Meeting notetaker Circleback adds a free tier to attract more customers

The gathering note-taker marketplace is simply a crowded space. Just successful the past fewer weeks, dictation app Wispr launched its ain note-taker and scheduling app, and Calendly added a akin instrumentality to its stack. Dedicated gathering note-takers similar Granola, Read AI, and Fireflies person raised millions of dollars successful funding.

Likely successful absorption to the intensifying competition, Y Combinator-backed Circleback is introducing a escaped subscription tier to let users to get a sensation of its product. The caller program lets users transcribe an unlimited fig of meetings though they tin lone entree their past for the past 30 days (Granola added a akin tier a fewer months ago).

The escaped program lets users grounds meetings, entree mobile and Apple Watch apps, usage AI to query transcripts, and integrate the app with Linear and Slack. If customers privation each integrations, unlimited gathering history, and afloat API and MCP access, the subscription plans commencement astatine $14 per period (paid annually). Prior to this change, Circleback didn’t person immoderate escaped tier, and its plans started astatine $20.83 per month.

Founded successful 2023 by Ali Haghani and Kevin Jacyna, Circleback raised $2.5 cardinal successful 2024. The institution says it has been profitable since then, and has been clocking run-rate gross of implicit $1 cardinal per worker with a squad of 8 people, which astir translates to a run-rate of astir $8 million.

Haghani said owed to the antecedently constricted proceedings period, the institution saw a large drop-off successful users, which is wherefore it is introducing a escaped plan.

“If we conscionable unfastened the gates and let much radical to usage the product, that’s gonna bring Circleback successful beforehand of much people. Then we’re precise bully astatine making the merchandise bully and monetizing those users,” helium said.

The institution says it doesn’t walk connected Google Ads oregon Meta Ads, and this escaped tier volition service arsenic selling expenses.

Haghani said the institution is not instantly looking to rise funds contempt interest, arsenic it doesn’t spot immoderate bottlenecks successful its maturation trajectory.

“We are consistently competing and winning customers against overmuch bigger companies, some successful presumption of fig of radical and backing raised. And I consciousness similar determination is present much of an appetite to win,” helium said.

He noted that the infinitesimal the institution realizes that wealth tin lick a occupation it is having, the startup would beryllium unfastened to fundraising.