Hupo, a Singapore-based startup originally founded as a mental wellness platform called Ami, has successfully pivoted to become a leading AI-powered sales coaching tool for the banking, financial services, and insurance (BFSI) sectors. The company’s journey began four years ago when co-founder and CEO Justin Kim set out to explore what drives human performance, inspired by his deep interest in sports and the patterns behind peak performance. Initially, Ami aimed to help individuals build mental resilience, form better habits, and manage stress through behavioral science. Early support from Meta during the seed round provided valuable lessons: tools only succeed when they integrate seamlessly into people’s daily routines and avoid being judgmental or disconnected from real-world work. These insights became foundational as the company evolved. Kim, who began his career selling enterprise software to banks and financial institutions at Bloomberg, later worked on product development at South Korean fintech Viva Republica, the creator of Toss. These experiences gave him deep insight into the operational realities of financial services and the challenges of selling complex, regulated products. When AI advanced to the point where it could understand conversation context in real time, Kim saw a clear opportunity. “The core problem remains the same—performance at scale,” he said. In BFSI, results vary not due to lack of motivation, but because of inconsistent training, feedback, and confidence. Traditional coaching can’t scale across large teams, especially in highly regulated environments. Hupo’s solution is an AI platform that listens to real sales calls, analyzes conversations, and delivers immediate, personalized coaching. It’s built specifically for the nuances of financial services—understanding product details, common client objections, and compliance requirements. Unlike many AI coaching tools that start with technology and force-fit it into business needs, Hupo built its platform around the actual workflows of banks and insurers. The company has raised $10 million in a Series A led by DST Global Partners, with participation from Collaborative Fund, Goodwater Capital, January Capital, and Strong Ventures. Total funding since 2022 now stands at $15 million. Hupo serves dozens of clients across APAC and Europe, including Prudential, AXA, Manulife, HSBC, Bank of Ireland, and Grab. Customers typically expand their contracts 3 to 8 times within the first six months, a strong indicator of product-market fit. Hupo plans to enter the U.S. market in the first half of the year, targeting large financial institutions where scalable coaching is essential. The new capital will fuel product development—especially real-time coaching features—enterprise deployments, go-to-market expansion, and team growth. Looking ahead, Kim envisions Hupo evolving beyond sales coaching to help large organizations improve team performance at scale, offering managers and employees actionable insights across tens of thousands of interactions. The goal is to make high-quality, consistent coaching accessible to every team member, not just a select few.