Zoca secures $6 million to boost AI for local services

Zoca has secured a USD $6 million investment round led by Accel to support its AI-powered platform for hyperlocal service businesses.

The funding round also saw participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital and Better Capital. Zoca's system automates the growth journey for local service providers, from discovery and bookings to client retention, using AI agents to manage these processes on their behalf.

Since its founding in 2024, Zoca reports it has helped over 1,000 businesses book more than 120,000 appointments, bringing in more than USD $10 million in revenue for these clients. The company says its growth engine is built specifically to address the unique needs of small, service-focused businesses such as salons and wellness providers.

Co-founded by Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, Zoca was established following a shared realisation that local professionals often lack fit-for-purpose tools to grow their businesses. Verma and Chauhan, classmates from IIT Kharagpur, observed that as more individuals launched independent businesses, the limitations of traditional systems became more apparent.

"We saw a fundamental disconnect. These entrepreneurs are selling time, not products. Every empty chair is revenue they'll never recover. The real challenge isn't just visibility anymore—it's everything that comes after it. Being found is one part, but converting leads, filling schedules, and retaining clients is where businesses either grow or stall. What makes this space unique is the business model itself. 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. That's why we built a system that addresses the entire customer journey, not just one piece of it," Ashish Verma, Zoca's Co-founder and CEO, said.

The platform incorporates what Zoca terms "hyperlocal intelligence", assessing area-specific demand for services at the neighbourhood level. According to company data, demand can fluctuate significantly within short distances; for example, interest in "lymphatic drainage massage" may be substantially higher in one part of a city than another, while searches for "glycolic facial" may vary depending on local demographics.

Zoca's AI agents optimise clients' digital presence across more than 50 local ranking factors, create mobile-friendly websites, respond to leads around the clock through conversational AI, and deploy personalised retention campaigns based on customer history. The company has also added features such as AI-powered management for paid ads and social media, offering a suite of tools that previously required several separate suppliers.

"Google search is really important and so key words are critical for us. One of them is 'tanning near me'. Zoca's helped us stay on top and win. They are totally helping us with our rankings," Gail Aungst, Co-owner of Ohana Sun Tanning, commented.

"The first 30 days of using Zoca, my business went from maybe 3-4 people a day, into a queue. I was forced to turn people away. No lie. It was like a 30 day turnaround. If you search 'sew-in' in your area, I pop up. And that's because of Zoca," Latasha Seawood, Owner of Slay by Vashae, said.

The company argues that its use of AI enables it to offer services to a segment historically viewed as too fragmented and low-margin to attract extensive technology solutions.

"Zoca is driving business outcomes for the underserved USD $750 billion local services market: says Manasi Shah, Partner at Accel. Ashish and the team have the highest customer obsession with a deep understanding of AI in automating a significant number of use cases applicable to the local services market. Growth AI agents are just the beginning, Zoca will create an agent-led OS for every hyperlocal business to achieve full potential," Manasi Shah, Partner at Accel, said.

"These businesses are the cornerstones of their communities, but most are being left behind in a digital and AI-first world. Zoca allows them to focus on what matters most: delivering an exceptional service to their customers. The growth, the customer retention and engagement - all on auto-pilot with Zoca's AI platform. It's a total game changer for these local businesses, and we couldn't be more excited to support the Zoca team on their mission," Paul Irving, Partner at GTMfund, added.

"Zoca arms every neighbourhood business with a 24/7 AI growth engine. Ashish and Robin's passion and unique insights to serve this underserved market and help them transform with AI is truly outstanding. We are thrilled to back them as they build the operating system for hyperlocal services worldwide," Poorvi Vijay, Principal, Elevation Capital, noted.

Zoca's future plans include expanding its agent architecture, advancing platform integrations, and extending its service offering to additional professional sectors where time-based business models prevail.

"In the next decade, the top local businesses around us won't be big chains. Instead, they'll be local professionals — quietly supercharged by AI that helps them attract more clients, keep them coming back, and grow faster than ever. At Zoca, we are making it possible for independent businesses to thrive without all the tech headaches and focus on delivering exceptional experiences to their customers," said Ashish Verma.