Rep.ai Secures $7.5M to Tranform Online Sales with ‘Digital Twin’ Technology

Rep.ai, a startup formerly known as ServiceBell, has successfully raised $7.5 million in a recent funding round to advance its groundbreaking AI technology. This significant investment will help the company, founded by Daniel Ternyak, pivot from its original focus and launch its innovative “digital twin” technology. This technology aims to transform online sales interactions by creating lifelike AI avatars that engage with website visitors through real-time video and audio conversations.

The newly acquired funding will be directed towards refining Rep.ai’s AI models and expanding its engineering team. Major investors such as Browder Capital, Gradient, and M[X]V have expressed strong confidence in Rep.ai’s vision, which includes the development of highly realistic digital replicas of a company’s sales representatives. These avatars are designed to interact with potential customers 24/7, leveraging visual and voice replication combined with natural language processing, tailored specifically to a company’s marketing materials and CRM data.

In addition to the funding news, Rep.ai recently launched a new feature in partnership with Zapier, enabling seamless integration with over 4,000 apps. This integration streamlined data syncing, saved time, and enhanced user focus by keeping the video call widget accessible while navigating different parts of the site. The feature built on existing capabilities, allowing users to maintain video conversations while simultaneously managing tasks such as preparing outbound call lists or monitoring inbound traffic.

Rep.ai’s approach stands out by bridging the gap between impersonal chatbots and human sales representatives. By offering real-time video and audio interactions, the company aims to provide a more engaging experience for website visitors, reducing the need for human staff to be constantly available. Ternyak highlighted this as a major advancement, noting, “Our goal is to deliver a human-like experience without the constraints of human availability.”

However, the technology also raises ethical concerns regarding the use of employee likenesses in AI avatars. Ternyak addressed these issues by emphasizing the importance of consent, ensuring that sales representatives are willing participants in their digital representation.

The launch of Rep.ai comes as major tech companies like Salesforce, Google, and Anthropic are also making strides in AI-driven customer engagement. As Rep.ai enters this competitive landscape, its success will depend on its ability to differentiate itself by offering genuine, human-like interactions while navigating technological challenges and user skepticism.