PortaOne at MWC25: Turning AI Advancements into Sustainable Business Models

PortaOne, a leader in telecom software solutions, is tackling this issue head-on with PortaAIM—a flexible charging and revenue management platform that enables AI businesses to optimize their pricing, track costs, and scale profitably.

AI Innovation: The Leap from Insight to Action

The AI market is evolving beyond traditional chatbot-style assistants toward intelligent AI agents that take meaningful action. Technologies like Anthropic’s Model Context Protocol (MCP) now allow AI to interact with real-world enterprise systems in a controlled and secure way, bridging the gap between decision-making and execution. However, as Zhylenko pointed out, while AI developers focus on improving these capabilities, few are thinking about the next critical step—commercialization and financial sustainability.

“Everyone is racing to build AI-powered agents, but few are thinking about the next step: How will they ensure profitability? How will they charge customers seamlessly without losing control of costs?”
– Andriy Zhylenko, CEO, PortaOne

PortaOne has already implemented a proof-of-concept virtual AI agent that can retrieve customer-specific data in real time, transforming how businesses approach customer service and operational automation. By allowing AI to go beyond generic recommendations and interact directly with enterprise data, the potential for AI-powered decision-making in telecom, finance, and other industries is enormous. However, without the right revenue model in place, businesses risk building advanced AI solutions that fail to generate sustainable income.

AI Startups: The Monetization Dilemma

The rapid pace of AI development has led many startups to prioritize technology over monetization, assuming they can figure out pricing structures later. This, Zhylenko warns, is one of the most common reasons AI startups struggle to scale. Without a robust billing, cost tracking, and revenue optimization system, even the most promising AI-driven business can quickly become unsustainable.

“If you don’t establish profitability early, even a high-growth AI startup can collapse—selling services for $10 per month while spending $11 on API costs is a guaranteed failure.”
– Andriy Zhylenko, CEO, PortaOne

Many AI startups begin by manually handling invoicing and customer billing, using spreadsheets or basic payment tools. While this may be manageable in the early stages, once the business scales beyond a few dozen customers, revenue leaks, unoptimized pricing, and high operational overheads become critical issues. PortaAIM offers a structured framework that integrates AI-driven services with automated billing, ensuring cost efficiency, optimized pricing strategies, and real-time revenue tracking.

By enabling AI startups to gain full visibility into their financial operations, PortaOne helps them avoid the pitfalls of underpricing, excessive API costs, and inefficient revenue collection—key challenges that have led many promising AI ventures to falter despite strong early traction.

AI & Telcos: Unlocking Value Beyond Connectivity

For telecom operators, AI represents an opportunity to fundamentally redefine their role in the digital ecosystem. Telcos have long been dependent on connectivity-driven revenue models, but as network services become increasingly commoditized, the industry must look beyond basic infrastructure to value-added services that drive sustainable growth. AI presents a transformational opportunity—but only for those who act strategically.

“AI isn’t a silver bullet, but for telcos, it’s the best chance they’ve had in years to create real value beyond connectivity. If they move fast, they can lead. If not, someone else will.”
– Andriy Zhylenko, CEO, PortaOne

AI-powered solutions can offer network optimization, predictive analytics, and personalized customer engagement, but the real opportunity lies in telcos positioning themselves as enablers of AI-powered services. With their existing customer base, infrastructure, and market reach, telcos have a unique advantage—if they choose to capitalize on it.

However, integrating AI successfully requires a shift in mindset and strategy. Instead of viewing AI purely as a cost-cutting tool, telcos must see it as a revenue driver. Whether through AI-powered customer service, intelligent network management, or new AI-based digital services, the key to success lies in scalable monetization models—an area where PortaOne is offering the technical backbone to ensure profitability.