What VOTO Mobile does

Viamo (formerly VOTO Mobile) is a mobile engagement platform company founded in 2012 and headquartered in Saskatoon, Canada, that builds IVR-based technology for reaching the approximately 3 billion people globally who lack meaningful internet access. Its core product, the Viamo Platform (formerly the 3-2-1 Service), delivers information, training, campaigns, and surveys to users of basic and feature mobile phones via voice prompts and local-language menus, with no app or internet connectivity required. The platform is extended by Digital Training, Digital Campaigns, Digital Surveys, Wanji Games (gamified IVR), and a voice-first Generative AI feature called Ask Viamo Anything (AVA), which is being productized for offline deployment (e.g., the "Noor" disaster assistant launched in Pakistan in May 2025).

Viamo serves international development organizations, government health and finance ministries, UN agencies, and large NGOs — including USAID, UNICEF, WHO, Jhpiego, Mercy Corps, GIZ, the Mastercard Foundation, and OXFAM — across 37+ countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and Southeast Asia, MENA, and Latin America and the Caribbean. The company operates 40 offices worldwide and reaches end users through negotiated toll-free short codes on local telecom networks. Revenue is generated primarily through project-based development contracts and platform licensing, with quote-based, multi-year contract cadences and no publicly disclosed pricing.

The business has a social-impact orientation: it explicitly targets digitally disconnected, often low-literacy populations in low- and mid-income countries, with measurable behavior-change and training outcomes (e.g., 65% self-reported COVID-19 behavior change under the GIZ CallVsCorona program, 80% participation in USAID ECHO health training in Mozambique, 97.2% comprehension on SDG-related queries via AVA). The 2020 VestedWorld investment, the 2025 Jhpiego strategic partnership, and the Noor launch collectively signal a pivot from purely curated IVR content toward a more scalable, AI-augmented engagement model.

Name

VOTO Mobile

Legal name

Viamo Inc

Website

https://viamo.io

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Viamo (formerly VOTO Mobile) is a mobile engagement platform that delivers information to digitally disconnected populations through IVR technology on basic mobile phones, serving international development organizations, governments, and NGOs across 37+ countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mobile Engagement Software

NAICS

Wired and Wireless Telecommunications (except Satellite) (5171), All Other Telecommunications (517810)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899), Telephone Communications (No Radiotelephone) (4813)

akta.pro primary industry

Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation) (HDAAAFAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Conversational NLP & Dialogue Management (chatbots, agents) (HDAAADAF), Omnichannel Patient Communications & Contact Center (Voice/SMS/Email/Chat) (HLACAEAC)

Keywords

• Interactive voice response
• Mobile engagement platform
• Digital inclusion services
• Behavior change communication
• Mobile survey technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Toronto

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. Project-based Development Contracts: Viamo generates revenue through contracts with international development organizations (USAID, UNICEF, Mercy Corps, WorldVision), governments, and NGOs who engage Viamo to deploy mobile information services for specific programs such as health training, awareness campaigns, and surveys.
2. Platform Licensing: Partners upload tailored content on the Viamo Platform to disseminate information. The platform serves as infrastructure that organizations use to reach target audiences with behavior change communications and training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Viamo operates a voice-first mobile engagement platform (the Viamo Platform, formerly the 3-2-1 Service) that enables international development organizations, governments, and NGOs to reach digitally disconnected populations through basic/feature mobile phones without requiring internet connectivity. The platform delivers behavior change campaigns, mobile training, IVR-based surveys, and a generative-AI conversational assistant (Ask Viamo Anything / AVA) accessible via toll-free short codes across 37+ countries.

Product overview

VOTO Mobile operates the Viamo Platform as its core product, a unified mobile engagement platform (formerly the 3-2-1 Service) that provides organizations direct access to hard-to-reach communities through basic mobile phones without requiring internet. The platform integrates four main service modules: Digital Training for delivering voice-powered mobile curricula, Digital Campaigns for public service messaging and behavior change communication, Digital Surveys for gathering insights from disconnected populations, and Ask Viamo Anything (AVA) for generative AI-powered conversational experiences. Additional offerings include Offline Voice GenAI for low-connectivity environments, Wanji Games for gamification-based learning, Remote Training for scalable workforce education, COVID-19 Symptom Checker for health assessment, and Targeted Mass Messaging for crisis communication. The platform uses IVR technology and voice-first design to reach billions of consumers across Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America, and other regions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ask Viamo Anything (AVA): Voice-first Generative AI feature that enables conversational interactions for users with basic, non-internet phones
• Digital Training
• Digital Campaigns
• Digital Surveys

Products and services

• Viamo Platform Unified IVR-based mobile platform that lets organizations reach millions of people via basic mobile phones, integrating digital campaigns, training, and surveys in a single offering.
• Digital Training Voice-powered mobile service that delivers interactive training lessons to distributed workforces via basic mobile phones, used by development organizations and governments for health worker and farmer training.
• Digital Campaigns Public service messaging and behavior change communication service delivered through voice and SMS to mobile phones, used by organizations, governments, and NGOs to engage target audiences at scale.
• Digital Surveys Mobile survey service that uses IVR and random digit dialing to gather insights from digitally disconnected communities, bypassing the cost and coordination of door-to-door surveys.
• Ask Viamo Anything (AVA) Voice-first Generative AI feature that allows users to ask questions and receive intelligent, conversational responses through the Viamo Platform on basic mobile phones without internet access.
• Wanji Games Interactive mobile phone games delivered via IVR that drive behavior change and educational outcomes, inspired by choose-your-own-adventure books and playable on basic feature phones.
• Noor — Offline GenAI Voice Assistant Offline, voice-first Generative AI voice companion for disaster preparedness and response, built on Viamo's AVA technology and deployed in Pakistan in May 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 65% of listeners changed COVID-19 behavior in seven of eight countries under GIZ partnership
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers23 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability5 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

26 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• JhpiegoflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2025Strategic partnership announced in October 2025 aimed at co-creating and scaling Generative AI-powered solutions over voice calls. Jhpiego is a global leader in health care solutions partnering with Viamo as a trailblazer in mobile phone engagement.
• GSMAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Partnership to release case study on Ask Viamo Anything (AVA) assessing how voice-first GenAI can connect the 3.4 billion people who still lack meaningful internet access. Includes ongoing thought leadership collaboration.
• GIZflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022German Development Agency partnership under CallVsCorona project drove 65% COVID-19 behavior change across seven low-income countries in Africa and the Caribbean.
• USAIDflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020USAID ECHO project (Efficiencies for Clinical HIV Outcomes) under PEPFAR supporting Mozambique's HIV reduction goals. Viamo provides digital training platform reaching health professionals across four provinces with 80% participation rates.
• UNICEFflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple partnerships including COVID-19 messaging in Pakistan reaching 10.8 million people, IVR services in Ghana for information sharing in hard-to-reach communities.
• Mercy CorpscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for crisis response including hurricane alerts, COVID-19 vaccine information, and nutrition behavior change campaigns. Combined quality with scale across portfolio.
• WHOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to provide updated health-related information on COVID-19 and vaccines through the 3-2-1 Service. Enables partners to provide authoritative health information at scale.
• Surgo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIVR COVID-19 symptom checker developed and deployed in Uganda, Mali, and Malawi, helping 100,000+ people make informed health decisions while helping governments monitor symptom clusters.
• OXFAMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational content in six languages for women in shea butter and cocoa value chain in Ghana, with 80%+ participants reporting increased ability to overcome legal barriers.
• VillageReachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to develop toll-free national health hotline (Chipatala Cha Pa Foni) in Malawi, later transitioned to Ministry of Health ownership in 2020.
• WorldVisioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCommunity health information dissemination in DRC using faith leader networks and SMS messaging during COVID-19 pandemic when mobile data was prohibitively expensive.
• Plan InternationalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNationwide digital survey on women's welfare in Nepal targeting 7,800 girls and young women addressing COVID-19 implications on gender-based violence and child marriage.
• Research for Scalable SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily planning digital survey in four countries reaching more than 13,000 women showing impact of COVID-19 restrictions on family planning access.
• Peripheral Vision International (PVI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to create Wanji Games, interactive choose-your-own-adventure games delivered via IVR that increased user engagement and behavior change understanding.
• Malawi Ministry of HealthflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTook over ownership of Chipatala Cha Pa Foni (CCPF) national health hotline in 2020 after successful Viamo implementation, demonstrating sustainable national adoption.
• Zambia Ministry of FinancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with UNCDF to digitalize utility payments and drive digital inclusion for underserved customers in Zambia, targeting 30,000 customers including 21,000 women.
• ABT AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerECHO project implementation partner for HIV/AIDS reduction in Mozambique, working with Viamo on digital training platform deployment to 148 health facilities.
• International Rescue Committee (IRC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOVID-19 messaging partnership in Pakistan reaching refugees and hard-to-reach populations with critical health information.
• Canadian Association of MidwivesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with local Haitian Association of Midwives to develop multi-layered digital intervention for pregnant women with 50+ key messages on sexual reproductive health.
• Mercy Corps HaiticoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCHANTER URBAN and CHANTER RURAL projects delivering digital campaigns on hurricane preparedness and COVID-19 using culturally-responsive storytelling with Krik Krak format.
• Zanmi Lasante (Partners in Health)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital Training for community health and medical workers in Haiti funded by GIZ, with 89% of learners rating training as 'very useful'.
• Tulane University School of Public Health and Tropical MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership to poll 3-2-1 Service callers about COVID-19 knowledge and impact on livelihoods. Produced 12 separate questionnaires addressing COVID-related topics across five countries.
• UN WomenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Women project in Jordan for building economic resilience of women through business and financial literacy training via mobile.
• XL AxiatacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorIndonesia collaboration with Ministry of Health providing health education hotline through Viamo's Platform, with XL Axiata providing telecom infrastructure and reach.
• PeaceDirectminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting movement to decolonize aid and redistribute power to communities being served, aligning with Viamo's demand-driven development approach.
• Ground Truth SolutionsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUsing random digit dialing with Viamo to sample crisis-affected people in Haiti and Afghanistan who were difficult to reach due to security and remoteness.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Wefarm: Peer-to-peer information sharing network for smallholder farmers in emerging markets via SMS and USSD. Comparable development-sector focus on digitally disconnected farmers but different delivery mechanism (SMS-based Q&A vs IVR), positioning as adjacent rather than direct competition.
• Ona (formerly Ona Data): Mobile data collection platforms (Open Data Kit-based) for development and humanitarian organizations. Overlapping target customers and use cases with Viamo's Digital Surveys, but smaller scale and narrower product offering; positioned as a more focused, technically-oriented alternative.

Direct peers

• Africa's Talking: Provides telecom APIs and communication tools (SMS, USSD, voice, IVR) for African developers and enterprises. Directly comparable infrastructure-level service that competes with Viamo's IVR and digital engagement capabilities across the same African markets and customer segments.
• Dimagi: Builds CommCare, a mobile data collection and service delivery platform for frontline health workers in low-resource settings. Directly comparable to Viamo's mobile platform serving international development, with overlapping customers (USAID, UNICEF) and similar mobile-first design for low-connectivity environments.
• Praekelt.org: Mobile engagement platform for health, education and development across Africa, including maternal health hotlines and COVID-19 information services. Comparable target market, donor-funded business model, and IVR/sms-based delivery mechanisms in overlapping geographies.
• EngageSPARK: IVR, SMS and voice messaging platform specifically designed for international development and emerging market customers. Directly comparable to Viamo's Viamo Platform on technology, delivery channels, and target customer segments (NGOs, social enterprises, governments).
• Medic: Mobile health tools and community health worker apps for low-resource settings globally. Comparable mobile-first health delivery approach, similar international development customer base (USAID, ministries of health), and overlapping use cases in digitally disconnected geographies.
• Digital Green: Agricultural extension and rural health information delivery in developing countries via video and mobile. Overlapping international development customer base (USAID, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation) and similar mission of reaching digitally disconnected rural populations, though uses video-first delivery rather than IVR.
• GeoPoll: Mobile-based survey and market research platform in emerging markets, using mobile phones to gather insights from hard-to-reach populations. Directly competes with Viamo's Digital Surveys service, with similar IVR-based methodology and overlapping development-sector customers.

Broad incumbents

• Twilio: Major communications APIs platform (SMS, voice, IVR) serving enterprises globally. Much broader portfolio than Viamo but provides similar underlying voice and messaging infrastructure; represents the global incumbent that Viamo's localized IVR offering competes against for larger enterprise deals.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/VotoMobile
• Facebookfacebook.com/VotoMobile
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/3329161

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 VOTO Mobile