By Keerthi Ramesh
The neighborhood plumber or electrician is often better at fixing a leak than answering a phone, but a new wave of automation aims to ensure no service call goes unanswered. Elyos AI, a startup focused on bringing artificial intelligence to the trades and field services industry, announced Friday that it has raised $13 million in Series A funding to expand its digital workforce.
The investment round was led by Blackbird Ventures, with support from Y Combinator and Pi Labs, bringing the company’s total valuation-to-date funding to $16 million.
For many small and mid-sized trades businesses ranging from HVAC technicians to facility operators the “front office” is often a hurdle. Missed calls frequently mean missed revenue, as customers typically move to the next listing on Google if they don’t reach a human immediately. Elyos AI aims to solve this by deploying AI “agents” that sound and act like office staff. These agents can pick up inbound calls, schedule appointments, and follow up on emails, syncing the data directly into the scheduling software the companies already use.
“Trades businesses are overwhelmed by calls, emails, and admin and that friction directly costs them revenue,” said Adrian Johnston, co-founder of Elyos AI. “We’re building AI agents that work like effective front-office staff: answering every call, booking every job, and integrating deeply into the systems trades already use.”
The company was founded in 2023 by Johnston, Philippa Brown, and Panos Stravopodis during the Y Combinator accelerator program. Since its launch, the platform has seen quick adoption by contractors who struggle to staff their phones 24/7.
One client, Amax, a fire and security contractor, reported that the AI now handles roughly 30% of their technical inquiries without any human help. Tejas Mehta, Managing Director at Amax, noted that the technology has become so integrated into their daily workflow that they “can’t imagine” operating without it.
Investors say the “built world” or the physical infrastructure of our homes and offices has been overlooked by the recent tech boom. “Trade services is a multi-billion-dollar industry, yet it has long been underserved by modern software,” said Faisal Butt, Managing Partner at Pi Labs.
The New York and London-based startup plans to use the new influx of cash to grow its engineering team and prepare for an international push throughout 2026. As the labour market for skilled trades remains tight, Elyos AI bets that the future of the local repairman isn’t just about better wrenches, but better software.