Toma is now helping over 100 car dealerships handle overwhelming phone calls with its AI voice agent.
The startup was originally targeting banking and healthcare clients but quickly pivoted after dealers called saying they were drowning in calls. Founders Monik Pamecha and Anthony Krivonos tested the market by calling nearly every dealership in the U.S. multiple times. Only 45% of calls were answered.
Instead of relying on remote data, the duo hit the road. They toured a dozen dealerships across Oklahoma and Mississippi over the summer, getting hands-on experience and building relationships. The tough grind and personal outreach paid off, landing early customers and valuable on-the-ground insights. 
"They just called us up and said ‘we are drowning in phone calls,’” Pamecha told TechCrunch.
“It has been one of the best experiences of my life,” he added. “I feel like we’ve all become friends, and I think it all comes from a place of like, feeling their pain. I think they see that we feel the pain, too.”
The Toma AI undergoes a one-to-two-week training phase, learning from the dealer’s call data to understand unique details like diesel servicing or custom promotions. It fields calls for service appointments, parts orders, and sales questions. If stumped, it hands off to human staff and then learns from those interactions.
The startup raised $17 million, led by a16z partner Seema Amble, alongside Y Combinator, Scale Angels, and auto influencer Yossi Levi, who highlighted the fluctuating call volumes dealers face.
“It ebbs and flows. Sometimes you’re overwhelmed with demand. Other times there’s not enough demand, and matching staffing and properly training that staff for a consistent experience is just not an easy thing to do,” Levi said.
“AI has provided an opportunity for dealers to really standardize that process, and deliver a richer customer experience that is consistent.”
Toma uses a subscription model that scales with how many dealership functions the AI handles. The Series A boost comes just as the company hired its first sales employee.
Before that, it was still Pamecha and Krivonos grinding the pavement, building the company one dealership at a time.
Read more at TechCrunch.
