Hyper, a startup co-founded by Canadian entrepreneurs Damian McCabe and Ben Sanders, has officially exited stealth mode after securing $6.3 million USD (approx. $8.5 million CAD) in funding.
The San Francisco-based company is developing an AI-powered voice assistant that filters out non-emergency 911 calls, easing the burden on overstretched emergency call centers across the United States.
Using AI to cut through noise
The tool, which can communicate in over 30 languages, listens to and engages with callers, asks relevant follow-up questions, and decides whether to redirect them to the correct agency or escalate the case to a human dispatcher. Hyper claims its platform can autonomously resolve up to 75% of non-emergency calls and scale during peak loads to ensure no call goes unanswered.
According to CEO Ben Sanders—also known for co-founding Clearco and Proof—the company is currently moving from early pilots into 24/7 live operations with its first agency partners.
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Canadian tech DNA
Although based in San Francisco, Hyper’s founding team is deeply rooted in Canadian tech. Sanders and McCabe both have strong ties to Toronto’s startup ecosystem, with McCabe having previously built and sold product development firm Connected. Many of Hyper’s employees are Canadian, and the company is even hiring for roles across both the U.S. and Canada.
Who’s backing Hyper?
Eniac Ventures led the funding round, joined by several prominent U.S. firms such as GreatPoint Ventures, VSC Ventures, and Tusk Venture Partners. Canadian backers include Ripple Ventures and Trillick Ventures, alongside angel investors from leading Canadian startups like Cohere, Neo Financial, Clearco, and Top Hat. Ripple Ventures, which first invested at the pre-seed stage, helped connect Hyper to its latest lead investor.
With 911 dispatch centers in crisis—staff shortages left one in four positions unfilled in 2023—Hyper’s solution arrives at a critical time. By filtering non-urgent calls and keeping lines open for true emergencies, the company hopes to dramatically improve response times and reduce stress on emergency services.
