- Uniphore is a fast-growing Indian startup that uses AI to automate customer relations, including call centers. It just moved its global headquarters to Silicon Valley.
- Tech legend John Chambers is a leading investor in the startup and a mentor to cofounder and CEO Umesh Sachdev.
- "We have now truly hit an inflection point," CEO and cofounder Umesh Sachdev told Business Insider. "We're growing faster and faster each year. When that's happening you just know you hit a rising tide. You are at the right place at the right time."
- Here's the pitch deck Uniphore used to raise $66.8 million in venture funding.
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Uniphore, the hot Indian startup, recently made a bold move: It moved its global headquarters to Silicon Valley.
The 11-year-old firm uses conversational AI to help businesses with their customer relations, including call centers. Uniphore said it grew 300% last year and looking to post stronger growth this year.
Uniphore has been growing steadily in Asia and is looking to expand in Europe and the US. By moving to the US, the startup is looking to attract new customers and raise its profile as a key player in enterprise AI software.
"We have now truly hit an inflection point," CEO and co-founder Umesh Sachdev told Business Insider. "We're growing faster and faster each year. When that's happening you just know you hit a rising tide. You are at the right place at the right time."
The startup's US move got a boost from a Silicon Valley legend who is also one of its major investors. John Chambers, the former CEO of Cisco and an active startup investor, serves as the company's "chief guru" and a mentor to Sachdev.
"This is one more milestone in what I think will be a great company," Chambers said after cutting the ribbon at Uniphore's new HQ in Palo Alto, California. "I couldn't be more pumped."
Chambers has served as a key mentor to Sachdev, the veteran exec who he said stressed to him the importance of focusing not just on growth, but also on profitability and free cash flow.
Sachdev said he has also consulted Chambers on the decision to move to America.
"It was a big personal risk," he said. "Let's say something goes wrong and this fails. I'm putting all my so far success on this new big risk. … And that's what having mentors like John is amazing."
Leaving India was also a big adjustment for Sachev's wife and young daughter.
"A ton of things I miss," he said. "I miss friends, family. I miss the culture."
There are also some basic differences in the way things work to which he has had to adapt. "In India, you have more help at home, whereas the economic structure here is very different," he said. "It's a do it yourself culture."
This became clear one day when Sachdev returned to their new San Francisco Bay Area home from a business trip to India. He actually flew back with Chambers on his private jet, which would of course make any young entrepreneur feel really important.
But when he got home and greeted his wife, she returned the greeting but also said: "Yeah, go take out the trash."
"Very humbling," Sachdev said, laughing.
Here's the pitch deck Unipher used to raise $66.8 million from VC investors: