BuildOps is a company that builds and sells an all-in-one operational software platform specifically designed for modern commercial contractors to manage their entire business, integrating field service management, project management, invoicing, and customer relationship management into a single cloud-based system. Pulse 2.0 interviewed BuildOps CEO Alok Chanani to gain a deeper understanding of the company.
Alok Chanani’s Background
What is Alok Chanani’s background? Chanani said:
“I was initially drawn to the military because I admired the sense of camaraderie, teamwork, and purpose—the idea of overcoming challenges as part of a special group really resonated with me. I joined the military right before 9/11, starting as a combat engineer and later serving as an officer commanding a unit in Iraq, where we transported large amounts of currency for critical infrastructure projects—schools, hospitals, water purification facilities. Those experiences profoundly shaped my view of leadership and service. After transitioning out, I went to Wharton Business School, spent several years in real estate development and construction, and saw firsthand how contractors ran substantial operations without modern technology. That ultimately inspired me to found BuildOps, where we’re dedicated to empowering commercial contractors with the technology they deserve.”
Formation Of The Company
How did the idea for the company come together? Chanani shared:
“When I returned to Southern California after Wharton, I got deeply involved in real estate development and general contracting. I saw firsthand that many contractors ran impressive businesses—sometimes $100 million-plus operations—yet they relied heavily on outdated tools like WhatsApp, Dropbox, text messages, or legacy systems from the 1990s. Additionally, what fascinated me most about commercial contractors was that their growth wasn’t constrained by customer demand—something rare in business—but by labor availability. They literally had more opportunities and projects available than they could staff or effectively manage. That unique challenge crystallized the opportunity for BuildOps: to develop a world-class, comprehensive technology platform that would unlock operational efficiencies, enabling contractors to better manage their resources, maximize their potential, and focus on delivering exceptional service.”
Favorite Memory
What has been your favorite memory working for the company so far? Chanani reflected:
“One standout moment was when we launched our projects module—an ambitious, unconventional move early in our journey. Many advisors suggested we stick solely with a service-focused product, but we listened carefully to our customers and realized they desperately needed a seamless, integrated project management solution. Seeing our team come together to deliver this challenging project in record time—and then seeing it become a significant differentiator for us—was incredibly rewarding and reaffirmed my belief in trusting customer insights over conventional wisdom.”
Core Products
What are the company’s core products and features? Chanani explained:
“BuildOps provides an end-to-end software platform tailored specifically for commercial contractors. Core features include intelligent scheduling, dispatching, preventative maintenance, project management, quoting and invoicing, mobile workforce management, and powerful integrations with financial systems. Our AI-driven tools automate work summaries, streamline project financial tracking, and empower contractors and their field teams to manage their operations efficiently, enabling them to dedicate more time to customers and strategic growth.”
Challenges Faced
Have you faced any challenges in your sector of work recently? Chanani acknowledged:
“The skilled labor shortage is a significant challenge across the trades. To address this, we’ve emphasized technology solutions that help contractors make the most of the staff on hand by boosting ramp-up time, efficiency, and productivity. Additionally, we support initiatives like Tyson for the Trades that elevate the trades as viable, lucrative career paths, hoping to help attract new talent to the industry long-term.”
Evolution Of The Company’s Technology
How has the company’s technology evolved since launching? Chanani noted:
“Since our launch, BuildOps’ technology has significantly evolved, moving far beyond basic operational tools into leveraging sophisticated AI-driven capabilities. For instance, our platform now integrates machine learning to automate traditionally labor-intensive tasks, such as invoice generation and technician scheduling. These intelligent tools streamline workflows and improve accuracy, giving contractors more time and better insights to manage their business strategically. Our emphasis on user experience (in particular, the field technician) has also matured—interfaces are now simpler, more intuitive, and accessible, enabling customers to quickly adopt and fully utilize the platform’s capabilities from day one.”
“At BuildOps, we are dedicated solely to the commercial contractor. Every decision we make—from feature enhancements and new products to ROI reporting and cutting-edge AI integrations—is purposefully aligned to empower commercial trade teams and help their businesses thrive.”
Significant Milestones
What have been some of the company’s most significant milestones? Chanani cited:
“Securing our Series C funding was a critical milestone, validating our approach and growth trajectory. Equally important has been surpassing operational metrics like managing millions of jobs annually and significantly reducing our customers’ invoice-to-cash cycles.”
Customer Success Stories
When asking about customer success stories, Chanani highlighted:
“Absolutely—one customer previously took over a month to generate repair quotes due to manual processes between field staff and office administrators using Microsoft Word. After implementing BuildOps, their turnaround dropped dramatically to 2-3 days on average, often sending quotes to customers the same day as their service visit. Their quote throughput also doubled, resulting in a 67% increase in quoted repair revenue year-over-year.”
“Another customer significantly improved their billing process. Prior to BuildOps, it typically took them 28 days to bill a completed job. With our integrated platform, they’ve reduced that to a consistent 10 days, even while down two billing team members. No additional strategy was required beyond adopting a single, unified system.”
“Additionally, we’ve heard from customers whose technicians previously had to juggle multiple apps, causing inefficiencies. After transitioning to BuildOps, they streamlined their workflow from three separate apps down to just one, dramatically reducing their billing cycle from 5-7 days down to less than a day. In some cases, they’re even processing jobs faster than their managers can review them—which, as they say, is a good problem to have!”
Revenue
When asking about revenue, Chanani revealed:
“Since launching in 2020, BuildOps has grown exponentially, surpassing seven figures in revenue in our first year and tripling growth in both 2021 and 2022. We more than doubled revenue in 2023 and again in 2024, with plans to maintain this trajectory in 2025. Our sustained 100% year-over-year growth underscores our commitment to aggressive scaling and investment in the future.”
Total Addressable Market
What total addressable market (TAM) size is the company pursuing? Chanani assessed:
“BuildOps is focused on deepening our presence in the U.S. and Canadian markets, where we currently serve the HVAC/Mechanical, Electrical, Plumbing, Refrigeration, and Fire and Life Safety trades. As we continue to scale, we are exploring opportunities to expand into additional commercial trades that play a vital role in maintaining and operating commercial buildings and their critical systems. The commercial contracting market represents a massive opportunity, with a total addressable market of approximately $300 billion in the United States alone. Globally, this number multiplies significantly, representing a robust opportunity for growth, innovation, and continued expansion.”
Differentiation From The Competition
What differentiates the company from its competition? Chanani affirmed:
“While we confidently stand apart, we recognize our industry is saturated with niche solutions, residential-focused software, and legacy systems. Often, our strongest competition comes from outdated processes like Microsoft Office spreadsheets, manual paperwork, and sticky notes—forcing contractors to constantly switch between systems, duplicate entries, and waste valuable time.”
“What truly differentiates BuildOps is our comprehensive, all-in-one platform, purpose-built from the ground up for commercial trade contractors, focusing on sales, service, and project management. While general and residential contractors have software tailored specifically for their needs, commercial specialty contractors frequently struggle to find solutions capable of meeting their unique demands. These contractors often service numerous pieces of sophisticated equipment within critical infrastructure—like maintaining precise temperature controls in hospital operating rooms where accuracy is essential for life-saving procedures. Instant access to accurate service data and historical records isn’t just convenient; it’s critical for their work and our collective safety and comfort.”
Future Company Goals
What are some of the company’s future company goals? Chanani emphasized:
“With the new capital, we plan to accelerate innovation within our R&D team, particularly in AI-driven capabilities that provide real, tangible value to commercial contractors. We are also expanding our customer support and success teams to ensure we continue delivering a best-in-class implementation and customer service as we scale. Additionally, we are making significant investments in our API architecture to build the most robust and flexible platform in the industry.”
“Beyond product development, we’re increasing our presence in the field through more industry events, deepening partnerships, and exploring strategic acquisitions that enhance the breadth and depth of the BuildOps platform. These investments will further solidify BuildOps as the premier technology partner for commercial contractors.”
Additional Thoughts
Any other topics you would like to discuss? Chanani concluded:
“BuildOps currently works with over 1,000 commercial contracting businesses, ranging from $10 million to over $1 billion in annual revenue. Our customers include industry leaders like J.H. Kelly, Haynes Mechanical, Dynamic Systems, Inc., and Baker Electric. We’ve also become the platform of choice for private equity-backed contractor portfolios, including those managed by Kelso, Modigent, SmartCare, Exigent, Crete United, and Service Logic. BuildOps operates on a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model with per-user pricing structured as part of an annual contract.”
