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§ Private Profile · Mountain View, CA, USA
Developed voice-based AI platforms for conversational ordering in quick-service restaurants, focused on drive-thru speed and accuracy.
Apprente has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round.
Key people at Apprente.
Apprente has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Based in Mountain View, California, Apprente developed voice-based artificial intelligence platforms designed to automate conversational order taking for quick-service restaurants. The company's proprietary sound-to-meaning technology processes multilingual and multi-accent interactions to significantly improve the speed and accuracy of complex, multi-item customer orders at drive-thrus and self-service kiosks. Prior to its strategic exit, the early-stage enterprise software startup successfully raised $4.8 million in seed funding from prominent venture capital firms, including Greylock Partners. In September 2019, the global fast-food corporation McDonald's acquired the company to establish its internal Silicon Valley research group, McD Tech Labs. This automated drive-thru technology asset was subsequently acquired by IBM in October 2021 to further develop and scale the natural language processing system across the broader food and beverage sector. Apprente was founded in 2017 by Itamar Arel and Moshe Looks.
Key people at Apprente.
Apprente was an early-stage AI startup founded in 2017 in Mountain View, California, specializing in voice-based conversational agents for customer service, particularly complex, multilingual, multi-accent, and multi-item ordering scenarios.[1][2][3] The company built proprietary neuroscience-based AI technology to create naturally engaging systems that understand context, reduce wait times, boost productivity, and enhance customer experiences, targeting businesses like quick-service restaurants.[1][2] It served enterprise clients by enabling faster, simpler, and more accurate order-taking, with applications in drive-thrus, mobile ordering, and kiosks; McDonald's acquired it in September 2019 to integrate into its operations, marking strong early validation and ending its independent growth trajectory.[1][2][4]
Apprente emerged in 2017 from an opportunity to tackle real-world challenges in voice technology using advanced AI.[1][3] Co-founder Itamar Arel, Ph.D., a technology expert, led the team in Mountain View, focusing on platforms for sophisticated conversational ordering that handled accents, languages, and multiple items—problems unmet by existing solutions.[1][2] The idea gained pivotal traction through pilots in McDonald's test restaurants, impressing the fast-food giant enough to pursue acquisition after extensive evaluations; this humanized Apprente's quick rise from startup to strategic asset, with Arel noting McDonald's innovation leadership as a key draw.[1][4]
Apprente stood out in the crowded voice AI space through these key strengths:
Apprente rode the conversational AI wave in the late 2010s, fueled by advances in natural language processing and demand for contactless, efficient service in retail and foodservice.[1][4][6] Its timing aligned perfectly with fast-food chains' push to optimize drive-thru operations—a $200B+ U.S. market—amid labor shortages, rising customer expectations for speed, and post-pandemic automation trends.[4] Market forces like AI democratization and voice tech maturity favored Apprente, influencing the ecosystem by accelerating enterprise adoption; McDonald's acquisition integrated it into 38,000+ locations, alongside buys like Dynamic Yield, positioning the chain as a tech-forward leader and validating voice AI for high-stakes environments.[2][4]
Post-2019 acquisition, Apprente's tech powers McD Tech Labs, likely enhancing drive-thrus globally and expanding to kiosks/mobile amid ongoing AI evolution.[1][2] Trends like generative AI integration and multimodal voice systems will shape its legacy, potentially driving hyper-personalized ordering at scale. As McDonald's scales Silicon Valley talent, Apprente's influence endures in redefining frictionless service, turning a niche innovator into a cornerstone of fast-food digitization—echoing its origin as a bold fix for everyday chaos at the window.[4]
Apprente has raised $5.0M in total across 1 funding round.
Apprente's investors include .406 Ventures, 83North, 9Yards Capital, Adverb Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures, Amity Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, Chloe Sladden, Canvas Ventures, Cardumen Capital, Coelius Capital, Costanoa Ventures.
Apprente has raised $5.0M across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $5.0M Seed in January 2018.
