OneText

OneText provides a software platform for e-commerce businesses that facilitates sales directly through SMS conversations. The company was founded in 2021 by Jonathan Fudem (CEO) and Daniel Brain (CTO), two veterans of the payments industry who previously worked together at PayPal. Their experience designing checkout experiences led them to create a service that simplifies the buying process, aiming to make it as seamless as charging an item to a hotel room.

The core of OneText's service is turning a customer's phone number into a "card on file". After a consumer makes an initial purchase and enters their payment details, the information is securely vaulted. For all subsequent purchases with any brand on the OneText network, the customer can simply reply to a text message to complete the transaction, eliminating the need to click links, visit a website, or re-enter credit card information. This text-to-buy functionality is designed to reduce friction and increase conversion rates for merchants. The platform also utilizes AI-powered two-way messaging for features like cart recovery and personalized recommendations, with human oversight to enhance engagement.

OneText operates on a hybrid business model that combines a tiered monthly SaaS fee with a revenue-sharing component based on sales generated through the platform. The company primarily targets mid-sized e-commerce brands with annual revenues between $10 million and $100 million but also serves smaller startups and large enterprises. The platform integrates with existing e-commerce tools like Shopify and Klaviyo. A participant in Y Combinator's Winter 2023 batch, OneText has secured significant funding, including a $4.5 million seed round in July 2025, from investors such as Khosla Ventures, Coatue, and Y Combinator.

Keywords: text-to-buy, SMS marketing, conversational commerce, frictionless payments, e-commerce, mobile payments, cart recovery, SaaS, Shopify integration, text to buy, SMS payments, AI-powered messaging, direct-to-consumer, customer engagement, mobile commerce, payment processing, checkout optimization, lead conversion, digital wallet