Prelude, founded in 2022, provides an SMS verification API that companies use to onboard and authenticate users. The product covers 230+ countries, has processed verifications for over 100 million user accounts, and delivers a 95% successful verification rate. Customers include BeReal, Alma, Sunday, and Bitstack, drawn primarily from fintech, consumer apps, and B2B software across Europe and North America. The company raised an $8 million seed round backed by Singular and Seedcamp, and was founded by former members of the Zenly team.
At the infrastructure level, Prelude operates a multi-routing engine connected to 30+ SMS providers. The system selects optimal routes in real-time to maximize delivery reliability and control costs - customers save 60% on SMS costs on average compared to standard pricing. A four-layer, AI-powered fraud detection system blocks 99% of fraudulent verification attempts. Prelude is SOC 2 Type II compliant.
The engineering surface spans telecom and provider integrations, real-time routing logic, AI-driven fraud detection, and cost optimization systems. The stack sits at the intersection of distributed infrastructure, machine learning, and security - operating at scale across a wide range of carrier environments and regulatory contexts worldwide.