Circles is using AI to turn telecom support from a cost centre into a faster, more personalised growth engine
Updated
May 1, 2026 2:04 PM
A woman holding a phone while using a laptop. PHOTO: ADOBE STOCK
Circles, a Singapore startup that builds software for digital telecom operators, has launched an AI concierge as part of its partnership with OpenAI. The release marks a new step in the company’s effort to modernise how telecom providers serve and retain customers. The move reflects a wider shift in the telecom sector. Many operators still rely on older support systems that can be slow, fragmented and costly to run. AI is now being tested as a way to improve service while creating new revenue opportunities.
Circles said the concierge is built on OpenAI’s API platform and sits within what it calls an AI-native telecom stack. In practical terms, the system is designed to handle customer support, account changes and personalised offers through automated interactions.
One part of the platform is called CareX. According to the company, it can deal with billing issues, service requests and network-related problems. Circles said CareX currently resolves 85% of customer queries globally without human intervention and reaches a 95% resolution rate on end-to-end tasks. That matters because customer support remains one of the larger operating costs for telecom providers. Faster automated handling could lower pressure on service teams while reducing wait times for users.
The second part of the platform is Xplore IQ, which focuses on revenue growth. The tool is designed to predict what a customer may need, recommend a suitable plan or offer and complete upgrades or downgrades automatically. Circles said the early rollout has led to a 22% rise in average revenue per user for Circles.Life Singapore. It also said personalised offers helped reduce customer churn by 9%.
"AI should empower users - not force-fit into outdated journeys. OpenAI's role has been critical in enabling Circles to scale this vision globally. With the AI concierge, we are moving beyond providing simple answers to delivering real-world outcomes, along with balancing cost and latency to maximize value for operators and customers alike", said Awais Malik, Global Chief Growth Officer at Circles.
"Circles is demonstrating how advanced AI can modernize essential industries like telecommunications at scale. By combining frontier models with multi-agent systems, they are enabling telecom operators globally to deliver faster, smarter and more personalized customer experiences. This milestone is a strong example of how AI can deliver tangible value for businesses and customers they serve", Oliver Jay, Managing Director, International for OpenAI, added.
Together, the tools are intended to connect customer service, operations and sales into one system. Rather than treating support and monetisation as separate functions, the company is combining them into a single digital layer.
Circles said the partnership will continue over the next two years as both companies work toward a more autonomous telecom model. Whether that vision is achieved remains to be seen, but the direction is clear: telecom operators are increasingly treating AI as core infrastructure rather than an optional add-on.
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A wearable ring, conversational AI and US$23M in funding. Sandbar wants to rethink how we interact with technology
Updated
April 1, 2026 8:55 AM
Sandbar's Stream ring. PHOTO: SANDBAR
Sandbar, a New York–based interface startup, has raised US$23 million in Series A funding to develop a wearable device that lets people interact with artificial intelligence via voice rather than screens.
Adjacent and Kindred Ventures led the round; both venture firms focused on early-stage technology startups. The investment brings Sandbar’s total funding to us$36 million. Earlier backing included a US$10 million seed round led by True Ventures, a venture capital firm, as well as a US$3 million pre-seed round supported by Upfront Ventures, a venture firm and Betaworks, a startup studio and investment firm.
Sandbar was founded by Mina Fahmi and Kirak Hong, who previously worked together at CTRL-labs, a neural interface startup acquired by Meta in 2019. Their earlier work explored how computers could respond more directly to human intent — an idea that continues to shape Sandbar’s approach to AI interfaces.
The new funding will help the company expand its team across machine learning, interaction design and software engineering as it prepares to launch its first product. That product, called Stream, combines a wearable ring with a conversational AI interface. The system allows users to speak to an AI assistant without unlocking a phone or opening an app.
The concept is simple. Instead of typing into a screen, users press a button on the ring and talk. The system can capture notes, organize ideas, retrieve information from the web or trigger actions through connected applications.
The ring includes a microphone, a touchpad and subtle haptic feedback. These elements allow the device to respond through gentle vibrations rather than visual alerts. According to the company, the ring only listens when the user presses the button — a design meant to address common concerns around always-on microphones.
That design reflects a larger shift Sandbar believes is underway. As AI assistants become more capable, many startups are experimenting with new ways to interact with them. The focus is moving away from screens and keyboards toward interfaces that feel more natural and immediate.
Stream uses multiple AI models working together to process requests, search the web and structure information in real time. The company says users remain in control of their data and can choose whether to share information with other apps.
Sandbar is also developing a feature called Inner Voice, which responds using a voice customized to the user. The feature will debut during a closed beta planned for this spring, giving the company time to refine how the software behaves in everyday use.
The startup currently employs a team of 15 people. Many have worked on well-known consumer devices including the iPhone, Fitbit, Kindle and Vision Pro. Recent hires include Sam Bowen, formerly of Amazon and Fitbit, who joined as vice president of hardware and Brooke Travis, previously at Equinox, Dior and Gap, who now leads marketing.
Sandbar plans to begin shipping Stream in summer 2026 after completing early testing. As artificial intelligence tools become more integrated into daily life, the company is betting that the next shift in computing will not come from another app — but from new ways for people to interact with AI itself.