Bengaluru-based AI startup Zoca has successfully raised $6 million in a funding round led by Accel, with participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital, and Better Capital. The company aims to utilize the funds to expand its agent-based AI architecture, deepen platform integrations, and extend its services to new verticals such as wellness, salons, and pet care.
Empowering Local Businesses Through AI
Founded in 2024 by IIT Kharagpur alumni Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, Zoca offers a suite of AI-powered agents designed to automate the entire marketing lifecycle for location-based service providers. These agents manage tasks ranging from discovering local demand and enhancing online visibility to lead follow-up, repeat bookings, social media content creation, and paid advertising. The AI agents are trained on large language models, including Llama and ChatGPT, providing a plug-and-play solution for businesses with limited time or technical expertise.
“These service professionals aren’t focused on selling more units—they’re maximizing their available time. So the ROI on every lead, every appointment, and every repeat visit directly impacts their bottom line,” said Ashish Verma, Co-founder and CEO of Zoca. “Every empty chair is lost revenue. We built Zoca to help them stay fully booked — without lifting a finger.”
Demonstrated Impact and Future Plans
In less than a year, Zoca claims to have assisted over 1,000 local businesses in generating more than 120,000 appointments, resulting in over $10 million in revenue. The company currently operates primarily in the U.S. market and plans to scale its U.S. team, aiming for a tenfold revenue increase over the next 12 to 18 months.
Manasi Shah, Vice President at Accel, commented, “Zoca is driving business outcomes for the underserved $750 billion global local services market. The team has the highest customer obsession with a deep understanding of AI in automating a significant number of use cases applicable to the local services market.”
