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Toma’s AI voice agents have taken off at car dealerships — and attracted funding from a16z


When Monik Pamecha co-founded AI voice startup Toma in early 2024, he hadn’t anticipated spending the summer months sweating in Bible Belt car

Seeing an opportunity to pivot into a far less-regulated space than banking or healthcare, Pamecha and Krivonos set up a test: They decided to have their voice agent call essentially every car dealership in the country multiple times. Along with a16z, Pamecha and Krivonos attracted investment from Y Combinator (they created Toma at YC in January 2024), the Scale Angels fund, and auto industry influencer Yossi Levi, also known as the Car Dealership Guy. He previously worked at The Verge, where he also covered consumer technology, hosted many short- and long-form videos, performed product and editorial photography, and once nearly passed out in a Red Bull Air Race plane.

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