Tells.co

What Tells.co does

Tells.co (legal entity Tells, Inc.) is an AI-powered messaging platform that unifies SMS, RCS (Rich Communication Services), and voice channels for enterprise-grade customer communication. The platform is built around an internal AI monitoring layer called Gideon that watches every message send in real time, flagging deliverability drift, bounce rate anomalies, message-filter clustering, and consent-quality signals before they escalate to carrier-level problems. Core products include high-volume SMS routing across US and Canada carrier routes, RCS messaging with verified branded sender profiles, AI-generated personalized video delivered via RCS, conversational AI SMS and voice agents that qualify leads and book meetings, SMS call announcements that lift answer rates, and a Number Intelligence API for phone validation and CNAM enrichment. The platform targets regulated, volume-sensitive verticals including insurance, financial services, healthcare (HIPAA-aligned), political/advocacy, automotive, ecommerce, real estate, home services, education, and performance marketing.

The company operates a sales-led go-to-market motion anchored on 30-minute live demos, complemented by a self-serve web application (app.tells.co) and an API-first developer path via REST API and Webhooks. Revenue is generated through subscription billing on monthly or annual cycles, with quote-based pricing that is not publicly disclosed. Distribution is amplified through pre-built integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, HighLevel, and Zapier, plus a content-led marketing program (The Weekly Signal newsletter, compliance education, and SEO) authored largely by co-founder David Schlaegel. Tells, Inc. is incorporated in Wyoming with operational headquarters in Orange County, California, was founded in 2020 by Schlaegel and co-founder Justin Ramsey, and operates with 1-10 employees. The company claims carrier-grade 98%+ true-handset deliverability, billions of messages delivered globally, ~15-minute campaign verification, and reported 3x-5x engagement lift versus static MMS in head-to-head tests of its AI Video via RCS product.

Name

Tells.co

Legal name

Tells, Inc.

Website

https://tells.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tells.co is an AI-powered SMS, RCS, and voice messaging platform for enterprises that combines AI monitoring, conversational AI agents, AI-generated personalized video, and phone intelligence into a unified carrier-grade messaging stack serving regulated and volume-sensitive verticals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Messaging and Communications Platform

NAICS

Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (51821)

SIC

Communications Services, Nec (4899)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAMACAF

SMS/RCS Messaging Platforms

Business & Public Services/Web, Mobile & Digital Platforms/Messaging, Voice/Video & Communication Apps

SECONDARYHDAAAFAC

Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration)

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

SECONDARYBPAFAFAK

Customer Service/Support CRM & Contact Center Platforms

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Marketing Technology & CRM Services

Keywords

• SMS messaging platform
• RCS business messaging
• AI voice agents
• Conversational AI messaging
• Phone number intelligence

Headquarters

HQ city

Cheyenne

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Messaging Services (SMS, RCS, Voice): Primary revenue from enterprise messaging platform services including SMS, RCS, and AI voice messaging. Platform offers subscription-based billing with monthly or annual billing cycles. Supports high-volume sending for businesses sending tens of millions of messages per month.
2. AI Agent Services: Revenue from AI Voice Agents and AI SMS agents that qualify leads, book appointments, and handle conversations at scale. Billed as part of the subscription platform access.
3. API and Integration Services: Access to REST API, webhooks, and pre-built integrations with Salesforce, HubSpot, Shopify, HighLevel, and Zapier. Platform access required for commercial API usage.
4. Compliance and Enterprise Services: Compliance-supported workflows including campaign documentation, evidence collection, and customer onboarding for regulated industries (healthcare, financial services, insurance).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Tells.co is an AI-powered enterprise messaging platform that delivers high-volume SMS, RCS business messaging, AI voice agents, personalized AI video via RCS, and phone number intelligence through a unified carrier-grade infrastructure. The platform serves businesses sending tens of millions of messages per month with built-in TCPA, HIPAA, 10DLC, and GDPR compliance, real-time AI monitoring (Gideon), and conversational AI agents that qualify leads and book meetings across SMS and voice channels.

Product overview

Tells.co is an AI-powered SMS, RCS, and voice messaging platform built for enterprise-scale communication. The platform operates as a unified portfolio of messaging products including High-Volume SMS for carrier-grade SMS delivery, RCS Messaging for rich interactive messaging with branded sender profiles, AI SMS & Voice Agents for conversational AI that qualifies leads and books meetings, AI Video via RCS for personalized video messaging, and Number Intelligence for phone data validation and enrichment. Additional capabilities include SMS Call Announcements and RCS Video. The platform integrates carrier-grade compliance infrastructure (SOC 2 Type II pending, HIPAA-ready, TCPA compliant) with AI monitoring through Gideon and supports multiple industries including Insurance, Financial Services, Healthcare, Automotive, Ecommerce, Real Estate, and Political & Advocacy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• High-Volume SMS Enterprise-scale SMS delivery infrastructure built for businesses sending tens of millions of messages per month across US and Canada carrier routes, with intelligent routing and carrier-grade reliability. Targets high-volume senders in insurance, financial services, marketing, ecommerce, and political verticals.
• RCS Messaging Rich Communication Services messaging with verified branded sender identity, logo, suggested replies, action chips, image carousels, and automatic SMS fallback for non-RCS recipients, delivered at carrier scale. Designed for businesses that want richer interactive messages in consumers' default messaging apps.
• AI Video via RCS AI-generated personalized video messages delivered through RCS with branded sender and read receipts, rendering a unique video for every recipient at send time. Designed for enterprises that want personalized video outreach at scale across real estate, automotive, and healthcare verticals; reported to lift engagement 3x to 5x vs static MMS in head-to-head tests.
• AI SMS & Voice Agents Conversational AI agents that respond to leads in under 3 seconds across two-way SMS and voice, qualify leads, book meetings on calendar, escalate on intent, and handle 1,000+ conversations in parallel with full context across channels. Built for sales and marketing teams that need 24/7 automated lead engagement.
• SMS Call Announcements Branded SMS sent before outbound calls so recipients know who is calling and expect the ring, with a Call Request feature that only fires the dial on positive reply. Built for sales teams that need to lift pickup rates and avoid spam-likely labeling.
• Number Intelligence Phone data enrichment and validation API offering reverse phone lookup, CNAM caller-name lookup, real contact validation, caller identification, and combined phone-validation-plus-CNAM checks. Designed to turn raw phone numbers into routing signals for inbound lead workflows in insurance, financial services, and marketing.
• RCS Video Inline video delivery via RCS that lets video content play directly inside consumers' default messaging apps without requiring app downloads or link clicks. Built for marketers and sales teams that want video engagement without redirect friction.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98%+ true handset SMS deliverability with Gideon monitoring and proper list hygiene, opt-in quality, and content scoring
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments10 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability9 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HighLevelcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 June 2026Tells.co announced integration with HighLevel, making it a selectable messaging provider for agencies and businesses using the HighLevel ecosystem. The integration allows HighLevel users to route SMS and customer messaging through Tells.co while maintaining existing workflows, automations, and customer journeys. Positions Tells.co as messaging infrastructure option for agencies seeking improved delivery rates and compliance support.
• SalesforcecoreTechnology or IntegrationPre-built integration enabling contacts to trigger SMS in real-time from Salesforce CRM. Two-way sync allows customer data to flow between platforms.
• HubSpotcoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration with HubSpot enabling contact updates to trigger SMS messages and automated workflows. Supports marketing and sales automation sequences.
• ShopifycoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration enabling abandoned cart recovery through automated SMS recovery messages. Connects e-commerce transactions to messaging workflows.
• ZapiercoreTechnology or IntegrationIntegration via Zapier connecting Tells to 5,000+ applications. Enables no-code automation workflows connecting messaging to various business tools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Plivo: Plivo is a cloud communications platform offering SMS, voice, and WhatsApp APIs with strong deliverability tooling. It overlaps with Tells.co on API-first messaging infrastructure, high-volume SMS routing, and developer-oriented integrations.
• MessageBird (Bird): Bird (formerly MessageBird) is an omnichannel messaging platform delivering SMS, RCS, voice, and AI agents to enterprise customers. It is a direct peer on SMS/RCS delivery, AI conversational agents, and CRM/e-commerce integration partnerships.
• Sinch: Sinch is a global CPaaS provider offering SMS, RCS, voice, and conversational AI products for enterprise messaging. Like Tells.co, it targets high-volume messaging customers across regulated verticals and competes directly on deliverability, compliance, and AI-enabled routing.
• Telnyx: Telnyx operates a private global communications network providing SMS, voice, RCS, and AI tooling for messaging at scale. Its vertically integrated carrier-grade infrastructure and AI agent offerings make it a direct comparable on Tells' core SMS+Voice+RCS thesis.
• Salesmsg: Salesmsg is a two-way SMS and calling platform for sales, support, and operations teams with built-in CRM and inbox workflows. It competes with Tells.co on AI SMS agents, business texting, and CRM integrations for sales-led customers.
• Bandwidth: Bandwidth is a communications platform offering messaging APIs, voice, and 10DLC routing with strong enterprise compliance posture. It competes with Tells.co on carrier relationships, enterprise-grade deliverability, and regulated-vertical messaging.
• Textmagic: Textmagic is a business text messaging platform offering SMS campaigns, two-way messaging, and API access. It is comparable on SMS marketing, lead response, and SMB/enterprise messaging use cases that overlap Tells' core SMS product.

Emerging players

• Klaviyo: Klaviyo is a marketing automation platform with built-in SMS, email, and AI personalization for ecommerce. It intersects with Tells.co on Shopify-driven cart recovery and AI-personalized messaging, but is broader in scope than pure messaging infrastructure.
• Attentive: Attentive is an SMS marketing platform focused on retail and e-commerce brands. It is comparable on AI-personalized SMS marketing and abandoned cart recovery, overlapping with Tells' ecommerce and Shopify segments, though narrower in channel breadth.

Broad incumbents

• Twilio: Twilio is the dominant cloud communications platform offering programmable SMS, voice, RCS, and AI agent APIs. It is the closest analog at scale to Tells.co's messaging platform, with a much larger developer ecosystem, broader carrier footprint, and substantially deeper capital base—making it the primary competitive benchmark.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Tells_Co
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tellsco

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Tells.co