Talkray (TiKL)

Talkray (operating as TiKL) is a consumer messaging and voice calling app developed to enable free phone calls, group calls, text messages, photos, and videos over low-bandwidth mobile connections. Originally launched as a push-to-talk walkie-talkie app called TiKL in 2012 after graduating from Y Combinator's Winter 2012 batch, the company pivoted to Talkray to serve users in developing markets such as India, Southeast Asia, and Tanzania where mobile infrastructure limited data-heavy apps. The app reached over 25 million downloads and was especially popular in India, the Maldives, Jamaica, and other regions with constrained wireless networks. The company raised $7.4 million total across seed and Series B rounds from investors including General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, Lerer Hippeau, and SV Angel.