(Bloomberg) -- Aircall, which makes cloud-based software that can help businesses create virtual call centers, said it raised $65 million in its latest funding round as a surge in remote working makes its products more popular.
The startup, whose product can be used to add analysis, routing, contact sharing and customer management functions to voice calls, will use the funds to add about 150 employees and expand geographically, Chief Operating Officer Jonathan Anguelov said. The Paris-based company is now valued at about $500 million.
Customers have needed to find ways to maintain customer service call centers while employees work remotely, leading to a surge in users, he said. New customers include food delivery startup DoorDash Inc. The company is also adding features to improve sales and service, such as a feature that analyzes the emotion in customers' voices, he said.
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“Covid indirectly created a big move toward the cloud,” Anguelov said in an interview. “Decisions were made fast during that period.”
Remote working startups have experienced a boom in funding. The valuation of Monday.com, an Israeli startup that makes software to help employees work remotely, jumped to $2.7 billion, according to people familiar with the matter. Deel, a payroll company for remote workers, recently raised $14 million.
Deutsche Telekom AG's venture capital arm led Aircall's funding round, which also included a new investment from Swisscom AG and fresh funds from existing investors Balderton Capital and Draper Esprit. It brings the company's total funding to $100 million.
Subscription-based Aircall, which gets about one-third of its business from North America, will seek to expand in Europe and North America this year and in Asia Pacific toward the end of 2020, Anguelov said.
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