Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 31
Circleback Launches Free Meeting Tier, Cutting Entry Price From $20.83 to $14
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 31

Circleback Launches Free Meeting Tier, Cutting Entry Price From $20.83 to $14

1 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Aug 31

Summary

  • Circleback introduced its first free plan, letting users transcribe unlimited meetings while limiting transcript history to the last 30 days.
  • The move targets user drop-off from the startup’s previously limited trial and intensifying competition from rivals including Granola, Read AI, Fireflies, Wispr and Calendly.
  • Free users get recording, mobile and Apple Watch apps, AI transcript queries, and Slack and Linear integrations; paid plans start at $14 a month annually for full integrations, unlimited history, and API and MCP access.
  • Founded in 2023, Circleback says it has been profitable since raising $2.5 million in 2024, with more than $1 million in run-rate revenue per employee—about $8 million across its eight-person team.
  • The company said it is treating the free tier as a marketing spend instead of buying Google or Meta ads, and is not seeking new funding despite inbound interest.

Insights

As AI note-takers race to offer free tiers, are we sacrificing active human listening for automated company memory?
How did an 8-person AI startup hit $8 million in revenue without spending a single dime on ads?