Two BITS Pilani alumni, AJ Jain and Aditya Ketkar, have raised $52 million for their US-based artificial intelligence startup, Broccoli AI, which develops AI-powered customer service solutions for home-service businesses. The funding follows the founders' efforts to understand operational challenges by visiting approximately 140 businesses across Northern California.
According to reports, Broccoli AI secured $22 million in Series A funding and $30 million in Series B funding within nine months. Both rounds were led by Khosla Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator and Operator Partners.
The startup is reportedly valued at approximately $300 million, although the company has not publicly confirmed the valuation.
Founded by Jain and Ketkar, Broccoli AI provides AI agents that handle customer calls, schedule appointments, follow up on service estimates and manage customer memberships. Its technology is designed for businesses operating in sectors such as plumbing, electrical services, roofing and other home maintenance categories.
The company claims its platform is currently used by more than 1,500 businesses in the United States, including Ace Hardware Home Services and Mr. Electric.
Jain and Ketkar first met at BITS Pilani in 2016 and began working on entrepreneurial ventures the following year. Their earlier projects included a campus delivery application, an interview preparation business and an electric vehicle software startup.
After facing difficulties scaling their previous ventures, the founders moved to San Francisco in January 2024. Rather than immediately launching another product, they visited contractors' offices to understand how smaller service businesses managed customer enquiries and daily operations.
During these visits, they met Marcelle Flowers, the owner of Armstrong Plumbing in Sacramento. Flowers initially expressed concerns about AI replacing employees but became interested after the founders demonstrated an automated appointment reminder system.
She subsequently worked with the founders to develop technology suited to plumbing businesses and later joined Broccoli AI as its chief operating officer.
The startup's AI agents are designed to manage routine customer interactions, including enquiries received outside normal business hours. More complex situations and emergency calls can be directed to human employees.
According to the founders, the technology is intended to improve responsiveness and reduce administrative workloads rather than replace existing staff.
Broccoli AI has also reported handling more than 10 million customer interactions and booking approximately 2.5 million appointments through its platform.
Jain said the company's revenue had tripled since its Series A funding round, while its workforce had expanded to more than 150 employees.
The latest funding provides Broccoli AI with additional capital as it develops its AI-based customer communication and workflow automation services for the US home-services market.
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