Slang AI Raises $36M for Voice Assistants

The latest funding round for Slang AI was led by U.S. Venture Partners (USVP), with notable participation from Thayer Investment Partners and former Stripe COO Claire Hughes Johnson. This Series B round, consisting of $28 million in equity and $8 million in debt, brings the company's total capital raised to $68 million. The continued investment from previous backers like Homebrew, Stage 2 Capital, and Wing VC signals strong confidence in the platform's trajectory. Slang AI was founded in 2019 by former Spotify data scientists Alex Sambvani (CEO) and Gabriel Duncan (CTO). Their vision, according to Sambvani, is to make the high-touch, personalized service of elite establishments accessible to all restaurants through AI. He stated, "Hospitality is about remembering people, anticipating their needs, and never missing an opportunity to serve." The company's core offering is an AI "Superhost" that handles inbound phone calls 24/7, automating reservations, answering frequently asked questions, and routing high-value inquiries to human staff. This focus on voice is critical, as data shows 71% of inbound restaurant calls are directly tied to revenue opportunities like reservations and private dining, with 34% of those calls occurring after hours. This infusion of capital is earmarked for evolving the platform beyond voice to include multi-modal communication, such as text and post-visit follow-ups. Co-founder Alex Sambvani noted the funding will help make the platform "more personal, more proactive, and more intelligent," enhancing its ability to remember guest preferences to foster repeat business. Slang AI reports that its technology can increase a restaurant's phone-based reservations by up to 50% and save staff over 200 hours per month, delivering a return on investment of up to 20x. The platform boasts a 96% guest satisfaction rate and is used by over 2,000 locations, including major brands like Texas de Brazil, Carmines, and Dineamic Hospitality. A key competitive advantage for Slang AI is its proprietary dataset, which has been trained on over 25 million real guest interactions. Rick Lewis, a General Partner at lead investor USVP, called this data an "insurmountable advantage" that allows the AI to understand the nuances of how customers actually speak to restaurants, leading to higher accuracy and a better user experience. The investment comes as the broader hospitality industry accelerates its adoption of AI. The market for voice AI in hospitality is projected to reach $14.7 billion by 2033, up from $1.85 billion in 2024. This trend is driven by persistent labor shortages and high customer expectations, with one 2026 study showing 44% of restaurant operators have already adopted AI tools and another 25% plan to do so within the year. Slang AI integrates directly with major reservation and customer relationship management systems, including OpenTable, SevenRooms, and Tripleseat, embedding its technology into the existing operational workflow of restaurants. This seamless integration is crucial for improving the in-venue experience by freeing up front-of-house staff to focus on guests who are physically present.