IntelePeer raises $18M for telephony-Web platform

IntelePeer a Silicon Valley company that offers technology to make calls from within Web applications to phones or other devices, has raised $18 million in a third round of venture capital funding led by VantagePoint Venture Partners.

IntelePeer is somewhat like Ribbit, another Silicon Valley company we’ve written about that lets developers insert phone software into any Web application — and which was so popular that it was snapped up shortly after launch by BT for $105 million.

IntelePeer, based in San Mateo, Calif. says software companies (MS, WebEx), carriers (BT, AT&T, Verizon) and online businesses (Facebook, TMCnet) are already using its service to integrate phone services within their applications. Wireless carriers use it to make calls more more cheaply. WebEx implemented it to assist in an emergency response system, Facebook users can use it to connect with their friends live with its click-to-call feature, and TMCnet readers can also use the click-to-call feature to ask questions about a particular product/technology. Calls can be made to any phone or network-connected device.

IntelePeer says it has partnerships with 50 leading global carriers and service providers – letting those carriers complete calls more cheaply internationally than Ribbit can.

According to the company’s announcement:

The company’s technology and services are used by software vendors, carriers and online businesses to easily deliver cost-effective voice and multimedia capabilities from within an enterprise application or Web workflow to any phone or network-connected device. Voice 2.0 integrates multiple forms of media (voice, data and video) into enterprise applications and Web workflows to provide a highly personalized and powerful user experience.

IntelePeer’s AppworX™ open communications platform and voice peering grid network gives application developers the ability to create high-quality interactive voice, video, SMS, data and other rich media services that boost productivity while reducing telecommunications and operational expenses through the hosted business model. A communications-as-a-service (CaaS) offering, IntelePeer AppworX is ideal for increasing collaboration among business application users, fostering closer connections with customers and introducing communications-enabled business processes that drive efficiency and deliver cost savings.

Previous investors Kennet Venture Partners, NorthCap Partners and EDF Ventures also participated. The company changed its name from VoEx last year, and has raised $12.5 million since its founding in 2003.