Startup of the week: Netic. * Netic is a US-based startup that uses AI to automate processes for service industries like electricals, plumbing and more. * Many times, service people are overloaded with calls and data, which are hard to track, meaning they miss out on opportunities. * Netic's AI does the work for them, answering calls, booking jobs and making sure follow-ups happen on time. What is Netic? Founded by a former Scale AI employee, Melisa Tokmak, Netic launched in 2023 and has just raised $20 million in Series A funding from top investors like Greylock and Founders Fund. Netic is an AI company that is setting out to help service people run their business more efficiently. Services like heating and plumbing are essential, but so many of the people running these businesses are fighting old systems or are unable to answer calls and messages when out on the job. Instead of trying to tackle the issue with another chatbot or dashboard, Netic created an AI system that not only organises, it is actually able to do the work for you. Their AI answers phones, books jobs, follows up with customers and can even runs marketing campaigns - all without needing a human to help. In less than a year, Netic has already booked over 11,000 jobs and generated more than $36 million in revenue for its customers. Want to be featured as techround's startup of the week? Find out more about this weekly feature, and how to get involved, here. A lot of businesses nowadays use AI, so what makes Netic unique? Well, Netic's AI doesn't just help with tasks, it can actually do them. Their AI handles everything you would need when it comes to customer engagement. It can make calls, text, chat online and can even learn the 'tone' of the business and nuances in how it operates. For service people that spend so much time out on jobs unable to handle the volume of enquiries, this AI is a great help. And it doesn't just help organise, it actively sells services to relevant customers, helping businesses unlock even more revenue. Is there really A market for this kind of AI? There is, and the demand is growing. Essential services is a huge industry. And whilst AI can do a lot of legwork across many businesses, it's still a sector that mostly needs human hands. What that means is that many of these businesses lose out on leads. Busy periods mean more time out of the office, and it can be hard to keep track of all the customer bookings, data, needs and orders. Netic is solving that with their AI. Through the platform, the AI is able to handle all inbound leads and even reach out to customers at specific times. For example, if there has been flooding in a specific area, the AI can get in touch with all previously engaged customers in that area and check if they need any repairs. This not only means service people can focus on the physical work, but it also means they can keep generating revenue even when they are away from their desks. It's no surprise then that Netic has become so popular and attracted such confidence from investors. And now, Netic is planning to expand into even more sectors, namely car repairs, healthcare and hospitality. Where can you find Netic. Netic is based in San Francisco, but you can find them online and book a demo through their website.

Large tech companies have been stuffing artificial intelligence software into every possible product for years. Now, Founders Fund is backing a startup that wants to help Main Street businesses use the technology, too.