# Mahyar Raissi

> Mahyar Raissi is the co-founder and CEO of Quo, formerly OpenPhone. A University of Waterloo software engineering graduate, he worked on contractor software at Joist before building a business phone app with Daryna Kulya. Their company joined Y Combinator in summer 2018, expanded from individual work numbers to team communications, and announced the Quo rebrand and $105 million in financing in September 2025.

- **Role:** Co-founder and CEO at Quo
- **Organizations:** Quo (formerly OpenPhone), Joist, Y Combinator
- **Education:** Software Engineering, University of Waterloo
- **Known for:** Co-founded Quo with Daryna Kulya and completed Y Combinator’s summer 2018 program., Helped expand OpenPhone from a mobile app for individuals to a shared business communication platform., Led the company through the financing announcements of 2020, 2022, and 2025.

## Career timeline

- **2014** — Graduated from the University of Waterloo and joined contractor-software company Joist.
- **2017** — Developed OpenPhone with Daryna Kulya; the venture joined Velocity Garage in Kitchener.
- **2018** — Co-founded and launched OpenPhone; joined Y Combinator’s summer batch and moved to the Bay Area.
- **2020** — Announced a $2 million seed round in January and $14 million Series A in November; OpenPhone 2.0 extended the product to teams.
- **2022** — Announced a $40 million Series B led by Tiger Global, with more than 20,000 customers reported.
- **2025** — Announced the Quo rebrand, $105 million financing, and expanded Sona AI capabilities on September 23.

## Achievements

- Co-founded Quo with Daryna Kulya and completed Y Combinator’s summer 2018 program.
- Helped expand OpenPhone from a mobile app for individuals to a shared business communication platform.
- Led the company through the financing announcements of 2020, 2022, and 2025.
- Quo reported serving more than 90,000 businesses on its company about page at the time of research.

## Latest updates

- **2026-09** — Listed as a speaker for the UNBOUND 2026 session “OpenPhone to Quo: How to Rebrand 7 Years In,” scheduled for September 16; the listing describes Quo as serving 100,000+ customers.
- **2025-10** — Hosted a Reddit AMA on October 16 covering the rebrand, product roadmap, and company growth.
- **2025-09** — Announced OpenPhone’s rebrand to Quo, $105 million in financing, and a broader front-office role for Sona.

## Links

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahyarr/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/mahyar-raissi
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-10-23