Truecaller ventures into eSIM business to diversify its revenue sources
Caller ID company Truecaller launches eSIM services for passengers.
The launch comes as the company aims to strengthen its balance sheet and diversify its business amid declining advertising revenues.
The company said that its plans will range from 1 GB in 7 days to 20 GB in 30 days. Initially, the eSIM product will be available in 29 countries at launch.
The list includes Italy, Sweden, Spain, France, Germany, Poland, Portugal, Romania, the Netherlands, Belgium, Ireland, Austria, Finland, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Switzerland, Norway, Chile, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Africa, Egypt and Nigeria.
It is noteworthy that India, the company’s biggest market, is missing from this list. This is probably due to the country’s strict telecom regulations. Earlier, the country had blocked Airlo and Holafly over concerns about fraudulent use.
Truecaller said it is working with global cellular connectivity provider Telna and telecom software provider Telness Tech to operate the eSIM platform.
While there are other eSIM providers like Airalo, Holafly, Roamless, and NordVPN’s Saily, Truecaller feels that its existing user base of over 500 million will prove beneficial for acquiring new users.
We are offering travel eSIM inside our app.
“The starting point is different from other players in this category. They have to build their audience from scratch. We are offering travel eSIM inside our app, which over 500 million people already use and trust every month,” Truecaller COO Fredrik Kjell told TechCrunch over email.
“These are established relationships; large numbers of people have used Truecaller for many years. This drives variation in delivery and pricing,” Kjell said.
Kjell also said that this decision is a strategic move for Truecaller to make the app more useful for users. This period is an important time for the company. Last week, the company cut 70 jobs across multiple teams. Furthermore, it posted disappointing Q1 2026 numbers. Truecaller’s net sales fell 27% to 362 million SEK ($39.34 million) and advertising revenue declined 44%.
The company is focusing on increasing subscription revenue with features like an AI assistant and family protection. At a time when advertising revenue is volatile, additional services like eSIM can provide new ways to make money.
According to a report by TechCrunch last year, eSIM adoption is increasing, driven by travel and device compatibility. Investors are also interested in putting money into eSIM startups. Within the last 12 months, startups like Airlo, Free From Movement, Colette, eSIMo and Trulle raised millions of dollars.
