The Round
Sophiie AI, a Gold Coast startup building AI voice reception for tradies and service businesses, raised $5 million seed led by Archangel Ventures, Admiralty Capital Group, Antler, Gandel Invest and Aussie Angels. Valuation sits at $30 million. Proceeds go toward product development, hiring and US expansion.
What They Actually Do
Sophiie handles inbound calls and admin automation for trades businesses: plumbers, electricians, service contractors. The company says it processes 500,000+ calls and saves users 12+ hours of admin per week. They recently expanded from AI receptionist to what they call an AI operating system for service SMEs.
This is inbound workflow automation, not outbound sales tooling. Relevant for sales teams selling into trades or service businesses, not for quota-carrying reps.
The Numbers
Antler reported Sophiie hit $1.9 million ARR in Australia by January 2026. The company previously raised $1.8 million in May 2025 and $3.2 million in December 2025 from existing investors. Public employee data shows 11 to 30 people, though one LinkedIn post referenced a 30-person team.
CEO Jacob Banks spent six years as Director and Head of Sales at Service.com.au before founding Sophiie with Luke Kelleher and Juan Castro in 2024.
What It Means for Sales
US expansion means hiring. No public details on sales team structure or comp yet. The company claims 10 to 15% month-on-month growth across Australia, New Zealand and UK.
For sellers: If you are selling AI tools, scheduling software or SMB solutions into trades, Sophiie is active competition in ANZ. If you are job hunting, watch for US market entry roles in coming months.
For context: AI receptionist and voice automation for SMBs is crowded. Sophiie differentiates on trade-specific workflows and missed-call recovery rather than broad enterprise AI. Whether that holds in the US market remains to be seen.
Worth noting: The company provides no public comp data for existing or future roles. We will update when numbers surface.