The following article was originally published by the Washington Business Journal.
Story Highlights
What's This?
- Numeracle Inc. raised $28 million from Edison Partners in late October.
- The McLean tech firm saw revenue jump 70% over 16 months.
- Numeracle plans hiring in sales and marketing plus international expansion.
"You're getting a call from an unknown number; the chances it gets answered are slim to none — even if it's meaningful communication from a doctor, a bank or your child's school.
For years, illicit robocalls and spam marketers have been flooding telecommunications networks. The advent of consumer artificial intelligence products, which are being used by bad actors to reach more people, has made the situation worse.
But this telecommunications minefield has led to strong demand for verification services offered by Numeracle Inc., a McLean tech firm that vets and monitors phone numbers to aid wireless carriers and others with insight on who or what is behind every call.
Rebekah Johnson, who founded the firm in 2018 and serves as its CEO, told me the company has seen revenue jump 70% over the past 16 months, though she declined to share figures. She said the 85-person company is now gearing up for a hiring push — namely for roles in sales and marketing — as well as an international expansion.
Fueling growth is a $28 million investment Numeracle landed in late October led by Princeton, New Jersey-based investor Edison Partners. It's the second time Numeracle has raised outside funding since its founding following a $6 million investment in 2023. Johnson had previously funded the company directly.
"Bootstrapping is not a strategy for rapid growth; it is a strategy for survival," Johnson said. "Having the investment is the only way that we can reach that growth, and I have to do it now because this need is critical now, and we are the solution and proven in the market."
Before Numeracle, Johnson led the Professional Associations for Customer Engagement's work to help trade group's members implement the Federal Communications Commission's "Robocall Strike Force Plan" recommendations. That followed her stint as an engineer at West Corp., a telecommunications company now called Intrado. She also serves on the board of several telecommunications and regulatory trade groups.
Numeracle's origin traces back to a personal realization Johnson had years ago when she was handed patient paperwork for a medical procedure featuring a warning: Our calls may be labeled spam; please answer every single call. The idea that healthcare communications could vanish into a sea of robocalls irked her enough that she wanted to devise a company that could offer credible verification for carrier networks.
Healthcare networks, specifically hospitals, are currently Numeracle's largest customer, Johnson said, which pay an annual subscription to help ensure their calls get passed to patients. In exchange, Numeracle partners with the nation's wireless carriers to inform them that calls from these numbers are legitimate.
Numeracle first built its customer base by helping U.S. businesses and organizations navigate carrier vetting. Johnson said international telecom networks and businesses are now seeking out what she's built.
"We're getting pulled into markets because we have that recognition that we are the credible solution, and the market's just expanding beyond even the U.S.," she said.
A hefty chunk of its recent investment will go toward ensuring Numeracle is in compliance with several European regulations like the General Data Protection Regulation policy, which Johnson said requires significant capital to obtain. Once that's obtained, she said the company will start exploring a physical presence in Europe, though there is no timeline for that."
Frequently Asked Questions
How much funding did Numeracle raise, and who led the round?
Numeracle raised $28 million in late October in a round led by Edison Partners, a Princeton, New Jersey-based investor. This is Numeracle’s second outside raise, after a $6 million investment in 2023. Before that, CEO Rebekah Johnson funded the company directly.
Why do legitimate business calls get labeled as spam, and how does Numeracle help?
Illegal robocalls and spam have flooded phone networks, and bad actors now use AI tools to reach more people. That makes consumers and carriers wary of unknown numbers, so even calls from doctors, banks, and schools can go unanswered. Numeracle vets and monitors phone numbers and works with the nation’s wireless carriers to confirm which calls come from legitimate organizations.
How can healthcare organizations work with Numeracle to get their calls answered?
Hospitals and healthcare networks, Numeracle’s largest customer group, pay an annual subscription for Numeracle to verify their phone numbers with wireless carriers. This helps patient calls get delivered instead of being lost among robocalls. To get started, contact Numeracle.
