CuePilot AI, an AI-native platform for preschools and daycares, raises $1.8 million in funding

CuePilot AI, a voice-first, AI-native platform for preschools and daycares, has raised $1.8 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Unilazer Ventures, backed by Ronnie Screwvala, founder of upGrad.

The round also saw participation from Eximius Ventures and Titan Capital.

The startup will use the capital to deepen its voice and AI orchestration stack, roll out integrations for priority geographies, and scale its go-to-market efforts across India, the Middle East and Southeast Asia. It plans to subsequently expand into the United States, where average revenue per user is higher and payment volumes are significant.

Founded in 2023 by Adithya Narayanan and Ankur Agarwal, CuePilot is a voice-first, AI-native, full-stack preschool management system designed to automate a large share of administrative work. The platform uses voice-enabled AI to capture short teacher debriefs and classroom context, which are then converted into structured records, progress updates, and operational outputs.

According to the startup, this allows teachers to reduce screen time and spend more time engaging with children in classrooms. As an AI-native management platform, CuePilot covers academics, attendance, health logs, billing, admissions, and parent communication.

The startup is targeting a segment where data is often fragmented across WhatsApp, spreadsheets, and legacy software systems, limiting visibility for school administrators and adding to teachers’ administrative burden.

Ankur Agarwal, co-founder and CEO of CuePilot AI, said, “Preschool teachers have an exceptionally challenging job. Much of their workday is spent on activities outside the classroom, which is unfortunate. We built CuePilot to automate 80 per cent of that work and give them their time back, so they can spend time with children in the classroom.”

Agarwal previously launched Arthshala, a Reggio-inspired preschool in Kolkata.

Ronnie Screwvala, founder of Unilazer Ventures, said, “CuePilot is rethinking early education with an AI-native, voice-first approach – one that I believe will define the next major shift in how we interact with technology. Early learning is where outcomes are most foundational, and voice becomes the most inclusive and scalable way to deliver real-time personalisation. The founders have a strong grasp of the preschool ecosystem and a well-balanced operating–product dynamic that positions them well to capture a large, evolving market.”

Preeti Sampat, partner at Eximius Ventures, said, “Voice capture and LLM reasoning turn unstructured classroom narratives into institutional memory. That is the unlock in early childhood, where data is rarely captured and personalisation is everything. We are excited to back a team that is winning by building products attuned to stakeholders’ natural workflow, and that can build in India for global markets.”

A Titan Capital spokesperson said, “CuePilot is building a category-shaping product for the future of education. At Titan, we believe in backing founders who bring deep clarity to large, underserved markets, and this team does exactly that. Their early traction and sharp execution signal a sizeable opportunity ahead.”

CuePilot claims that it currently serves more than 130 schools across India and Southeast Asia. The startup aims to reach 1,000 schools globally over the next 12 to 18 months, with an aggressive expansion strategy focused on the US market.