Promptu garners $5.6M in funding

Voice-recognition software developer Promptu pocketed $5.6 million in a round of funding led by existing investors Steelpoint Capital Partners and Lauder Partners L.L.C.
Promptu, which was founded as AgileTV in 2000, gained traction working with cable operators and on-demand TV service providers before shifting its focus to wireless. The company closed an $11.6 million funding round in September, and has raised more than $17 million since last year’s transition.
Several other players are vying in the mobile voice-recognition space, as well, hoping to entice customers to use their voices to access content and use data services. VoiceSignal Technologies Inc., V-Enable Inc., BeVocal Inc. and Nuance Communications Inc. are among the more visible players on the field.
“By allowing consumers to use their voice to find mobile content, Promptu’s approach is by far better than the conventional ‘click-and-scroll’ implementation used today,” said Steelpoint’s James Caccavo. “This latest round of funding demonstrates our belief in Promptu’s ability to create a differentiated user experience while driving new data revenue for carriers.”