What began as a simple observation while helping at his parents’ small business has turned into a billion-dollar success story for Indian-origin entrepreneur Apurva Shrivastava. His artificial intelligence startup, Avoca, is now valued at nearly ₹8,300 crore ($1 billion) after transforming how businesses handle customer calls.
Shrivastava’s journey highlights how a common business challenge—missed phone calls—became the foundation of a fast-growing AI company serving the home services industry.
Childhood lesson inspires big idea
Growing up in Michigan, Shrivastava regularly helped his parents run their small business. During those years, he realised that every unanswered phone call often meant a lost customer and lost revenue.
After studying computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), he co-founded Avoca in 2022 with fellow MIT graduate Tyson Chen. Both founders had experienced firsthand how small businesses struggled to manage incoming customer calls.
Initially, they explored building AI answering services for restaurants before discovering a much bigger opportunity in the home services sector.
AI answers calls and books appointments
Avoca develops AI-powered voice agents for businesses such as plumbers, electricians, HVAC technicians and roofing contractors.
Rather than directing customers to voicemail, the AI answers calls instantly, speaks naturally and performs tasks such as checking appointment availability, booking jobs and following up on pending quotations.
The technology helps small businesses avoid losing valuable customers simply because no one was available to answer the phone.
Billion-dollar valuation
According to reports, Avoca has raised over $125 million in funding, pushing the company’s valuation to around $1 billion (approximately ₹8,300 crore).
Shrivastava believes AI is not replacing skilled technicians but helping them grow their businesses by improving customer service and reducing missed opportunities.
The startup’s rapid growth reflects increasing demand for AI solutions that support traditional industries rather than replace human workers.
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