Zoca, an AI startup founded in 2024 by Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, has successfully raised $6 million in a funding round led by Accel, with additional support from GTMfund, Elevation Capital, and Better Capital. Headquartered in Bengaluru, Zoca is revolutionizing growth for local beauty and wellness businesses by placing artificial intelligence at the heart of their customer engagement and marketing strategies.
The platform is designed to help hyperlocal service providers such as salons and spas automate critical aspects of their operations, from lead conversion and client rebooking to marketing management. In its first year alone, Zoca has empowered over 1,000 businesses to generate $10 million in revenue and manage more than 120,000 appointments, demonstrating the power and scalability of its AI-driven approach. By offering smart lead responses, timely rebooking nudges, and SEO tools, Zoca acts as a digital growth engine that supports local service providers in expanding their reach and improving customer retention.
“This is about giving small, service-led businesses the power of AI without needing a tech team,” said Ashish Verma, co-founder and CEO of Zoca. His vision is to build an AI agent that functions as a digital business partner—one that works autonomously to help businesses succeed without requiring deep technical expertise or additional human resources.
With the fresh injection of capital, Zoca plans to further enhance its AI agent technology and expand its integrations with other platforms and tools. The startup is also eyeing adjacent sectors beyond beauty and wellness, signaling a bold move to broaden its impact and empower more local businesses through enterprise-grade automation.
As local service businesses face growing competition and the need for digital transformation, Zoca’s AI-first approach offers a scalable, efficient way for them to thrive. By automating routine tasks and delivering actionable insights, the platform is redefining how small businesses engage customers and scale operations in today’s fast-evolving market landscape.
