Built in Canada, for Canadian Businesses

The Problem We Lived

In 2022, our co-founders were running their own businesses—one running a dental practice, the other managing a growing tech consultancy. Both faced the same brutal reality every single day: missed calls = missed revenue.

One dental practice was missing 40+ patient calls per week. At $400-$1,200 per patient lifetime value, that was $80,000-$240,000 in potential annual revenue disappearing while the dentist was literally in the next room.

The consultancy wasn't better. Sales inquiries went to voicemail while the team was heads-down on client work. By the time they called back, the prospect had already signed with a competitor who answered in 30 seconds.

The "Aha!" Moment

After cycling through three different answering services (inconsistent quality, constantly training new people, limited availability) and watching ChatGPT transform how people interacted with technology, the question became obvious:

"Why can't my receptionist work 24/7, never call in sick, and handle every call with perfect consistency?"

They spent six months obsessively building, testing, and refining. The breakthrough came in February 2023 when they connected ElevenLabs' voice AI with OpenAI's GPT-4 and built custom appointment booking logic that actually worked.

Building Ryan

They named the first AI receptionist "Ryan" as a nod to Canada's iconic coffee chain—because just like Tim Hortons is reliably there at 5 AM when you need coffee, Ryan is reliably there at 2 AM when a patient calls with a dental emergency.

The dental practice deployed Ryan first. Within 30 days, Ryan had answered 847 calls with a 94% satisfaction rate. New patient bookings increased by 47. Revenue from after-hours calls alone: $23,500 in the first month.

Word spread fast in Canada's tight-knit small business community. Dentists told lawyers. Lawyers told real estate agents. Real estate agents told HVAC contractors. By June 2023, they had 20 businesses begging for access.

Why "Pingally"

The name Pingally represents two core ideas:

"Ping" – In tech, a "ping" is a signal to check if something is alive and responsive. Every phone call is a customer "pinging" your business. We make sure you respond.

"Ally" – We're not replacing your team. We're your 24/7 ally, handling the relentless grind of phone coverage so your humans can focus on what actually requires human expertise.

Plus, as a proudly Canadian company, the "ally" also reflects our commitment to being a trusted partner to Canadian businesses—not a faceless American SaaS vendor who doesn't understand PHIPA compliance or the challenges of running a small business in the GTA.

🇨🇦 Canadian Data Sovereignty

All customer data is stored on Canadian servers (AWS Canada Central - Montreal). We never transfer data to US servers, period. Full PHIPA compliance, SOC 2 Type II certified, and regular third-party security audits.

🏙️ Canadian Business Priority

Canadian businesses get first access to new features, dedicated local support, and priority onboarding. We host quarterly user meetups where you can network with other small business owners using AI to scale.

🎓 Hiring Canadian Tech Talent

60% of our team are Waterloo and York grads. We actively recruit from Canada's world-class AI research community and contribute back through open-source projects and tech meetups.

💰 Reinvesting in the Community

We sponsor local business associations, donate AI receptionist services to non-profits, and provide free consulting to Canadian startups through partnerships with MaRS and DMZ.