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§ Private Profile · University City, MO, USA
Textel is a technology company.
Textel offers a specialized cloud-based texting platform designed to empower contact centers and businesses with robust communication capabilities. The platform facilitates enterprise-grade text messaging from existing landline and toll-free numbers, integrating seamlessly to improve customer interactions. Its core functionality revolves around enabling efficient, scalable two-way text communication, serving as a critical tool for modern customer service and engagement strategies.
The company was founded in 2014 by James Diel, who identified a significant opportunity to bridge the gap between traditional business phone systems and the growing preference for text-based communication. Diel envisioned a solution that would allow organizations to leverage texting as a professional channel, moving beyond personal mobile devices to offer a cohesive and integrated customer experience. This insight led to the development of a platform tailored for high-volume enterprise use.
Textel serves a diverse clientele of businesses and contact centers seeking to modernize their customer engagement strategies. The platform helps these organizations streamline support, enhance outreach, and manage communications more effectively. Textel's overarching vision is to continuously evolve its messaging solutions, allowing businesses to meet customer expectations for quick, convenient, and personal interactions, ultimately driving operational efficiency and deeper customer relationships.
Textel has raised $132.0M across 5 funding rounds.
Textel has raised $132.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Textel is a technology company that developed a cloud-based texting platform enabling landline and toll-free texting for businesses and contact centers.[1][2][3] It serves sectors including eCommerce, education, government, and healthcare by reducing call volumes, enabling agentless interactions, cutting operational costs, and boosting customer satisfaction.[1] With over 1,500 customers worldwide, Textel achieved strong growth—revenue and bookings up over 70% year-over-year in 2021, a 57% rise in new customers, and 114% net retention—before being acquired by Capacity in January 2023 after raising $4M from investors like Capital Midwest Fund and Cultivation Capital.[1][2]
Founded in 2014 in St. Louis, Missouri (headquarters at 1120 South 6th St), Textel emerged to address inefficiencies in traditional communication channels like email, voice, and chat.[1][2][3] Specific founders are not detailed in available records, but the company quickly gained traction as a specialized texting solution for contact centers, expanding to serve global businesses.[2] Early momentum built through partnerships in CCaaS (Contact Center as a Service), culminating in explosive 2021 growth and acquisition by Capacity, whose terms remain undisclosed.[1][2]
Textel rode the shift toward digital-first customer communications, capitalizing on texting's preference over voice calls amid rising CCaaS adoption.[2][6] Its timing aligned with post-2014 regulatory expansions for business texting (e.g., 10DLC), fueling demand for compliant, scalable platforms amid market forces like remote work and AI-driven self-service.[1] By integrating with contact centers, Textel influenced the ecosystem, accelerating omnichannel strategies and paving the way for consolidations like its 2023 Capacity acquisition, which strengthens Capacity's CX portfolio.[1]
Post-acquisition, Textel operates under Capacity (with potential ties to broader players like NICE in CX), likely enhancing integrated texting in AI-powered contact centers.[1] Trends like conversational AI and multimodal CX will shape its path, amplifying efficiency in high-stakes sectors. Its influence may evolve through expanded enterprise deployments, solidifying Capacity's position in a market prioritizing seamless, text-led interactions—echoing Textel's original mission to revolutionize business texting.[1][2]
Textel has raised $132.0M across 5 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $92.6M Capacity - Other Equity / Series D in August 2025.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 7, 2025 | $92.6M Venture Round | Chicago Atlantic | Toloka.vc, TVC Capital | Announced |
| Oct 16, 2024 | $26M Series D | — | Toloka.vc, TVC Capital | Announced |
| Oct 1, 2020 | $4M Series A | Cultivation Capital | Math Venture Partners, Capital Midwest Fund, Stout Street Capital | Announced |
| Dec 1, 2019 | $1M Seed | — | Cultivation Capital, Math Venture Partners | Announced |
| Jun 12, 2018 | $8.4M Series A | Lisa Nichols | — | Announced |
Textel has raised $132.0M in total across 5 funding rounds.
Textel's investors include Chicago Atlantic, Toloka.vc, TVC Capital, Cultivation Capital, MATH Venture Partners, Capital Midwest Fund, Stout Street Capital, Lisa Nichols.