NYC-based Othello Raises $8M in Seed Funding

Othello, a NYC-based provider of an applied AI lab building AI models for live sales calls, has secured $8 million in a seed funding round.

The round saw backers including a16z speedrun, Owl Capital, Long Journey Ventures, Andy Fang, Chris Larsen, Thomas Wolf, David Cramer, Waseem AlShikh, Dean Sysman, Alex Bouaziz, Philippe Bouaziz, and Kevin Stein.

The company will use the funding to expand its operations and grow its business reach.

What is Othello?

Othello develops AI technology that coaches sales representatives during live customer calls. Its proprietary AI model, Hamlet, provides real-time suggestions to help sales teams respond to questions, handle objections, and improve sales conversations.

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A desktop app activates when a call begins and displays prompts during online meetings without joining the call as a participant. The system delivers suggestions in under 500 milliseconds.

Othello helps sales representatives identify discovery questions, follow sales playbooks such as MEDDPICC and Challenger, answer product and technical questions, position against competitors, and assess buying readiness.

How Much Funding Has Othello Raised?

Othello has raised $8 million in its latest seed funding round.

The source does not provide details of previous funding rounds or the company's total funding to date.

Who Invested in Othello’s Seed Round?

The seed round included backing from:

• a16z speedrun
• Owl Capital
• Long Journey Ventures
• Andy Fang
• Chris Larsen
• Thomas Wolf
• David Cramer
• Waseem AlShikh
• Dean Sysman
• Alex Bouaziz
• Philippe Bouaziz
• Kevin Stein

Why the Funding Matters

Othello plans to use the funding to expand its operations and business reach. The investment will support the company's efforts to bring its real-time AI sales coaching technology to more enterprise customers.

Who founded Othello?

Othello was founded in 2025 by Jared Zelman and Raphael Assor. The company is based in New York City.

"There is a ton of technology before the conversation and way too much after it ends, but not a single tool that affects how you perform during the call," said Jared Zelman, co-founder and CEO of Othello.

Market and Business Growth

Othello is deployed at more than 50 large enterprises, including several Fortune 500 companies. Its customers include Microsoft, Capital One, Lyft, a top 10 accounting firm, and a top 10 asset manager.

The company serves industries including insurance, accounting, financial services, asset management, enterprise software, cybersecurity, healthcare, manufacturing, and professional services.

Othello reports that licensed sales representatives typically adopt the platform within a week of downloading the app and use it on at least 95% of their calls. The company also adds several multinational enterprise customers each week.

What Happens Next?

Othello plans to expand its operations and reach more businesses with its AI-powered sales coaching platform.

The company will continue developing its Hamlet model to provide real-time guidance during sales calls and support sales teams across multiple industries.

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