Australian tradies miss an estimated 270,000 calls a day, according to Sydney-based startup Chime Labs. Its founders are hoping their AI receptionist can pick up when they can’t.
Key Takeaways
- Sydney startup Chime Labs has raised $900,000 in pre-seed funding led by 500 Global, with participation from angel investors.
- The company was founded by former Google leaders Alexis Griveau and Mathew Pretel to build AI tools for trades and service businesses.
- Its first product is an AI receptionist that fields calls and books jobs when tradies can’t get to the phone.
- Proceeds will go toward hiring and expanding into quoting, invoicing and lead generation
Key Background
Co-founders Alexis Griveau and Mathew Pretel say they watched friends and family running trade businesses lose work to a problem that had nothing to do with the quality of their trade – they couldn’t get to the phone.
“We saw firsthand how the administrative burden of paperwork and calls led to unpaid invoices and missed jobs as well as missed time with family due to having to work overtime at night and on weekends to catch up on the things missed during the week,” says Griveau.
As a result, Chime Labs was founded in Sydney in 2024 to sit in that gap. Its AI voice receptionist fields calls, qualifies leads and books jobs into a tradie’s existing calendar. The company says it intends to move into quoting, invoicing and lead generation, though those products are yet to launch.
Crucial Quote
“Our aim at Chime Labs is to support our tradies with the administrative overload often associated with running a service-based business, so they can concentrate on the things that matter; delivering the service, growing their businesses and uninterrupted time with friends and family,” Alexis Griveau, CEO and co-founder, Chime Labs
Big Number
270,000 – The estimated number of calls missed by Australian tradies every day.
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