From Missed Calls To Millions: Indian-Origin Engineer Apurva Shrivastava Builds $1 Billion AI Startup
From Missed Calls To Millions: Indian-Origin Engineer Apurva Shrivastava Builds $1 Billion AI Startup
Simple idea of answering business calls turns into booming AI venture backed by top investors
At a time when Silicon Valley is chasing complex artificial intelligence breakthroughs, an Indian-origin engineer has built a billion-dollar startup by solving a surprisingly simple problem, missed business calls.
Apurva Shrivastava, along with co-founder Tyson Chen, has turned this everyday issue into a powerful AI-driven business. Their startup, Avoca, is now valued at $1 billion after raising over $125 million from top global investors including Kleiner Perkins, Meritech and General Catalyst.
The idea stems from a basic but critical insight: in service industries, a missed call often means a lost customer. Shrivastava, a first-generation Indian-American, understood this early while helping manage calls for small businesses during his childhood in Michigan. He realised that even a single missed call could translate into significant financial loss.
After studying at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and working with major tech companies, he decided to build a solution that directly addressed this gap. In 2022, he co-founded Avoca with Chen, initially experimenting with AI answering systems for restaurants before shifting focus to sectors like HVAC, plumbing, roofing and electrical services.
The turning point came when they discovered that in some cases, a missed call in these industries could cost businesses up to $40,000. This insight helped shape their product into a full-fledged AI assistant capable of handling customer interactions end-to-end.
Avoca’s AI agents function like 24/7 virtual staff, answering calls instantly, booking appointments, managing schedules and even following up with customers. Unlike traditional bots, the system is designed to sound human and integrates directly with business software to ensure seamless operations.
The startup has rapidly scaled, now serving over 800 customers, including large service brands. Its technology not only captures missed opportunities but also helps businesses increase efficiency by automating routine tasks.
The company’s recent funding round and billion-dollar valuation highlight growing investor interest in what experts call “vertical AI” solutions tailored for specific industries rather than broad, general-purpose applications.
Shrivastava’s journey reflects a shift in how artificial intelligence is being applied. Instead of focusing only on cutting-edge innovation, startups like Avoca are finding success by solving practical, real-world problems that directly impact revenue.
By ensuring that no customer call goes unanswered, the company is quietly transforming how service businesses operate proving that even the simplest ideas, when paired with the right technology, can create massive impact.
Disclaimer: Startup valuations and projections are based on company disclosures and market reports; they may change over time.
