What Viamo does

Viamo is a Saskatoon, Canada-headquartered social enterprise founded in 2012 that operates a voice-first mobile engagement platform reaching the world's approximately 3 billion digitally disconnected people. Its core technology is the Viamo Platform (formerly the 3-2-1 Service), an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) and SMS system that delivers information, training, and surveys on basic mobile phones without requiring internet connectivity, smartphones, or apps. The platform is augmented by proprietary offline Generative AI capability through "Ask Viamo Anything" (AVA), gamified engagement products (Wanji Games), and verticalized offerings such as the Noor disaster-preparedness voice assistant (Pakistan, 2025) and Digital MindSKILLZ youth mental health tool (sub-Saharan Africa, 2025). The technology stack combines voice AI, speech processing, knowledge retrieval, and process automation, with content co-created in 50+ languages for 30-40 development topics.

Viamo operates a B2B/B2G enterprise model, selling project-based, multi-year contracts to international development organizations (UNICEF, WHO), bilateral agencies (USAID, GIZ), and large NGOs (Mercy Corps, Oxfam, Jhpiego, Catholic Relief Services, Save the Children, Plan International). Distribution is enabled through pre-negotiated integrations with major telecom operators and a network of roughly 40 country offices across Sub-Saharan Africa, South/Southeast Asia, MENA, and Latin America/Caribbean. Pricing is non-public and contract-negotiated; reach is reported at 35 million people engaged in a single year and cumulative 400 million interactions across 50+ million users over two years. Revenue figures are not disclosed; the company has not announced institutional funding rounds in the available data and operates as an independent private entity led by co-founder and CEO David McAfee and co-founder and COO Louis Dorval.

Name

Viamo

Legal name

Viamo Inc.

Website

https://viamo.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Viamo is a Canada-based social enterprise that operates a voice-first IVR/SMS platform, augmented by offline Generative AI, to deliver health, agriculture, and humanitarian information to digitally disconnected populations on basic mobile phones for international development organizations, governments, and NGOs across 20+ emerging markets.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Engagement Platform

NAICS

Telecommunications (517), All Other Telecommunications (517810)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Development & ICT4D / GovTech Technical Assistance (BPADAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC), Conversational NLP & Dialogue Management (chatbots, agents) (HDAAADAF)

Keywords

• Mobile engagement platform
• Interactive voice response
• Digital development services
• Behavior change communications
• Offline GenAI voice assistant

Headquarters

HQ city

Saskatoon

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. B2B/B2G Platform Services: Viamo generates revenue by providing its mobile engagement platform and services to international development organizations, NGOs, governments, and bilateral agencies. Services include digital campaigns, training deployments, surveys, and platform access. Pricing appears to be project-based with fees for specific service deployments and reach metrics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Viamo operates a voice-first mobile engagement platform that allows international development organizations, NGOs, and governments to reach digitally disconnected populations via basic mobile phones without internet connectivity. Its core platform combines Interactive Voice Response (IVR), SMS, and an offline Generative AI voice assistant (AVA) to deliver Digital Training, Digital Campaigns, and Digital Surveys in 50+ languages across emerging markets.

Product overview

Viamo offers a platform-plus-services architecture centered on the Viamo Platform (formerly the 3-2-1 Service), which provides the core mobile engagement infrastructure. Built on this platform are four primary service modules: Digital Training for mobile learning curricula, Digital Campaigns for behavior change communications, and Digital Surveys for data collection—all accessible via basic phones without internet. The platform is augmented by AI-powered features including Ask Viamo Anything (AVA) for conversational GenAI interactions and Offline Voice GenAI for low-connectivity environments. Additional offerings include Wanji Games for gamified engagement, and specialized products like Digital MindSKILLZ for mental health and Noor for disaster response in Pakistan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Viamo Platform: Mobile phone-based information platform enabling access to health, agriculture, education, and other critical information services without requiring internet connectivity.
• Ask Viamo Anything (AVA)
• 3-2-1 Service

Products and services

• Viamo Platform (formerly 3-2-1 Service) Central mobile engagement platform enabling organizations to reach millions of users through basic mobile phones via IVR, SMS, and voice AI. Provides the infrastructure for Digital Training, Digital Campaigns, and Digital Surveys, accessible via toll-free short codes without requiring internet or smartphones.
• Digital Training

Quantifiable outcome

• 35 million people engaged with services in one year alone
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• JhpiegocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 October 2025Strategic partnership to co-create and scale Generative AI-powered solutions over voice calls for health access. Jhpiego is a global health organization affiliated with Johns Hopkins University, bringing healthcare expertise to develop innovative solutions for reaching underserved populations.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to provide updated health-related COVID-19 information through the 3-2-1 Service. WHO partnership enables authoritative health information dissemination at scale.
• USAID/PEPFAR ECHO ProjectcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerViamo supports USAID ECHO (Efficiencies for Clinical HIV Outcomes) project in Mozambique to achieve 95% HIV reduction targets through digital training for healthcare workers across four provinces.
• Mercy CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including Haiti CHANTER projects for disaster preparedness, COVID-19 campaigns, and Wanji Games. Mercy Corps uses Viamo platform for behavior change communications across multiple countries.
• OXFAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to launch educational content for women's economic empowerment in Ghana's shea butter and cocoa value chains. Content in six languages reached 600,000+ women.
• Surgo FoundationsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDeployed IVR COVID-19 symptom checker on 3-2-1 Service, enabling 100,000+ users in Uganda, Mali, and Malawi to make informed health decisions while helping governments monitor symptom clusters.
• VillageReachcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership to develop toll-free national health hotline in Malawi (Chipatala Cha Pa Foni). Hotline has been transitioned to Malawi Ministry of Health ownership.
• UNICEFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships across countries for health information campaigns, COVID-19 response, and information in hard-to-reach communities. UNICEF utilizes Viamo's SMS and IVR services.
• Farm Radio TanzaniasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFarm Radio uses Viamo technology to improve voice services and create surveys for agricultural programming, simplifying content creation and making it more interactive.
• World VisionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in DRC to leverage community faith leaders for spreading accurate public health information during COVID-19, using SMS without requiring smartphones or internet.
• Plan InternationalsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommissioned nationwide digital survey on women's welfare in Nepal targeting 7,800 girls and young women on COVID-19 implications for gender-based violence and child marriage.
• GSMAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to assess how voice-first Generative AI can make a difference in connecting 3.4 billion people who lack meaningful internet access. GSMA released case study on 'Ask Viamo Anything' (AVA).
• UNCDFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Zambia Ministry of Finance to digitalize utility payments and drive digital financial inclusion. Viamo designing digital financial literacy campaigns reaching 30,000 customers including 21,000 women and 9,000 youth.
• ABT AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerImplementation partner for USAID ECHO project in Mozambique, working with Viamo to co-create digital training platform for health workers across four provinces.
• Peripheral Vision International (PVI)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated Wanji Games - interactive voice-based games using choose-your-own-adventure format to increase user engagement and drive behavior change.
• Catholic Relief ServicessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Haiti COVID-19 campaign using Krik Krak storytelling approach for behavior change communications.
• Christian AidsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Haiti COVID-19 campaign for inclusive self-care behaviors and protective measures.
• Humanity and InclusionsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Haiti COVID-19 campaign addressing issues of violence towards marginalized groups including people with disabilities.
• Zanmi Lasante (Partners in Health Haiti)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership funded by GIZ to launch Digital Training for community health and medical workers in Haiti with six multi-modulated trainings.
• RTI InternationalsecondaryImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaboration to deliver USAID-funded governance campaign to local government officials and citizens in Haiti through Digital Training.
• XL AxiatasecondaryChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership with XL Axiata and Indonesia Ministry of Health to provide health education hotline through Viamo's Platform, enabling telecom infrastructure access.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Pakistan COVID-19 awareness campaign reaching 10.8 million people with UNICEF and Verso Consulting.
• Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicinesecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership to poll 3-2-1 Service callers about COVID-19 knowledge and impact, producing 12 separate questionnaires across five countries.
• Canadian Association of MidwivessecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local Haitian Association of Midwives to develop digital intervention for pregnant women, mothers, and families with health information and training.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dimagi: Dimagi's CommCare is one of the most widely deployed mobile data collection and frontline worker platforms in international development and global health. Like Viamo, Dimagi serves NGOs and governments reaching low-resource and last-mile populations, with overlapping buyers (USAID, WHO, UNICEF) and similar frontline health-worker use cases.
• GeoPoll: GeoPoll operates one of the largest mobile-based market research and IVR survey platforms in emerging markets, using phone-based methodologies to reach disconnected populations in Sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. The core IVR survey and panel business directly competes with Viamo's Digital Surveys and mobile-engagement platform.
• Reach Digital Health (formerly Praekelt.org): Reach Digital Health builds mobile messaging and content services (historically via USSD/SMS, more recently WhatsApp) for health, maternal care, and social protection programs across Africa. It targets the same NGO and government buyers as Viamo with comparable behavior-change communication use cases.
• Africa's Talking: Africa's Talking provides telecom APIs (SMS, USSD, voice, payments) across African markets and is widely used by developers and social-impact programs to reach mobile users. It competes with Viamo at the telecom-integration layer and is a competing infrastructure choice for the same development and NGO customers.
• WelTel: WelTel is a Vancouver-based mobile health platform that uses SMS/voice messaging to support patient engagement and adherence in global health programs. It targets similar low-resource health use cases (e.g., HIV/AIDS, maternal health) as Viamo's Digital Training and Digital Campaigns modules.

Emerging players

• Turn.io: Turn.io builds conversational engagement (primarily WhatsApp Business API) flows for health and social impact organizations across Africa. It competes with Viamo for behavior-change communications and health-information programs, though limited to messaging channels rather than voice/IVR.
• RapidPro (Nyaruka): RapidPro is an open-source messaging platform (SMS, voice, USSD) originally incubated at UNICEF and now maintained by Nyaruka, widely used by development organizations to build interactive mobile workflows. It overlaps with Viamo's campaign and survey capabilities, though as open-source infrastructure rather than a managed services platform.
• mPowering Frontline Health: mPowering focuses on mobile training and content delivery for frontline health workers in low-resource settings. Its content distribution and mobile learning model overlap with Viamo's Digital Training module, though its footprint and product depth are considerably narrower.

Broad incumbents

• Twilio: Twilio is a broad cloud communications platform offering SMS, voice, and now conversational AI APIs globally. While not specialized in development, it underpins many of the same mobile-engagement workflows and could displace or disintermediate specialist platforms like Viamo as it expands into low-bandwidth voice AI.

Others

• DataKind: DataKind is a nonprofit that pairs data scientists with humanitarian and development organizations. While not a direct competitor, it addresses overlapping buyer needs (insights from digitally disconnected communities) and frequently partners with ICT4D platforms like Viamo.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JoinViamo
• Facebookfacebook.com/JoinViamo

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Viamo