AI startup Zoca has secured USD 6 million in a funding round led by Accel, with participation from GTMfund, Elevation Capital, and Better Capital. Based in Bengaluru and founded in 2024 by IIT Kharagpur alumni Ashish Verma and Robin Chauhan, Zoca aims to support independent professionals like beauty salons and wellness studios by automating their growth funnel. The company plans to use the new funds to expand its agent-based AI architecture, enhance platform integrations, and enter new verticals where professionals rely on time-bound services.

Zoca's AI platform addresses the challenge these professionals face in consistently filling their appointment books. It automates the entire growth funnel, from identifying local demand and optimizing online discovery to converting leads and re-engaging clients. The platform offers AI agents that autonomously manage full marketing playbooks, including local SEO, lead follow-ups, rebooking messages, paid ads, and social media management, thereby eliminating the need for multiple tools or agencies.

According to Ashish Verma, Co-founder and CEO of Zoca, the business model is unique because service professionals are focused on maximizing their available time rather than selling more units. The ROI on every lead, appointment, and repeat visit directly impacts their bottom line. Zoca helps them stay fully booked without requiring manual effort.

In less than a year, Zoca claims to have assisted over 1,000 local businesses in booking more than 120,000 appointments, generating over USD 10 million in revenue while saving significant time on manual marketing tasks. The platform essentially replaces the need for five separate tools, an agency retainer, and hours of operational work.

Verma notes that many businesses struggle not just with visibility but also with converting leads, filling schedules, and retaining clients, which traditional tools often fail to address. Zoca's system is designed to address the entire customer journey.

Investors view Zoca as a category-defining player. Manasi Shah, Vice President at Accel, states that Zoca is driving business outcomes for the underserved $750 billion global local services market, and growth AI agents are just the beginning. Paul Irving, Partner at GTMfund, adds that Zoca allows local businesses to focus on delivering exceptional service while its AI manages growth and retention, calling it a total game changer.

Zoca is working to build an agent-led OS for local businesses, reimagining the future of hyperlocal growth powered by invisible AI operating in the background, rather than traditional dashboards.