Paris-based SMS verification startup Prelude, which simplifies mobile onboarding with unified APIs, has secured $8 million in funding led by Singular and Seedcamp to expand its API suite for user onboarding, retention, and trust-building with transparent pricing.
- Founded in 2022 by Matias Berny and Quentin Le Bras, Prelude offers a unified API that optimizes the delivery of verification messages by acting as a smart broker between businesses and mobile networks.
- The startup claims its approach cuts costs by up to 40% while boosting reliability, efficiently routing messages to avoid spam and markup, and achieving a 95% verification success rate.
- In addition to SMS verification, Prelude is developing tools to help businesses create a seamless, transparent onboarding process that builds user trust and boosts retention.
- To date, Prelude states that it has verified phone numbers for 100 million user accounts and is trusted by several notable companies, including Amo, BeReal, Vibe, Airbuds, Feels, Sush, Catch, and TenTen.
Details of the deal
- The funding round was led by Singular, an early-stage venture capital firm that backs European founders with global ambitions, focusing on Series A startups across all sectors, from Seed to Series B.
“Prelude is transforming phone verification and authentication. With just a single line of code, businesses can cut costs, improve fraud protection, and increase conversion rates," Explains Henri Tilloy, Partner at Singular.
- Seedcamp, an early-seed fund that supports tech startups and has invested in around 500 companies, including UiPath, Wise, and unicorns Revolut and Synthesia, also led the round.
- With the fresh capital raised, Prelude plans to expand its suite of mobile-first onboarding tools, streamline its API, enhance fraud protection, and improve customer support to help businesses grow their user base securely and efficiently.
“We’re committed to tackling SMS fraud at its core and using our experience to go beyond just SMS verification, Our goal is to help customers master user onboarding, trust, and retention with a suite of mobile-first services designed for seamless user experiences," co-founder and CEO of Prelude, Matias Berny, commented.
