Hupo

About Hupo

Hupo operates a talent coaching platform that utilizes artificial intelligence for sales teams, primarily within the banking, financial services, and insurance sectors. The company, headquartered in Singapore, combines generative AI with human coaches to provide scalable leadership development and performance enhancement solutions. Hupo’s platform offers features like real-time conversation analysis, personalized coaching feedback, interactive practice simulations for sales scenarios, and progress tracking dashboards. This approach is designed to improve sales conversions and reduce the time to the first sale by addressing specific industry challenges such as regulatory complexity and intricate product knowledge.

The company was founded in 2022 by Justin Kim, Jean Neo, Bek Abdik, and Beknazar A. Initially launched under the name Ami as a mental wellness platform, it was reportedly the first Asian startup to receive an investment from Meta. Founder and CEO Justin Kim, drawing on his background at Bloomberg and Bain & Company and his interest in sports performance, recognized that mental resilience was a critical factor in workplace performance. However, the Ami venture struggled to gain traction as potential clients cut employee benefits. This led to a strategic pivot in 2023, refocusing the company's core technology on management and sales coaching, a move inspired by the observation that employees often leave due to poor management rather than the company itself. Co-founder and COO Jean Neo, with her experience at Morgan Stanley and Bloomberg, also played a crucial role in refining the service offering after conducting extensive interviews with senior executives across Asia.

Following the pivot, Hupo experienced significant growth, increasing its revenue by 800% in eight months and expanding its client base to include major companies like Oracle, Morgan Stanley, HSBC, AXA, and Prudential. The business model offers clients fully human-led coaching, AI-only modules, or a hybrid approach. This scalable model allows companies to extend coaching beyond the C-suite to a larger percentage of their workforce. Hupo has raised a total of $15 million in funding, including a $10 million Series A round in January 2026 led by DST Global. The company plans to use the capital to enhance its product, particularly real-time coaching features, and expand into the U.S. market.