Return Signals
Winter 2026 NewProactive AI customer support that engages high-value users
Proactive AI customer support that engages high-value users. By using LLM’s to engage customers in an authentic way before they reach out to customer support we minimize support tickets, build relationships and deliver upsells. We are the only AI agent on the market with sufficient engagement to be allowed to send iMessages outbound.
AI Investor Summary
Return Signals is building a proactive AI customer support platform that engages high-value e-commerce users before they need to reach out. Leveraging LLMs and a unique ability to send outbound iMessages, they aim to reduce support tickets, build stronger customer relationships, and drive upsells. The founding team's strong technical background from Google and Meta positions them well to execute on this innovative approach.
Key Highlights
- ● Founders with strong pedigree from Google and Meta.
- ● Unique ability to send outbound iMessages for customer engagement.
- ● Addresses a clear pain point in e-commerce customer support and retention.
Risk Factors
- ● Sustainability of the outbound iMessage channel and potential for platform restrictions.
- ● Proving the ROI of proactive engagement against traditional support methods.
- ● Scaling the AI's 'authentic engagement' capability across diverse customer segments.
Founders
Ilya Valmianski is the co-founder of Return Signals, a Y Combinator startup focused on improving the efficiency of return processes for e-commerce businesses. His background includes significant experience in engineering and product development, with a focus on building scalable software solutions. Valmianski's expertise lies in leveraging data and technology to optimize operational workflows.
Alejandro Zaniolo is the co-founder of Return Signals, a Y Combinator startup focused on improving customer retention. His background appears to be in engineering and product development, with a focus on building and scaling technology solutions. He has a strong interest in leveraging data to drive business growth.
Score Breakdown
Founders are ex-Google and ex-Meta engineers with strong CS degrees from Berkeley. This indicates significant technical depth and experience building scalable products. Their prior experience at top tech companies is a strong signal for execution ability. [Boost +1: Founder from Google; Founder from Google]
The e-commerce customer support and retention market is massive and growing. The timing is opportune with increasing customer expectations for proactive and personalized engagement. While competitive, the niche focus on high-value users and proactive outbound engagement offers differentiation. [Boost +0.5: Hot sector: ai]
The core innovation of using LLMs for authentic, proactive engagement to reduce support tickets and drive upsells is compelling. The ability to send outbound iMessages is a significant technical and regulatory moat, if sustainable. The product's defensibility hinges on the effectiveness and ongoing ability to maintain this outbound channel.
Traction is very early, as expected for a Winter 2026 batch. The positive press coverage and blog posts indicate early validation and interest. However, concrete metrics on revenue, user growth, or specific partnership deals are not yet available.
News
This blog post from Return Signals contrasts their proactive post-purchase concierge approach with traditional SMS marketing, helpdesks, and return portals, highlighting the benefits of one-to-one customer relationships.
A tweet highlights Return Signals' ability to help e-commerce brands decrease returns and increase customer lifetime value through proactive high-touch support.
Return Signals launched on Y Combinator, offering an AI-powered post-purchase messaging service designed to reduce returns and increase repeat purchases for e-commerce brands.
Return Signals is a post-purchase engagement platform that uses proactive SMS check-ins to reduce e-commerce returns and build customer relationships, achieving an impressive 61% response rate.
In January 2026, Return Signals published this post discussing how proactive post-purchase engagement can prevent returns and build loyalty.
This February 2026 article compares various return portals for e-commerce apparel, discussing where Return Signals fits in by focusing on personal customer relationships.
Published in January 2026, this post argues that proactive SMS engagement can reclaim the customer service moment lost in e-commerce returns.
This blog post from March 2026 compares Return Signals' proactive post-purchase engagement approach with traditional SMS marketing, helpdesks, and return portals, highlighting the benefits of one-to-one customer relationships.
A February 2026 comparison of SMS services for e-commerce apparel brands, positioning Return Signals against marketing-focused platforms by emphasizing two-way conversations.
Return Signals, a proactive CX platform for e-commerce, announced a $500K pre-seed funding round in January 2026, led by Y Combinator.
Return Signals is a seed-stage company founded in 2025, operating as a provider of an AI-powered platform for post-purchase customer engagement and support, having raised $500K in funding.
Return Signals is a post-purchase engagement platform for e-commerce brands that uses AI-powered text conversations to build customer relationships, drive exchanges, and gather product insights.
The Return Signals blog features insights on post-purchase engagement, customer experience, and how proactive conversations are transforming e-commerce, including comparisons with SMS marketing, helpdesks, and return portals.
Two Boxes, an AI-powered returns processing platform for e-commerce brands and 3PLs, has raised $3.2M in funding led by Assembly Ventures to accelerate AI features, enterprise adoption, and international expansion.
Return Signals is building an AI-powered luxury concierge that lets brands proactively check in with customers via SMS when their items are delivered, aiming to reduce returns and build customer relationships.
Quick Info
- Batch
- Winter 2026
- Team Size
- 2
- Location
- Unspecified
- Founders
- 2
- Scraped
- 4/10/2026