Twilio Unveils the Honorees of the 2024 AI Startup Searchlight Awards

16 Honorees Selected From 500+ Applicants for Raising the Bar in Customer Engagement with AI and Twilio’s Powerful Communications Platform

In Celebration of Twilio's 16th Birthday, Twilio Honors 16 Startups and Reflects on a Legacy of Empowering Brands to Build Lasting Connections, from Startup to a Global Platform for Innovation

LONDON, November 20, 2024 — Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), the customer engagement platform that drives real-time, personalized experiences for today’s leading brands, today announced the honorees of the second annual AI Startup Searchlight Awards at SIGNAL London 2024. This year’s awards also mark Twilio’s 16th birthday, or “sweet sixteen,” with a cohort of 16 startups using Twilio’s communication tools alongside cutting-edge AI, large language models (LLMs), and big data to transform customer engagement.

The AI Startup Searchlight program recognizes startups who have demonstrated creativity and impact in their use of Twilio products, including Voice, Email, and Messaging, to build experiences that inspire and captivate. Each honoree embodies Twilio’s mission to “unlock the imagination of builders,” showcasing what’s possible when emerging technologies meet the power of Twilio’s communication tools.

“There is no better way to celebrate our 16th year than by spotlighting the creators and innovators who are reshaping the future of customer engagement with Twilio,” said Inbal Shani, Chief Product Officer, Twilio Communications. “These startups, with their bold ideas and dedication to transforming consumer experiences, demonstrate how Twilio’s products can drive change in ways we only imagined 16 years ago.”

“This year’s honorees represent the true breadth of AI applications, spanning industries from healthcare and finance to real estate,” said Thomas Wyatt, President of Twilio Segment. “With 500+ applicants, it’s clear that startups worldwide are reimagining what customer engagement can be, and Twilio is proud to support this wave of innovation.” 

The judging panel included Twilio leaders Thomas Wyatt, President of Twilio Segment; Inbal Shani, Chief Product Officer, Twilio Communications; Vanessa Thompson, VP of Revenue & Growth Marketing; Chiara Massironi, Head of Developer Network; and special guest judge Nnamdi Iregbulem, Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. The judges evaluated entries on business impact, creativity, and use of AI with Twilio to shape the future of customer engagement.

“Twilio stands at the intersection of communications, contextual data, and AI, and uniquely enables builders to unlock the potential of these technologies," said Nnamdi Iregbulem, Partner at Lightspeed Ventures. “These startups are pushing that potential further than ever, setting a bold vision for the future of customer engagement through meaningful, next-level experiences."

Meet the 2024 AI Startup Searchlight Honorees

The 16 selected startups each bring a unique story and mission, showcasing the diverse possibilities of AI and Twilio:

• 11x: Pioneering AI digital workers including "Alice" and "Jordan" for sales and customer service, with Twilio’s capabilities. 

• Alpharun: Transforming high-volume recruiting with AI-powered phone interviews, leveraging Twilio to accelerate hiring and create more meritocratic hiring processes.

• Althea Health: Revolutionizing patient engagement through voice AI agents that automate healthcare tasks, using multiple Twilio communication tools. 

• Appella AI: Delivering hyper-personalized customer service through real-time AI adaptation, integrated with Twilio’s multi-channel solutions.

• curaJOY: Enhancing family behavioral health support through AI and machine learning, using Twilio for global accessibility.

• Elaitra AI: Improving cancer screening compliance rates through conversational AI, powered by Twilio.

• Elythea: Predicting and preventing pregnancy complications through machine learning, connecting high-risk patients with resources via Twilio.

• Fiado App: Extending financial services to unbanked Latino populations through AI-powered underwriting, utilizing Twilio's communication suite and Twilio Segment. 

• Frame AI: Converting unstructured customer data into actionable insights using Generative AI and Twilio's full platform.

• Goodcall AI: Delivering enterprise-grade voice AI solutions for business communication, leveraging Twilio's multi-channel capabilities.

• GAIL: Creating accessible AI solutions for financial services through their AI platform and an integration with Twilio's communication tools.

• meiti GmbH: Simplifying customer interactions for home service businesses through AI assistance, powered by Twilio's comprehensive communication suite and WhatsApp.

• Paradox: Redefining job searching with their AI recruiting assistant Olivia, enhanced by Twilio's Messaging capabilities.

• Spoke Phone: Empowering mobile teams with AI-driven communication tools, utilizing Twilio's extensive platform for enhanced customer interactions.

• Storii: Preserving life stories through AI-powered recording and transcription, leveraging Twilio's capabilities.

• Symbl.ai: Transforming communication data into actionable insights through specialized AI models, integrated with Twilio's solutions.

Each honoree will receive $10,000 in Twilio credits and a $5,000 retail tech gift card, along with additional co-marketing opportunities to highlight their work.  

For more information about the AI Startup Searchlight Awards and this year's winners, visit our blog post.