Truecaller gets into the eSIM business to diversify its revenue streams
Source: TechCrunch
Overview
Caller ID company Truecaller has launched eSIM services aimed at travelers. The move is intended to strengthen the company’s balance sheet and diversify its revenue streams amid declining ad revenues.
eSIM Offering
Truecaller’s eSIM plans range from 1 GB for 7 days up to 20 GB for 30 days.
Market Availability
The eSIM product is initially available in 29 countries, including:
- Italy, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Finland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary
- United States, United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Egypt, Nigeria
India, Truecaller’s largest market, is not included, likely due to the country’s strict telecom regulations. India previously blocked Airalo and Holafly over concerns about fraudulent use【source】(https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/newsletters/tech-top-5/apple-google-play-store-block-two-e-sim-apps-in-india-it-firms-stare-at-soft-q3/articleshow/106641875.cms?from=mdr).
Partnerships
Truecaller is working with:
- Telna, a global cellular connectivity provider
- Telness Tech, a telecom software provider
These partners help operate the eSIM platform.
Competitive Landscape
Other eSIM providers include Airalo, Holafly, Roamless, and NordVPN’s Saily. Truecaller believes its existing user base of over 500 million will give it an advantage in acquiring new eSIM users.
“The starting point is different from other players in the category. They have had to build their audiences from zero. We are offering travel eSIM inside our app that over 500 million people already use and trust every month,” said Truecaller COO Fredrik Kjell to TechCrunch.
“These are established relationships, with a large number of people having used Truecaller for many years. That changes distribution and pricing,” Kjell added.
Strategic Rationale
Kjell described the eSIM launch as a strategic move that makes the app more useful for users. This comes at a critical time for Truecaller:
- The company slashed 70 jobs across multiple teams【source】(https://techcrunch.com/2026/05/08/truecaller-slashes-70-jobs-amid-declining-ad-sales/)
- Q1 2026 results showed net sales down 27 % to 362 million SEK (~$39.34 million) and ad revenues down 44 %
Truecaller is therefore leaning into subscription revenue with features such as AI Assistant【source】(https://techcrunch.com/2024/05/22/truecaller-partners-with-microsoft-to-let-its-ai-respond-to-calls-in-your-own-voice/) and Family Protection【source】(https://techcrunch.com/2026/03/12/truecallers-now-lets-you-hang-up-on-scammers-on-behalf-of-your-family/). In a period of shaky ad revenue, services like eSIM provide an additional monetization avenue.
Industry Trends
TechCrunch reported that eSIM adoption is on the rise thanks to travel and device compatibility【source】(https://techcrunch.com/2025/12/05/esim-adoption-is-on-the-rise-thanks-to-travel-and-device-compatibility/). Investors are also actively funding eSIM startups. In the past 12 months, companies such as Airalo, Roamless, Kolet, eSIMo, and Truley have raised multi‑million‑dollar rounds【sources】(https://www.cvc.com/media/news/2025/airalo-becomes-the-first-esim-unicorn-with-an-investment-round-of-220m/, https://roamless.com/press-room/we-have-raised-12m-to-become-the-worlds-first-truly-global-mobile-operator, https://www.phocuswire.com/kolet-raises-10-million-dollars-series-a-funding, https://finance.yahoo.com/news/esimo-closes-10-million-funding-150500566.html, https://e27.co/truely-tops-up-funding-to-us5-5m-to-boost-travel-connectivity-solutions-20250602/)