Upfirst

What Upfirst does

Upfirst is an AI-powered virtual receptionist platform founded in 2024 and headquartered in Miami, Florida. The service answers inbound phone calls 24/7 for small businesses using natural-sounding AI voices with automatic language detection and switching across 35+ languages, taking messages, collecting custom caller information, booking appointments, transferring calls with warm handoffs, and blocking spam. The platform integrates natively with Google Calendar, Microsoft Outlook, Calendly, Acuity Scheduling, and Clio for scheduling; with HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive, and GoHighLevel (via Zapier) for CRM lead routing; and exposes a Custom Actions API (Bearer token and OAuth) that lets the AI look up order status, inventory, or CRM records mid-call.

The product is sold via a self-serve, product-led growth motion: customers sign up at app.upfirst.ai, complete setup in roughly 10-15 minutes, and start with a 14-day free trial requiring no credit card. Revenue is generated through tiered monthly subscriptions — Starter ($24.95/month for 30 calls), Premium ($59.95/month for 90 calls), Pro ($159.95/month for 300 calls), Scale ($299/month for 600 calls) — with a Custom enterprise tier above 600 calls and a 20% annual billing discount. An affiliate program pays 25% lifetime commission plus $50 per activated referral, and a content/SEO engine publishes industry-targeted buying guides to drive organic top-of-funnel demand.

The company is privately held and bootstrapped, co-founded by Gene Sigalov (CEO) and Felix Dubinsky (CPO) — both of whom previously built and exited SimpleTexting, which served 17,000+ small businesses — alongside co-founder Alfredo Salkeld (formerly SimpleTexting marketing lead and a former home-services SMB owner). Upfirst serves a long tail of SMBs across verticals including real estate, law firms, property management, home services (HVAC, plumbing, electrical), healthcare (chiropractors, veterinarians, therapists), financial services, restaurants, franchises, and nonprofits, with G2 and Capterra review scores of 4.9/5 and 5.0/5 respectively.

Name

Upfirst

Legal name

Upfirst Inc.

Website

https://upfirst.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Upfirst is an AI-powered virtual receptionist that answers inbound calls 24/7 for small businesses, taking messages, booking appointments, and routing calls across 35+ languages. The subscription service targets SMBs in verticals like real estate, legal, healthcare, and home services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

AI Answering Service / Virtual Receptionist Software

NAICS

Telephone Answering Services (561421), Telephone Call Centers (56142)

SIC

Services-Prepackaged Software (7372), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHDAAAFAL

Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation)

Hardware, Technology & Telecom/Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning/Speech, Audio & Conversational AI

SECONDARYEDABACAO

AI & Automation in Customer Service (Chatbots, Agent Assist)

Education/Corporate Training & Professional Development/Customer Service & Contact Center Training

Keywords

• AI answering service
• Virtual receptionist
• Call automation
• Appointment scheduling
• Multilingual voice AI

Headquarters

HQ city

Miami

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. AI Virtual Receptionist / Answering Service: Subscription-based per-call pricing model with tiered monthly plans. Customers pay a flat monthly fee for a set number of calls, with additional per-call charges for overage. No setup fees, no contracts, cancel anytime. Revenue is recurring as customers are billed monthly and retained via habit and switching costs (knowledge base training, call history, integrations). Higher-tier plans offer lower per-call overage rates and additional features like white-glove onboarding and custom integrations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Upfirst provides an AI-powered virtual receptionist that answers inbound phone calls 24/7 for small businesses, handling message-taking, FAQ answering, appointment booking, call routing, lead qualification, and spam blocking using natural-sounding AI voices across 35+ languages. The service is sold as a subscription with tiered per-call pricing (from $24.95/month for 30 calls) and integrates with calendars (Google, Outlook, Acuity, Calendly, Clio), CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive) via Zapier, and any third-party API through Custom Actions.

Product overview

Upfirst is a single unified AI answering service platform for small businesses, combining an AI-powered virtual receptionist with integrated features for call handling, scheduling, and business automation. The core product (Upfirst AI Answering Service) is offered across four pricing tiers (Starter at $24.95/month for 30 calls, Premium at $59.95/month for 90 calls, Pro at $159.95/month for 300 calls, Scale at $299/month for 600 calls) plus custom enterprise pricing. Key integrated features include the Bilingual Answering Service for Spanish/English support, After Hours Call Handling for 24/7 coverage, Spam Blocking with AI detection, Appointment Scheduling with calendar integrations (Google, Outlook, Clio, Acuity, Calendly), Call Routing with warm/cold transfers and fallback numbers, Custom Actions for third-party API connectivity, Memory for caller recognition, and Voicemail Transcription. The platform supports 35+ languages with automatic detection and switching.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Upfirst AI Answering Service
• Bilingual Answering Service
• Multilingual AI (35+ Languages)
• After Hours Call Handling
• Spam Blocking
• Appointment Scheduling
• Call Routing and Transfer
• Custom Actions
• Memory (Caller Recognition)
• Voicemail Transcription

Quantifiable outcome

• Customers report recovering thousands per month in previously missed revenue, including one hypnotherapist citing $10,000/month in recovered missed opportunities
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

AI capability10 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationZapier integration allows every call handled by Upfirst to push caller details (name, phone, summary, transcript, recording link) into over 5,000 apps including CRMs (HubSpot, Salesforce, Pipedrive), project management tools, email marketing platforms, and custom workflows. Custom fields collected during calls are passed to Zapier as structured data for automation triggers.
• Google CalendarcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration allowing Upfirst's AI receptionist to book appointments directly into customers' Google Calendar. Supports multiple calendars per team. Availability, time zones, and buffer times are managed in Google Calendar.
• Microsoft Outlook CalendarcoreTechnology or IntegrationNative integration for booking appointments directly into Microsoft Outlook calendars, supporting the enterprise and business customer base that uses Microsoft 365.
• CalendlycoreTechnology or IntegrationNative Calendly integration added in June 2026 allowing the AI receptionist to check Calendly availability and book appointments over the phone for callers. Requires a paid Calendly plan (Standard, Teams, or Enterprise).
• Acuity SchedulingcoreTechnology or IntegrationAcuity Scheduling integration allows the AI receptionist to book appointments directly into Acuity calendars. Callers hear available time slots and book over the phone without human involvement.
• Clio (Legal Practice Management)coreTechnology or IntegrationDual Clio integration: (1) Clio Calendar for appointment booking into Clio's calendar, and (2) Clio Manage for routing calls to the responsible attorney by looking up the caller in Clio via OAuth custom actions. Supports law firm intake and routing workflows.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• RingCentral: Major cloud communications provider offering voice, contact center, and AI-powered virtual agent features. Overlaps with Upfirst in AI call handling but is positioned as a broader enterprise UCaaS/CCaaS suite.
• Dialpad: Cloud communications platform with built-in AI voice intelligence, virtual agents, and contact center capabilities. Much broader portfolio (UCaaS, CCaaS) than Upfirst but its AI agent features compete for the same SMB voice-handling budgets.

Emerging players

• Posh AI: AI-powered voice assistant and contact center solution primarily for banks and credit unions. Comparable AI conversational technology and Custom Actions-style integration approach, though narrower vertical focus than Upfirst's SMB breadth.
• Air AI: AI voice agent service for sales, customer service, and call operations, marketed heavily to SMBs and agencies. Overlaps with Upfirst on conversational AI phone handling and SMB customer acquisition channels.
• Synthflow AI: No-code AI voice agent platform enabling SMBs to deploy conversational AI for inbound and outbound calls. Comparable in no-code setup and SMB targeting; somewhat more developer-leaning than Upfirst's fully self-serve motion.

Direct peers

• Smith.ai: AI + human hybrid receptionist and answering service targeting SMBs including law firms, home services, and professional services. Directly comparable in customer base, pricing tiers, and call-handling scope, though Smith.ai combines live agents with AI rather than going AI-only.
• AnswerConnect: 24/7 live answering service for SMBs and professionals including law firms, contractors, and medical practices. Comparable pricing and vertical focus; competes primarily with human receptionists but increasingly offers AI-assisted tools similar to Upfirst.
• Goodcall: AI phone agent platform for small businesses with focus on restaurants, retail, and service businesses. Offers similar 24/7 AI call answering, lead capture, and appointment scheduling; directly overlaps Upfirst's AI-only SMB positioning.
• Ruby Receptionist: Virtual receptionist service for small businesses across verticals including legal, home services, and healthcare. Offers live answering with chat and AI-augmented tools, competing head-to-head with Upfirst on call handling and lead capture for SMBs.
• Bland AI: AI phone calling platform that automates inbound and outbound calls for businesses. Provides customizable voice agents, API access, and integrations, comparable to Upfirst's Custom Actions approach but typically targeting larger and developer-led customers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Upfirstai

Compliance7 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 Upfirst