This AI chatbot startup hit $100K+ in booked revenue just 8 months after launch.
ANOTHER DAY—ANOTHER STARTUP STORY
Hey amazing founders,👋
You know that feeling when you run into a problem so frustrating, you think:
“Why hasn’t anyone fixed this yet?”
And then, before you know it, you’re building the solution yourself?
That’s exactly how Alva, the founder of AeroChat, started his journey.
I recently had the chance to interview him, and his story was a solid reminder that startups don’t always begin with a big, bold vision. More often, they start with a simple but painful problem that no one else is solving.
Alva’s story hit close to home because, let’s be real—building a startup is never a straight road. It’s messy. It’s full of unexpected challenges, pivots, and those rare “aha” moments that finally make things click.
In this edition, I’ll take you through how AeroChat went from a frustrating problem to $100K+ in booked revenue in just 8 months, and the key lessons early-stage founders can take from it.
Let’s dive in!
About the company
AeroChat is an AI-powered chatbot solution designed to help e-commerce and retail brands enhance customer engagement and boost conversions. What sets AeroChat apart is its proprietary Intention Engine, which provides highly accurate and relevant responses to customer inquiries, ensuring a seamless and efficient shopping experience.
How it started
AeroChat was founded by Alva.
His entrepreneurial journey started over two decades ago, in 2001, while he was still in university. What began as freelance programming work soon transformed into a full-fledged business—STRIDEC, a search marketing agency specializing in e-commerce growth. Over the years, STRIDEC evolved from a software company into a marketing agency with a strong technical edge, helping brands show up where their customers are searching.
But Alva’s journey didn’t stop there. His work in e-commerce marketing exposed him to a major problem, which eventually led to the birth of AeroChat
The idea
AeroChat didn’t start as a “cool” AI project—it started as a real pain point: e-commerce businesses struggled with the overwhelming volume of customer inquiries during peak traffic periods.
Initially, Alva and his team sought existing chatbot solutions, but none met their needs. So, instead of just accepting this as an industry-wide challenge, Alva saw it as an opportunity to build something better.
The early-stage development
With an in-house team of developers at STRIDEC, Alva leveraged his background in software development to build AeroChat from scratch.
Why?
Because existing solutions failed to truly understand customer intent, leading to frustrating and irrelevant responses.
Their goal was to create a solution that would truly understand customer intent and provide instant, relevant responses.
What makes AeroChat unique is its Intention Engine—a proprietary AI system that understands customer queries with greater accuracy, providing more relevant and engaging responses. Unlike traditional chatbots that often misinterpret messages, AeroChat takes an extra step by adding a filtering layer to analyze and deduce the user's true intent before passing the query to AI. This approach ensures that the responses generated are more precise and aligned with what the customer is actually asking. As a result, AeroChat delivers more accurate and relevant answers, keeping users engaged, satisfied, and ultimately more likely to make a purchase. This small but powerful distinction set AeroChat apart from other AI chatbots flooding the market.
The whole AeroChat team like to jokingly say that:
"If our chatbot can save lives, it can probably save your customer service too.”
Launching the Business
AeroChat officially launched in early June 2024, after months of development and testing.
The team started acquiring customers through their existing network, primarily STRIDEC’s e-commerce clients, and by participating in industry exhibitions.
By showcasing the chatbot’s capabilities, they were able to generate interest and onboard early adopters.
Early challenges
One of AeroChat’s biggest early challenges was breaking through the noise—AI chatbots are everywhere, so why should customers pick AeroChat? The answer: They didn’t just build another chatbot, they solved a real problem, differently.
Another challenge was awareness—getting the right customers to discover AeroChat and understand its unique value proposition.
Early growth strategies
Their approach to early challenges and early growth strategies has been driven by client referrals, exhibitions, and partnerships, with plans to focus on:
1️⃣ Being very precise with the target customers, and adjusting their messaging based on that.
2️⃣ Expanding their network of partners and establishing strategic partnerships.
3️⃣ Leveraging online content strategies and paid ads to drive brand awareness.
Unexpected milestones
One of AeroChat’s most significant milestones was the adoption of its chatbot technology in a life-saving application. The chatbot debuted at the Siem Reap-Angkor Summit on a Mine-Free World in November last year. This unexpected success reinforced the potential of AeroChat beyond e-commerce, proving its versatility and impact.
Funding and financial
Currently, AeroChat is bootstrapped, allowing the team to remain financially disciplined and accountable for their expenditures.
They just reached their $100K+ in booked revenue in just 8 months of operation, which is super impressive!
However, they are exploring fundraising opportunities and engaging in discussions with early investors to find the right alignment for future growth.
Vision for the future
AeroChat aims to become the leading AI-powered customer service solution for e-commerce brands in the APAC region.
By continuously refining its technology and expanding its integrations—such as the upcoming Shopify integration in Q1—the company seeks to make AI customer support more seamless and efficient than ever.
Lessons learned
Reflecting on his journey, Alva shares three key lessons for startup founders:
Building a SaaS product is harder than it looks—Constant iteration is necessary.
Selling is as important as building—No matter how great your product is, it won’t succeed if no one knows about it.
Talk to customers and expect to struggle longer than expected—But always have faith and stay focused on your path.
He also shared his step-by-step blueprint for aspiring entrepreneurs:
1️⃣ Find an actual pain point to solve.
2️⃣ Make sure that pain point is something you're passionate about solving.
3️⃣ Talk to customers to validate the pain point.
4️⃣ Build your initial prototype/MVP fast and get people to use as fast as possible.
5️⃣ Always make sure you have an angle to differentiate yourself from the competition.
6️⃣ Start marketing as early as you can.
7️⃣ Make it as painless and frictionless as possible for people to buy from you.
Recommendations
For startups looking to enhance their customer service, AeroChat provides a scalable solution that improves engagement and sales.
Businesses, marketers, and agencies can also join AeroChat’s partnership program to introduce the technology to their networks and earn recurring commissions.
For those looking to support AeroChat and consider using their services…
👉 Visit their website [aerochat.ai]
👉 Or check out their YouTube channel at [AeroChatAI].
Closing thoughts
For me, AeroChat’s journey proves a simple yet powerful lesson:
The best startups don’t start with a product—they start with a problem.
Alva didn’t set out to build another AI chatbot.
He set out to fix a frustrating, recurring pain point that businesses struggled with.
That focus on problem-driven innovation and clear differentiation made AeroChat stand out in a crowded market.
If you’re building a startup, ask yourself:
👉 Are you solving a problem that people truly care about?
👉 How is your solution different in a way that actually matters?
Because at the end of the day…
Great startups aren’t just slightly better alternatives.
They’re the obvious choice.
A huge thank you to Alva for sharing his story and lessons with us!
I hope this inspires you to keep pushing forward, even when the road gets tough.
THANKS FOR READING!
- Gracie from What A Startup