The AI productivity landscape in 2025 continues to expand with innovative startups tackling everyday work headaches. One such headache, endless email ping-pong to coordinate meeting schedules, now has a promising solution. London-based startup Meet-Ting (or “Ting”) has raised €289k in a recent SEIS round, aiming to rescue professionals from “calendar jail” through its groundbreaking AI-powered scheduling assistant.
This article reviews Meet-Ting’s journey, sheds light on funding strategies, explores how its tools compare to competitors, and shares critical lessons other entrepreneurs can apply to their startups.
What Is Meet-Ting?
Meet-Ting is an AI scheduling assistant designed to simplify meeting arrangements. Unlike popular tools like Calendly, which rely on sharing links and manual juggling of schedules, Ting lives directly in your inbox. All you need to do is CC Ting on an email thread, and it will propose meeting times, check calendars, and send invites, seamlessly adapting to the conversation’s context.
Described as “minimal, conversational, and frictionless,” Ting integrates with Gmail (with plans for Outlook coming soon), requiring no separate dashboard, logins, or installations.
Who’s Behind the Platform?
The founders of Meet-Ting bring deep expertise in social media, branding, and AI.
- Dan Bulteel (CEO): Former Global Head of Social at TikTok/ByteDance and Adidas.
- Oliver Yonchev: Co-founder via venture studio Cocreatd, with experience at Social Chain AG.
- James Lawson Baker: Co-founder with a background in digital ecosystems.
Advisors: Key professionals from Netflix, Disney, TikTok, and Google add credibility to Ting’s innovation.
How Meet-Ting Raised €289k in 2025
Meet-Ting’s funding round was oversubscribed under the UK’s SEIS (Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme), a tax-efficient way to raise early-stage investment. While investors’ identities remain undisclosed, the startup is already part of Google’s AI Startup Program, receiving €303k in cloud credits, adding substantial value to their runway.
How Meet-Ting Works: The User Journey
Here’s how entrepreneurs, freelancers, and business owners can make tedious scheduling easier:
- Compose an Email: Simply CC “Ting” when planning a meeting.
- Let AI Take Over: Ting analyzes email threads to understand context, checks availability (via your Google Calendar), and suggests suitable time slots.
- Confirmation: Once participants confirm, Ting sends out invites.
- Continuous Learning: The AI refines its suggestions based on user behavior.
Lessons for Entrepreneurs: Key Takeaways From Meet-Ting’s Success
1. Focus on Real Pain Points
Ting was born from CEO Dan Bulteel’s personal frustration with scheduling chaos. Insight into tangible problems increases a product’s resonance with users. Entrepreneurs should identify similarly specific, everyday issues in their domains.
2. Start Lean, Iterate Fast
Meet-Ting went from idea to product and €289k in seed funding in just two months. Speed is critical, especially in competitive markets like AI.
3. Craft a Clear Value Proposition
Meet-Ting differentiates itself from Calendly and similar platforms by being “invisible,” conversational, and integrated directly within email, minimizing friction for both users and recipients.
4. Build with Partnerships in Mind
Advisors from Google, Netflix, TikTok, and Disney elevate Ting’s credibility. Find mentors and networks aligned to your startup's domain.
5. Maximize Startup Programs
Being part of Google’s AI Startup Program, worth €303k in cloud benefits, gave Ting early technical and financial support. Explore programs like Malta Startup Residency or even F/MS AI Grant Finder to identify funding opportunities.
6. Accessibility Over Complexity Matters
Professionals who struggle to adopt new tools will gravitate toward simpler solutions. Meet-Ting’s email-native approach eliminates barriers common to SaaS products with separate dashboards.
7. Prepare for Competition
The B2B scheduling market is crowded. Competitors like Calendly, Clara Labs, and Superhuman Calendar also position themselves as innovators, making continued product updates and feedback loops essential for Ting’s scalability.
How to Raise Funds as an Early-Stage Entrepreneur
For those inspired by Meet-Ting’s fundraising, tools like the F/MS AI Grant Finder can be game-changers. This tool helps European entrepreneurs quickly identify fitting grants and even drafts their application. Built on AI, the tool streamlines tedious funding paperwork and increases your chances of success.
Additionally, leveraging platforms such as the F/MS Startup Game teaches entrepreneurs the art of fundraising and bootstrapping through an engaging gamified process.
Common Mistakes To Avoid When Building AI Products
- Ignoring Human-In-The-Loop Training: AI requires reinforcement learning to align with users. Meet-Ting’s Google-backed Gemini AI uses real-time memory to adapt.
- Building Excess Complexity: Ting benefits by being purposefully minimal, don’t overbuild, especially at beta stages.
- Neglecting Beta Feedback: Its ongoing beta allows Ting to refine features before a broader release. Always start with test groups.
Spotlight on PlayPal: AI Friend to Play & Learn With
Meet-Ting’s success isn’t the only AI trend gaining traction in 2025. A groundbreaking alternative AI use case is PlayPal, an AI friend designed by Fe/male Switch (founded by Violetta Bonenkamp).
What is PlayPal?
- A custom AI companion capable of providing advice, language learning, wellness guidance, and deeper conversations on personal or professional matters.
- Personalization: Users can customize their PlayPal’s traits, outfits, and even demeanor for a uniquely tailored experience.
Why mention it here? Entrepreneurs like Dan and Violetta show AI’s incredible versatility: whether automating schedules or revolutionizing mentorship through gamified friends, there’s never been a better time to innovate.
Conclusion: The Future of AI in Productivity Tools
Meet-Ting’s fast-growth model highlights a growing demand for context-aware, frictionless AI assistants that blend seamlessly into professionals’ daily workflows. With €289k to scale and invest in personalization, Ting has joined the race to dominate the post-pandemic productivity revolution.
For entrepreneurs eyeing opportunities, follow these essential steps:
- Start simple, solving real-world pain points.
- Secure funding via AI-based tools like the F/MS AI Grant Finder to focus on building solutions.
- Test iteratively and think broad, AI isn’t about one solution; it’s about adaptive ecosystems.
Whether using Meet-Ting to conquer “calendar jail” or exploring PlayPal as a tech-savvy companion, entrepreneurs today have tools to streamline life and work like never before. The question isn’t if AI will dominate productivity but how quickly innovators adapt to the change.
FAQ
1. What is Meet-Ting?
Meet-Ting is an AI-powered scheduling assistant that simplifies meeting arrangements by working directly within your email. Simply CC Ting on a thread, and it manages scheduling without requiring external dashboards or links. Learn more about Meet-Ting
2. Who are the founders of Meet-Ting?
Meet-Ting was founded by Dan Bulteel, Oliver Yonchev, and James Lawson Baker, each bringing expertise in social media, branding, and AI. Explore Cocreatd, home of Ting's co-founders
3. How does Meet-Ting work?
When planning a meeting, CC Ting in your email thread. Ting analyzes the context, checks availability via Google Calendar, proposes times, and sends invites, all without requiring external tools or installations. Join the Meet-Ting beta
4. How much funding has Meet-Ting raised?
Meet-Ting secured €289k in seed funding via the SEIS scheme and received €303k in Google Cloud credits through the Google AI Startup Program. Learn more about Meet-Ting's funding
5. What makes Meet-Ting different from competitors like Calendly?
Unlike Calendly, Meet-Ting operates entirely within email, eliminating the need for recipients to interact with external links or platforms. This makes scheduling frictionless and conversational. Check out Meet-Ting’s approach
6. What benefits does Meet-Ting's Google AI partnership provide?
Meet-Ting is part of Google’s AI Startup Program, which provides technical support and €303k in cloud credits, enabling scalability and advanced AI learning. Discover Google’s AI Startup Program
7. How can entrepreneurs raise seed funding like Meet-Ting?
Startups can explore tools like the F/MS AI Grant Finder, which identifies EU funding opportunities and drafts applications with AI assistance. Learn more about F/MS AI Grant Finder
8. What is PlayPal by Fe/male Switch, and how does it compare to Meet-Ting?
PlayPal is an AI friend developed by Fe/male Switch that offers language learning, wellness help, and virtual companionship. While Meet-Ting is productivity-focused, PlayPal emphasizes personalized social interaction. Explore PlayPal
9. What challenges might Meet-Ting face in the competitive B2B scheduling market?
Competition includes established tools like Calendly, Clara Labs, Superhuman Calendar, and others. Meet-Ting must continuously iterate to stand out through its “invisible assistant” approach. Check out Meet-Ting’s positioning
10. How quickly did Meet-Ting go from idea to funding?
Meet-Ting was ideated, developed, and funded in just two months, showing the importance of focus and speed in early-stage startups. Learn more about Meet-Ting’s rapid development
About the Author
Violetta Bonenkamp, also known as MeanCEO, is an experienced startup founder with an impressive educational background including an MBA and four other higher education degrees. She has over 20 years of work experience across multiple countries, including 5 years as a solopreneur and serial entrepreneur. Throughout her startup experience she has applied for multiple startup grants at the EU level, in the Netherlands and Malta, and her startups received quite a few of those. She’s been living, studying and working in many countries around the globe and her extensive multicultural experience has influenced her immensely.
Violetta is a true multiple specialist who has built expertise in Linguistics, Education, Business Management, Blockchain, Entrepreneurship, Intellectual Property, Game Design, AI, SEO, Digital Marketing, cyber security and zero code automations. Her extensive educational journey includes a Master of Arts in Linguistics and Education, an Advanced Master in Linguistics from Belgium (2006-2007), an MBA from Blekinge Institute of Technology in Sweden (2006-2008), and an Erasmus Mundus joint program European Master of Higher Education from universities in Norway, Finland, and Portugal (2009).
She is the founder of Fe/male Switch, a startup game that encourages women to enter STEM fields, and also leads CADChain, and multiple other projects like the Directory of 1,000 Startup Cities with a proprietary MeanCEO Index that ranks cities for female entrepreneurs. Violetta created the "gamepreneurship" methodology, which forms the scientific basis of her startup game. She also builds a lot of SEO tools for startups. Her achievements include being named one of the top 100 women in Europe by EU Startups in 2022 and being nominated for Impact Person of the year at the Dutch Blockchain Week. She is an author with Sifted and a speaker at different Universities. Recently she published a book on Startup Idea Validation the right way: from zero to first customers and beyond and launched a Directory of 1,500+ websites for startups to list themselves in order to gain traction and build backlinks.
Violetta Bonenkamp's expertise in CAD sector, IP protection and blockchain
Violetta Bonenkamp is recognized as a multidisciplinary expert with significant achievements in the CAD sector, intellectual property (IP) protection, and blockchain technology.
CAD Sector:
- Violetta is the CEO and co-founder of CADChain, a deep tech startup focused on developing IP management software specifically for CAD (Computer-Aided Design) data. CADChain addresses the lack of industry standards for CAD data protection and sharing, using innovative technology to secure and manage design data.
- She has led the company since its inception in 2018, overseeing R&D, PR, and business development, and driving the creation of products for platforms such as Autodesk Inventor, Blender, and SolidWorks.
- Her leadership has been instrumental in scaling CADChain from a small team to a significant player in the deeptech space, with a diverse, international team.
IP Protection:
- Violetta has built deep expertise in intellectual property, combining academic training with practical startup experience. She has taken specialized courses in IP from institutions like WIPO and the EU IPO.
- She is known for sharing actionable strategies for startup IP protection, leveraging both legal and technological approaches, and has published guides and content on this topic for the entrepreneurial community.
- Her work at CADChain directly addresses the need for robust IP protection in the engineering and design industries, integrating cybersecurity and compliance measures to safeguard digital assets.
Blockchain:
- Violetta’s entry into the blockchain sector began with the founding of CADChain, which uses blockchain as a core technology for securing and managing CAD data.
- She holds several certifications in blockchain and has participated in major hackathons and policy forums, such as the OECD Global Blockchain Policy Forum.
- Her expertise extends to applying blockchain for IP management, ensuring data integrity, traceability, and secure sharing in the CAD industry.
For the past several years Violetta has been living between the Netherlands and Malta, while also regularly traveling to different destinations around the globe, usually due to her entrepreneurial activities. This has led her to start writing about different locations and amenities from the POV of an entrepreneur. Here’s her recent article about best hotels in Italy to work from.
About the Publication
Fe/male Switch is an innovative startup platform designed to empower women entrepreneurs through an immersive, game-like experience. Founded in 2020 during the pandemic "without any funding and without any code," this non-profit initiative has evolved into a comprehensive educational tool for aspiring female entrepreneurs.The platform was co-founded by Violetta Shishkina-Bonenkamp, who serves as CEO and one of the lead authors of the Startup News branch. The Fe/male Switch team is located in several countries, including the Netherlands and Malta.
Mission and Purpose
Fe/male Switch Foundation was created to address the gender gap in the tech and entrepreneurship space. The platform aims to skill-up future female tech leaders and empower them to create resilient and innovative tech startups through what they call "gamepreneurship". By putting players in a virtual startup village where they must survive and thrive, the startup game allows women to test their entrepreneurial abilities without financial risk.
Key Features
The platform offers a unique blend of news, resources,learning, networking, and practical application within a supportive, female-focused environment:
- Skill Lab: Micro-modules covering essential startup skills
- Virtual Startup Building: Create or join startups and tackle real-world challenges
- AI Co-founder (PlayPal): Guides users through the startup process
- SANDBOX: A testing environment for idea validation before launch
- Wellness Integration: Virtual activities to balance work and self-care
- Marketplace: Buy or sell expert sessions and tutorials
Impact and Growth
Since its inception, Fe/male Switch has shown impressive growth:
- 3,000+ female entrepreneurs in the community
- 100+ startup tools built
- 5,000+ pieces of articles and news written
Partnerships
Fe/male Switch has formed strategic partnerships to enhance its offerings. In January 2022, it teamed up with global website builder Tilda to provide free access to website building tools and mentorship services for Fe/male Switch participants.
Recognition
Fe/male Switch has received media attention for its innovative approach to closing the gender gap in tech entrepreneurship. The platform has been featured in various publications highlighting its unique "play to learn and earn" model.
