Keplar: The Voice AI Startup Disrupting Market Research

For decades, Fortune 500 companies have relied on expensive market research firms to gain customer insights, a process that often takes weeks and comes with a high price tag. Keplar, a startup backed by Kleiner Perkins, is changing this landscape with its innovative use of voice AI to conduct customer interviews, delivering analysis faster and at a fraction of the cost.

Founded in 2023 by Dhruv Guliani, a former Google engineer specializing in speech and voice AI, and machine learning engineer William Wen, Keplar emerged from the South Park Commons founder fellowship program. The duo identified that traditional tools like written surveys and human-conducted interviews could be replaced by conversational AI, making market research more efficient.

With Keplar's platform, companies can set up studies in minutes. The AI turns product-related questions into interview guides, and a voice assistant reaches out to participants—often existing customers if CRM access is granted—asking probing questions to uncover likes and dislikes. The results are compiled into detailed reports and PowerPoint presentations, mirroring the output of human researchers but with significant speed and cost advantages.

Advances in large language models (LLMs) have made this possible, with voice AI now so realistic that participants sometimes forget they're speaking to an AI. Keplar's customers include major brands like Clorox and Intercom, showcasing its practical applications.

While Keplar faces competition from companies like Outset and Listen Labs, which have raised larger funding rounds, its unique approach positions it as a key player in the AI-driven market research space. The startup recently secured a $3.4 million seed round led by Kleiner Perkins, with participation from SV Angel, Common Metal, and South Park Commons, fueling its mission to transform how businesses understand their customers.