You Won't Believe How This Startup Turned $900K Into a Game-Changing AI Receptionist!

Chime Labs, a startup based in Sydney, Australia, has successfully raised $900,000 AUD in pre-seed funding to develop artificial intelligence (AI) solutions aimed at helping tradespeople manage their workloads more efficiently. The funding round, which was led by 500 Global and supported by various angel investors, marks a significant milestone for the company as it embarks on its mission to assist trades and service businesses.

Founded in 2025 by former Googlers Alexis Griveau and Mathew Pretel, Chime Labs has introduced an AI-powered receptionist service designed to operate 24/7. This innovative service answers phone calls, qualifies leads, and directly schedules jobs onto the calendar, effectively minimizing the administrative burden on tradespeople. Griveau shared that the idea emerged after observing friends and family struggling to manage the demands of service-led businesses. In fact, he noted that a single missed call could lead to potential revenue losses of up to $12,000 a month.

“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,” Griveau explained. This experience drove the founders to research the broader industry challenges faced by tradespeople. Their investigation revealed that many professionals resorted to enlisting the help of friends and family, employing offshore solutions, or juggling administrative tasks themselves, none of which provided a stable long-term solution. This gap in the market highlighted the need for a comprehensive tool that could alleviate these burdens.

The newly acquired capital will be directed toward expanding Chime Labs' product offerings, with aspirations to transform the platform into a one-stop shop for trades and services in Australia. Upcoming features will enhance the AI capabilities to include quoting, invoicing, and lead generation—areas where current customers have expressed a strong demand.

Griveau, who serves as the CEO, emphasized the positive feedback they have received thus far about the AI receptionist, underscoring the significant impact of streamlined administrative processes on the day-to-day operations of tradespeople. "This funding will help us build an expanded AI solution to help with quoting, invoicing, and lead generation for tradies, something we’ve had requests for from current clients," he stated.

This move comes at a time when the service industry increasingly recognizes the potential of technology to improve efficiency. By integrating AI into the administrative side of trades and service businesses, Chime Labs aims to not only enhance productivity but also empower tradespeople to focus on their core work without the distractions of paperwork and missed calls. As the company develops its services, it remains committed to supporting the needs of this often-overlooked sector.