Sightcall Raises $42M to Revolutionize Visual Assistance with AR

The Evolution of Virtual Customer Support

Even prior to the widespread acceleration of “digital transformation” brought on by COVID-19, customer service and support systems were already designed for online and virtual operation. However, this sector is currently experiencing a further evolution, significantly propelled by advancements in technology.

SightCall Secures $42 Million in Funding

SightCall, a startup specializing in an augmented reality platform designed to enhance the effectiveness of field service teams, their associated companies, and customers during technical and mechanical maintenance or repair processes, has announced a $42 million funding round. The company intends to allocate these funds towards bolstering its technology infrastructure with more artificial intelligence tools and expanding its customer base.

The Core of SightCall’s Technology

According to CEO and co-founder Thomas Cottereau, the foundation of their service lies in augmented reality (AR) technology. This AR capability is integrated directly into their applications or the service apps utilized by their clients, with seamless integrations into established customer service software like Microsoft, SAP, Salesforce, and ServiceNow.

How Augmented Reality Enhances Support

The augmented reality experience functions by overlaying supplementary information, pointers, and other helpful tools onto the live video stream. This is utilized by field service engineers collaborating with central offices during equipment servicing, manufacturers providing improved support to customers facing issues, or even call centers leveraging AI for more accurate problem diagnosis.

A Leap Forward in Remote Assistance

This represents a substantial improvement over previous methods that relied on work orders, rudimentary diagrams, instruction manuals, and voice-based descriptions to complete tasks. Cottereau emphasizes that SightCall aims to “break the barriers that exist between a field service organization and its customer.”

Technology Designed for Accessibility

The technology is uniquely developed by SightCall over several years and is engineered to function on standard smartphones, even over basic mobile networks – a crucial feature in areas with poor reception or remote locations. The underlying mechanics of this functionality are detailed further below.

Global Reach and Diverse Applications

Founded initially in Paris, France, before relocating to San Francisco, SightCall has established a significant presence across various industries, including insurance, telecommunications, transportation, telehealth, manufacturing, utilities, and life sciences/medical devices.

Impressive Customer Portfolio and Growth

SightCall currently serves approximately 200 major enterprise clients, such as Kraft-Heinz, Allianz, GE Healthcare, and Lincoln Motor Company, providing services on a B2B basis and supporting field teams serving consumer customers. The company has experienced 100% year-over-year growth in annual recurring revenue for both 2019 and 2020, and projections indicate a similar growth rate this year, with a target of $100 million in annual recurring revenue.

Investment Details and Strategic Alignment

The funding round is led by InfraVia, a European private equity firm, with participation from Bpifrance. While the specific valuation remains undisclosed, sources indicate that a previously reported PitchBook estimate of $122 million post-money is inaccurate. Further details are pending.

Strategic Investment by InfraVia

InfraVia’s investment aligns with its broader strategy of investing in industrial businesses and related technology companies, such as recent investments in Jobandtalent. This demonstrates a strategic focus on supporting the evolving needs of industrial sectors through technological innovation. To date, SightCall has raised a total of $67 million.

A Growing Trend in Frontline Tech

Recent years have witnessed a surge in startups developing technology solutions for frontline and field workers, a notable shift after years of startups primarily focusing on tools for knowledge workers.

Competitive Landscape

Companies like Workiz and Jobber are creating platforms for small business tradespeople to manage job bookings and operations. BigChange focuses on managing larger fleets, while Hover utilizes AI to analyze images for construction cost estimation. Streem, identified as a close competitor to SightCall, was acquired by Frontdoor prior to the pandemic to enhance its home services offerings.

SightCall’s Unique Technological Foundation

What distinguishes SightCall is its underlying technology. Founded in 2007 by Cottereau and Antoine Vervoort (currently SVP of product and engineering), the company’s founders are seasoned telecommunications professionals with extensive experience in building next-generation networks.

From Video Chat to Augmented Reality

SightCall originated as Weemo, a company that developed video chat services based on WebRTC frameworks, coinciding with efforts to integrate richer media into mobile web and SMS applications. While mobile apps ultimately dominated the messaging market, Weemo pivoted and rebranded as SightCall, focusing on integrating its technology into enterprise applications.

Robust Network Infrastructure

Cottereau explains that the key to SightCall’s functionality lies in its meticulously constructed network, comprising data centers strategically located near its customers and interconnected with Tier 1 telecommunications carriers. This network is designed for high uptime and low latency, crucial for mission-critical applications.

Hybrid System for Reliable Connectivity

The company’s hybrid system combines proprietary IP with both telecommunications hardware and software, resulting in a video service offering 10 different streaming methods and automatically selecting the optimal one based on the environment. This ensures video streaming even with unreliable mobile data or broadband connections. “Telecoms and software are still very separate worlds,” Cottereau notes, “and that is part of our secret sauce, a global roaming mechanism.”

Future Development and Expansion

The technology developed to date has provided SightCall with a strong competitive advantage and significant customer traction. The company’s next steps involve further developing its technology to leverage the increasing adoption of automation across its existing customer industries.

Industry Recognition and Future Outlook

“SightCall pioneered the market for AR-powered visual assistance, and they’re in the best position to drive the digital transformation of remote service,” stated Alban Wyniecki, partner at InfraVia Capital Partners. “As a global leader, they can now expand their capabilities, making their interactions more intelligent and also bringing more automation to help humans work at their best.”

Continued Growth and Potential Acquisition

Antoine Izsak of Bpifrance added, “SightCall’s $42M Series B marks the largest funding round yet in this sector, and SightCall emerges as the undisputed leader in capital, R&D resources and partnerships with leading technology companies enabling its solutions to be embedded into complex enterprise IT. Businesses are looking for solutions like SightCall to enable customer-centricity at a greater scale while augmenting technicians with knowledge and expertise that unlocks efficiencies and drives continuous performance and profit.”

Commitment to Independence

Cottereau revealed that the company has received numerous acquisition offers over the years, which is unsurprising given its foundational technology for architecting video networks across diverse carriers and data centers, even in challenging network environments. However, he affirmed, “We want to stay independent, though. I see a huge market here, and I want us to continue the story and lead it. Plus, I can see a way where we can stay independent and continue to work with everyone.”