 million in seed investment from Kleiner Perkins, with additional backing from SV Angel, Common Metal, and South Park Commons.
Keplar’s concept was developed in 2023 when Dhruv Guliani (pictured above right), a former Google engineer with expertise in speech and voice AI, and machine learning specialist William Wen, participated in the South Park Commons founder fellowship.
The pair engaged with brand managers and market research professionals, discovering that the standard tools used—such as written surveys and interviewer-led conversations—can now be substituted with conversational AI systems.
According to Guliani in an interview with TechCrunch, businesses using Keplar can launch research projects in just a few minutes. The platform can transform any product-related inquiry into a structured interview guide. Keplar’s AI voice assistant then contacts participants and asks detailed questions to uncover what aspects of the product customers appreciate or dislike.
When Keplar is granted permission to access a client's CRM, the AI can reach out directly to current customers. The feedback collected from AI-driven conversations is then compiled into detailed reports and PowerPoint decks, much like those typically produced by human researchers.
Guliani noted that, prior to the advent of large language models, relying on voice bots for this purpose was not feasible. Today’s voice AI is so advanced that participants occasionally forget they are interacting with an artificial intelligence.
“These discussions are incredibly lifelike. Upon reviewing the recordings, you’ll even hear participants refer to the AI moderator by name, such as Ellie, Andrew, or Ryan.”
Clorox and Intercom are among Keplar’s current clients.
Keplar is not alone in seeking to transform the customer research industry with AI. Larger players in the field include Outset, which secured $17 million in Series A funding led by 8VC in June, and Listen Labs, which obtained $27 million from Sequoia in April.
