What Soleo Communications does

Soleo Communications is a Rochester, NY-based privately held performance marketing company operating one of the largest pay-per-call networks in North America. Founded circa 2002–2004, the company connects consumers actively shopping for insurance, home services, and personal services with advertisers willing to pay per qualified inbound phone call. Soleo generates revenue through transaction fees on qualified calls (typically 90–120 second duration thresholds) and commission-based revenue share on closed policies, with pricing negotiated quote-by-quote rather than publicly listed. The customer base spans SMB insurance agencies (auto, home, renters, Medicare, final expense) and home services advertisers (HVAC, plumbing, pest control, security, remodeling), with two named logos (Peachy Insurance, The Mace Agencies) referencing high ROI relative to other vendors.

The company's core technology is CallThread, a proprietary unified platform that handles campaign management, IVR-based call routing, call tracking, automatic call distribution, transcription, real-time reporting, TCPA-compliant fraud detection, and bid optimization. Soleo supplements the network with three owned-and-operated consumer-facing brands (Rate Retriever for insurance, SmarterHome for home security, SmarterHome&Yard for pest control) that generate exclusive first-party inbound traffic, and operates a Carrier Connections business serving telecom carriers with directory assistance and monetization of calls to nonworking numbers. Distribution combines direct enterprise field sales for advertisers with a self-serve affiliate platform and a published CallThread API for programmatic publisher onboarding.

Soleo is bootstrapped with no disclosed institutional funding rounds, has completed two acquisitions (Local Matters Voice and Wireless Division in 2010 and Apptera in 2013), and operates with 51–100 employees from a hybrid Rochester headquarters. Compliance posture spans PCI DSS, GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA/HITECH awareness, and BBB accreditation, reflecting the regulatory sensitivity of handling call recordings that may include health information. Management includes founder and CEO Dan Gallagher, co-founder James Sonnick, CTO Michael Thorpe, and COO Rob Deming.

Name

Soleo Communications

Legal name

Soleo Communications, Inc.

Website

https://soleo.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Soleo Communications is a Rochester, NY-based pay-per-call performance marketing network operator. Through its proprietary CallThread platform and owned digital brands, Soleo connects high-intent consumers with advertisers in insurance, home services, and personal services across North America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Victor

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Pay-Per-Call Transaction Fees: Soleo generates revenue by charging advertisers for each qualified inbound phone call received. Advertisers define parameters for qualified calls (duration, category, geography) and pay a fixed bid price when calls meet those requirements. Typical call duration requirements are 90-120 seconds but vary by category.
2. Commission-Based Revenue Share: Soleo offers a commission-based pricing model where partners share revenue on policies sold from leads. Advertisers are recommended this model to increase policies sold with more conversions.
3. Affiliate Network Platform Services: Soleo operates an affiliate network connecting publishers with advertisers. Publishers earn commissions for qualified leads generated, with Soleo taking a percentage of affiliate commissions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Soleo Communications operates a pay-per-call performance marketing network powered by its proprietary CallThread platform, connecting consumer demand generated through owned-and-operated digital brands and 400+ vetted affiliate publishers with advertisers in insurance, home services and personal services. Advertisers receive qualified, inbound-only phone calls, clicks and leads on a per-call, per-lead or revenue-share basis, with the platform providing campaign management, IVR call routing, real-time reporting, call recording/transcription, geo-targeting, and TCPA/fraud protection.

Product overview

Soleo Communications operates CallThread as its proprietary unified platform for performance marketing and pay-per-call advertising, serving both advertisers (who buy qualified calls) and publishers/affiliates (who sell call traffic). The ecosystem includes three owned digital brands—Rate Retriever for insurance comparison, SmarterHome for home security evaluation, and SmarterHome&Yard for pest control services—that generate exclusive inbound leads. Carrier Connections extends the platform to telecom carriers with directory assistance and call transfer services. The CallThread API enables programmatic publisher access. All components share common infrastructure for call tracking, IVR routing, real-time reporting, and fraud protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Rate Retriever: Insurance comparison tool that helps consumers make smarter decisions when shopping for insurance, helping them find the right carrier in under 30 seconds.
• SmarterHome
• SmarterHome&Yard
• CallThread

Products and services

• CallThread Platform Proprietary pay-per-call performance marketing platform for advertisers and publishers, providing campaign management, real-time reporting, IVR call routing, call recording and transcription, automatic call distribution, number assignment, geo-targeting and TCPA/fraud protection.
• CallThread API Programmatic API enabling approved publishers to connect to the CallThread Call Network, access thousands of offers nationwide, and sell call traffic dynamically with real-time bidding for competitive pricing.
• CallThread for Advertisers CallThread offering for advertisers to buy qualified inbound calls, featuring real-time reporting, campaign optimization, geo-targeting, call pacing, configurable hours, and access to qualified call sources across hundreds of categories.
• CallThread for Affiliates CallThread offering for affiliates and publishers to join the pay-per-call network, browse and apply to offers, monitor real-time performance, and sell calls through exclusive affiliate offers from national brands.
• Rate Retriever Owned-and-operated insurance comparison website that helps consumers compare insurance carriers and rates, generating exclusive inbound leads for Soleo's insurance advertisers.
• SmarterHome Owned-and-operated home security comparison website that helps consumers evaluate home security products and services, generating exclusive inbound leads for Soleo's home security advertisers.
• SmarterHome&Yard Owned-and-operated pest control comparison website that helps consumers find and contact pest control professionals in their area, generating exclusive inbound leads for Soleo's pest control advertisers.
• Carrier Connections (Directory Assistance & Call Transfer) Telecom carrier service platform providing automated directory assistance, call transfer and information services for nonworking numbers, using cloud-based speech recognition to monetize millions of calls monthly for carrier partners.

Quantifiable outcome

• Highest ROI dollar-for-dollar compared to all other vendors
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

AI capability8 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• National Brands (Advertisers)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSoleo partners directly with national brands to create exclusive affiliate offers with higher payouts. These advertisers represent major insurance carriers, home services companies, and other national brands seeking qualified lead flow through the CallThread network.
• Regional Brands and AgenciescoreGTM or Marketing PartnerSoleo partners with regional and local brands as well as captive and independent insurance agencies. These partners benefit from hyper-local targeting capabilities and flexible pricing models.
• Telecom CarrierscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSoleo provides carrier platforms for call handling and automated information services for millions of callers monthly. Carriers benefit from new revenue streams by monetizing calls to nonworking numbers and directory assistance through Soleo's call transfer services.
• TCPA Blacklist ProviderscoreTechnology or IntegrationCallThread partners with TCPA blacklist providers to block inbound calls from known TCPA litigators or complainants, providing fraud protection for advertisers.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• RingPartner: RingPartner operates a pay-per-call affiliate network connecting advertisers with publishers across verticals including insurance and home services. Directly comparable to Soleo's CallThread network in business model, target verticals, and affiliate/publisher recruitment approach.
• Invoca: Invoca provides call tracking, analytics, and pay-per-call advertising infrastructure for enterprises. Comparable to Soleo on call tracking, IVR routing, and conversation intelligence, though Invoca focuses more on enterprise SaaS analytics versus Soleo's affiliate network model.
• Marchex: Marchex is a public call analytics and pay-per-call advertising company serving automotive, insurance, and home services verticals. Directly comparable on pay-per-call advertising infrastructure, vertical focus, and enterprise advertiser relationships.
• Phonexa: Phonexa operates an all-in-one performance marketing platform for calls, leads, clicks, and conversions serving insurance, home services, and financial services. Closely comparable to Soleo in verticals served, pay-per-call focus, and affiliate network model.
• CallRail: CallRail provides call tracking, recording, and analytics for SMBs and agencies across verticals. Comparable on call tracking infrastructure, IVR, and reporting capabilities, though CallRail is more analytics-focused while Soleo runs the full pay-per-call marketplace.
• Buyerlink: Buyerlink operates a performance marketing network for home services and insurance with pay-per-call and pay-per-lead monetization. Directly comparable on verticals (home services), pay-per-call pricing model, and affiliate publisher network structure.

Broad incumbents

• MediaAlpha: MediaAlpha is a public performance marketing platform specializing in insurance and consumer verticals. Larger and broader incumbent with similar vertical concentration (insurance) but operating at much greater scale as a programmatic customer acquisition platform.
• QuinStreet: QuinStreet is a public performance marketing company running vertical-specific owned properties and affiliate channels in insurance, financial services, and home services. Comparable vertical strategy and performance marketing model, though at significantly larger scale.

Emerging players

• ActiveProspect: ActiveProspect provides lead compliance and consent management for the performance marketing ecosystem, including TCPA-compliant lead handling. Adjacent comparable given Soleo's TCPA compliance positioning and pay-per-call lead handling focus.

Others

• HubSpot: HubSpot is a CRM and marketing automation platform that Soleo integrates with for lead tracking and sales pipeline management. Tangentially related as both an integration partner and a competing marketing/CRM platform for advertisers in Soleo's verticals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SoleoInc
• Facebookfacebook.com/soleocomm
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/35388

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A2 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Soleo Communications