Distance
Distance (Rare Circles Inc.) is a Calgary-based SaaS company that provides AI-powered customer communications agents — for phone, SMS, chat, and social — that capture, qualify, and route leads for North American home services and adjacent SMB verticals on a subscription basis.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersMontréal, Canada
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Distance does
Distance (legally Rare Circles Inc., operating as Distance One) is a Canadian SaaS company founded in 2021 and headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, that provides an AI-powered customer communications platform for service businesses. The platform deploys multiple named AI agents — Miles (sales), Sarah (voice), Grace (outreach), and Jennifer (support) — that operate 24/7 across phone, SMS, web chat, Facebook DMs, Instagram DMs, and email to capture leads, qualify inquiries, book appointments into field service software, run outbound campaigns, and escalate emergencies. Underlying capabilities are built on third-party infrastructure: OpenAI for LLMs, Twilio for voice/SMS, GCP for hosting, Stripe for payments, SendGrid for email, LangSmith for observability, and Meta for social messaging — with native integrations into the three dominant North American field service management platforms (ServiceTitan, Jobber, Housecall Pro) plus HubSpot, QuickBooks, Zapier, Slack, and Microsoft Teams.
Distance monetizes through a four-tier subscription model — Starter ($49/month, no longer publicly emphasized), Builder ($149/month), Growth ($399/month), and Plus ($799/month) — using a credit-based usage component with overage charges and month-to-month contracts. Go-to-market is hybrid: a self-serve product-led growth motion with a 7-day free trial for the Builder tier, an inside sales/demo motion for Growth and Plus (which add multi-location routing, advanced integrations, and dedicated account management), and a PartnerStack-powered affiliate program paying 20% recurring commission for 12 months. The primary vertical is Home Services (HVAC, plumbing, pest control, restoration, cleaning, carpet cleaning, exterior washing), with adjacent segments in Automotive, Real Estate & Property Management, Professional Services, Home Improvement & Construction, and Agencies, all served in the USA and Canada. The company is privately held with no disclosed venture backing beyond a single 2023 round from Alpaca VC, and reports 11–50 employees.
Distance firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Distance
- Legal name
- Rare Circles Inc.
- Website
- https://distance.so
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Distance (Rare Circles Inc.) is a Calgary-based SaaS company that provides AI-powered customer communications agents — for phone, SMS, chat, and social — that capture, qualify, and route leads for North American home services and adjacent SMB verticals on a subscription basis.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Distance industry classification
Industry- Product category
- AI Customer Communication Platform
- NAICS
- Telephone Call Centers (56142), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (518)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice (HDAIAHAF)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration) (HDAAAFAC), Contact Center Speech AI (agent assist, IVR automation) (HDAAAFAL)
Keywords
Where Distance is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montréal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Distance business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Subscription Plans (Builder, Growth, Plus): Three-tier subscription model with monthly credits bundled per plan. Builder starts at $149/month with 10,000 credits and 1 user; Growth at $399/month with 25,000 credits and 6 users; Plus at $799/month with 50,000 credits and 12 users. Credits can be used across conversations, messages, calls, and automations. Plans auto-renew monthly. Overage charges apply when usage exceeds plan limits.
- Affiliate / Referral Program: Distance operates an affiliate program through PartnerStack offering 20% recurring commission for full 12 months on every referred paid subscription. No cap on commissions.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Builder - For owners and small businesses who can't always answer the phone |
| Subscription | Monthly | Growth - For teams that need every call answered, routed, and followed up fast (most popular) |
| Subscription | Monthly | Plus - For growing teams that need calls and messages routed across locations |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Distance product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Distance provides an AI-powered hybrid customer communications platform for small and mid-sized service businesses. The platform deploys multiple specialized AI agents (voice, sales, outreach, support) that operate 24/7 across phone, SMS, live chat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and email, automatically qualifying leads, creating tickets, routing conversations, and following up on estimates and renewals. Service is sold as tiered monthly SaaS subscriptions (Builder, Growth, Plus) with credit-based usage.
Product overview
Distance is an AI-powered customer communications platform for service businesses, offering a unified platform with multiple AI agents working 24/7. The core product consists of the main AI platform with built-in features including Multi-Channel Inbox, Ticketing System, and customizable AI agents. The platform is offered through tiered pricing plans (Builder at $149/month, Growth at $399/month, and Plus at $799/month). Distance provides specialized AI agents: Miles (Sales Agent) for inbound lead handling, Sarah (Voice Agent) for 24/7 call answering, Grace (Outreach Agent) for campaigns and follow-ups, and Jennifer (Support Agent) for customer questions. The platform includes playbook-style features for specific use cases including AI Website Chat, 24/7 AI Call Answering, Social Messaging, AI Speed to Lead, Outreach Campaigns, Estimate Recovery, Payment Collection, and LSA Lead Conversion. Native integrations are available for ServiceTitan, Jobber, and Housecall Pro, with additional integrations via Zapier, Slack, Microsoft Teams, QuickBooks, and HubSpot.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Distance AI Platform Unified AI-powered customer communications platform for service businesses. Includes a multi-channel inbox (SMS, live chat, voice, Facebook, Instagram), AI agents for lead capture, qualification, and escalation, ticketing system, smart routing, and integrations with field service software such as ServiceTitan, Jobber, and Housecall Pro. Targeted at SMB and mid-market service business owners who need 24/7 lead handling without adding headcount.
Quantifiable outcome
- Businesses report at least 25% lead growth after implementing Distance
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Distance
Customer profileNamed customers12 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Distance technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration13 records
AI capability9 records
Feature10 records
Distance partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- ServiceTitancoreNative integration with ServiceTitan, a leading field service management software. Distance routes booked appointments and captured lead details directly into ServiceTitan, enabling seamless workflow automation without changing how the team works.
- JobbercoreNative integration with Jobber, a field service and client relationship management platform. Distance captures leads and books appointments directly into Jobber, automating the front-end of the service workflow.
- Housecall ProcoreNative integration with Housecall Pro, a field service software platform. Distance syncs captured leads and booking details into Housecall Pro, connecting AI front-office automation with back-end job scheduling and dispatch.
- ZapiermajorZapier integration connecting Distance to hundreds of third-party tools and workflows beyond the native integrations. Enables custom automations and connectivity to any CRM or business tool accessible through Zapier's ecosystem.
- SlackmajorSlack integration for real-time notifications and team alerts. Distance sends lead notifications and escalation alerts directly to Slack channels, keeping teams informed in their existing communication tools.
- Microsoft TeamsmajorMicrosoft Teams integration for real-time notifications and team alerts. Distance routes lead notifications and escalation messages to Teams channels alongside Slack integrations.
- HubSpotmajorAdvanced integration with HubSpot CRM available on Growth and Plus tiers. Distance syncs captured leads and conversation data directly into HubSpot for downstream sales and marketing workflows.
- QuickBooksmajorAdvanced integration with QuickBooks available on Growth and Plus tiers. Connects billing and financial data with Distance's lead capture and communication workflows.
- StripecoreStripe processes subscription payments for Distance. Sub-processor relationship: Stripe receives name, email, billing address, payment information, credit card number, expiry date, and phone number to process payments. Processing occurs globally.
- Google Cloud Platform (GCP)coreGoogle Cloud Platform is used as the cloud infrastructure provider for Distance's services. All information processed to operate the services is handled on GCP infrastructure located in the United States and Canada.
- TwiliocoreTwilio provides SMS and VOIP gateway services for Distance's communication platform. Sub-processor processes phone numbers, caller IDs, and message content to deliver SMS and voice capabilities.
- OpenAIcoreOpenAI provides LLM (large language model) capabilities powering Distance's AI agents. Sub-processor processes customer and end-customer names, phone numbers, email, address, and any information provided during messaging for generative AI responses. Distance restricts OpenAI from using customer data for training.
- SendGridmajorSendGrid provides email gateway services for Distance. Sub-processor processes email addresses, sender/recipient names, and message content for transactional and marketing email delivery.
- Meta (Facebook and Instagram)coreMeta platforms (Facebook and Instagram) are both integrated messaging channels and sub-processors. Distance integrates with Facebook and Instagram for DM response automation. Sub-processor relationship involves processing usernames, names, profile images, location, and conversation history for messaging functionality.
- LangSmithmajorLangSmith provides LLM call log monitoring and observability for Distance's AI agents, helping ensure performance quality and enabling debugging of agent conversations.
- IntercommajorIntercom is used for customer support and chat functionality. Sub-processor processes names, email addresses, and conversation history (chat, email) to deliver customer support experiences.
- GmailmajorGmail is used as an email client for Distance's communications. Sub-processor processes email addresses, sender/recipient names, attachments, conversation history, and message content.
- PartnerStackmajorPartnerStack is the platform powering Distance's affiliate/referral program. It provides affiliates with a personalized dashboard to track clicks, referrals, commissions, and payouts. Distance pays 20% recurring commission for 12 months on referred paid subscriptions through this channel.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Distance competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Smith.ai: Hybrid AI + human 24/7 call answering and lead intake service aimed at SMBs, especially professional services and home services. Most direct comparison to Distance: same value proposition (never miss a call, qualify leads, route with context), same hybrid model, and same SMB ICP.
- OpenPhone (Quo): AI-augmented business phone system purpose-built for small businesses and startups, covering calls, texts, and contacts in a shared workspace. Closest SMB-focused phone + AI alternative in terms of price point and product simplicity.
- Aircall: Cloud-based phone system with AI-powered call summarization, transcription, and coaching features for SMB and mid-market sales and support teams. Competes with Distance on AI-enhanced voice for service businesses and on multi-channel integration depth.
- JustCall: Cloud telephony and SMS platform with AI voice agents and conversation intelligence, targeting SMB and mid-market sales and support. Overlaps with Distance on AI-driven inbound call handling and multi-channel messaging workflows.
- Ruby Receptionists: Virtual receptionist and live call answering service for SMBs that has begun layering AI chat and AI voice alongside human receptionists. Hybrid AI+human model and SMB focus mirror Distance's positioning.
- Dialpad: AI-first business communications platform combining cloud phone, contact center, and sales coaching with native AI agents and real-time assist. Direct comp on AI voice for SMB/mid-market and on AI-powered agent-assist capabilities.
Broad incumbents
- Zendesk: Global customer service platform with AI agents and a partner ecosystem spanning ticketing, voice, chat, and messaging. Competes with Distance at the higher end of the mid-market and could bundle comparable AI answering into existing contracts.
- Intercom: AI-native customer service platform with the Fin AI Agent for autonomous resolution across chat, email, and voice. Broad incumbent overlap on conversational AI and ticketing; less specialized than Distance on SMB service-vertical voice workflows.
Emerging players
- Front: Shared inbox and customer communication platform with AI agents for triage and response across email, SMS, and chat. Comparable multi-channel philosophy to Distance but without the same native AI voice agent emphasis.
- Tidio: AI chatbot and live chat platform for SMB ecommerce and service businesses, with growing AI agent capabilities. Comparable as a PLG, AI-first communication layer for smaller teams but heavier on chat than voice.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Distance compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
Distance financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Distance leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Distance funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Distance M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Distance
What does Distance do?
Distance provides an AI-powered hybrid customer communications platform for small and mid-sized service businesses. The platform deploys multiple specialized AI agents (voice, sales, outreach, support) that operate 24/7 across phone, SMS, live chat, Facebook Messenger, Instagram DMs, and email, automatically qualifying leads, creating tickets, routing conversations, and following up on estimates and renewals. Service is sold as tiered monthly SaaS subscriptions (Builder, Growth, Plus) with credit-based usage.
Is Distance a public or private company?
Distance is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Distance founded?
Distance was founded in 2021. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Distance based?
Distance is headquartered in Montréal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does Distance make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Subscription Plans (Builder, Growth, Plus) is the primary driver. The others are affiliate / Referral Program.
Who are Distance's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Smith.ai, OpenPhone (Quo), Aircall, JustCall, Ruby Receptionists and Dialpad. Broad incumbents are Zendesk and Intercom. Emerging players are Front and Tidio.
Does Distance have an API?
Yes. Distance offers API access as part of its Services. The Terms of Service (Section 2.8) reference Distance APIs, noting that Distance reserves the right to place limits on API access (e.g., limits on numbers of calls or requests) and may monitor usage and limit calls if usage breaches the agreement or may negatively affect security, operability, or integrity of the Services. API keys may be provided to access the Services, and Permitted Users must keep API keys, user ID and password information strictly confidential. Developer documentation is at distance.gitbook.io/distance.
What industry is Distance in?
Distance's product category is AI Customer Communication Platform. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAIAHAF, Contact Center (CCaaS) & Customer Engagement Voice, with a secondary code of HDAAAFAC, Conversational AI Platforms (chat/voice bots, orchestration). Its NAICS code is 56142 and its SIC code is 7370.