Startup selling AI phone helpers to plumbers and electricians raises $52M

A startup that sells AI helpers to plumbing, heating and cooling (HVAC), and electrical companies has raised $52 million. Broccoli AI took in a $22 million Series A and a $30 million Series B, nine months apart. A person familiar with the deal says the company is valued at $300 million. Broccoli declined to comment on that figure.

What the product does

Broccoli sells AI agents, which are software programs that handle tasks a person would otherwise do. For contractors, they answer incoming calls and book jobs straight into the scheduling software the shop already uses. They also follow up on open estimates and renew service memberships.

Owners told the founders they wanted someone to pick up the phone after the office emptied at 5 p.m. and to chase the estimates technicians had written up. The company says its AI does work equal to roughly 30% of a typical contractor's office staff.

The money and the growth

Khosla Ventures led both rounds. Y Combinator and Operator Partners also took part. The Series A had not been announced before. Earlier, the company raised $1.5 million in a seed round after going through Y Combinator.

CEO AJ Jain says revenue has tripled since the Series A. Staff grew from 15 people a year ago to more than 150. The new money will go toward hiring engineers and salespeople and speeding up product development.

• More than 1,500 businesses use it, the company says.
• Customers include Ace Hardware Home Services, Mr. Electric and Any Hour Group.
• In the past seven months it added roofing, pool care, garage doors, home improvement and exteriors.

How it started

Jain and cofounder Aditya Ketkar had an energy startup that fizzled. In spring 2024 they walked into about 140 contractors' shops in Northern California with no sales pitch. Their only product was an automated call that reminds customers of appointments, built for a San Francisco electrician.

One stop was Armstrong Plumbing in Sacramento. Owner Marcelle Flowers, now 62, gave them five minutes. She says she was "really opposed to AI" and feared it would take jobs. She now works with the company and became its first COO.

What it means for trades businesses

Missed calls after hours and estimates that never get a follow-up are common problems for small shops. Tools like this aim at both. The article does not say what Broccoli costs or how well it works in any one shop. Those figures come from the company, so owners may want to test claims against their own call volume.