In a groundbreaking development for the automotive industry, Toma, an AI voice startup founded by Monik Pamecha and Anthony Krivonos, has transformed customer service at car dealerships across the United States. Initially launched in early 2024, Toma pivoted to address the overwhelming volume of phone calls dealerships face, leading to rapid adoption and significant growth.
The company’s innovative AI voice agents are now deployed in over 100 dealerships, streamlining operations by handling customer inquiries with remarkable efficiency. Toma’s technology is trained on real customer calls for one to two weeks, ensuring the AI understands the unique context of each dealership’s operations.
This hands-on approach, which included the founders visiting dealerships in the Bible Belt to understand their needs, has paid off immensely. Their dedication to refining the tool based on real-world feedback has made Toma a game-changer in enhancing customer service and reducing missed opportunities for dealerships.
The success of Toma has not gone unnoticed by investors. The startup recently closed a $17 million Series A round led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), a prominent venture capital firm known for backing transformative tech companies. This funding will fuel Toma’s expansion and further development of its AI solutions.
Industry experts see Toma’s rise as a testament to the growing role of AI in traditional sectors like automotive retail. As dealerships continue to grapple with high call volumes, Toma’s voice agents offer a scalable solution that could redefine how customer interactions are managed.
With this investment and early success, Toma is poised to expand its footprint beyond car dealerships, potentially targeting other industries overwhelmed by customer communication challenges. The future looks bright for this AI innovator as it continues to drive efficiency through voice technology.