ConverseNow Technologies

ConverseNow Technologies

ConverseNow Technologies was founded in 2017 by Vinay Shukla (CEO) and Arvind Rajan (CTO), both veterans of the restaurant technology space. The company emerged from Shukla's earlier experience leading digital ordering at a major pizza chain, identifying voice AI as the next frontier in quick-service restaurant operations. The firm's core product is an AI-powered voice assistant that handles drive-thru and phone orders, integrating with point-of-sale systems from major providers. By 2023, ConverseNow had deployed its platform across over 1,000 restaurant locations, including partnerships with Domino's, Papa John's, and multiple regional chains. The system processes natural language orders in English and Spanish, reducing average order times and freeing staff for food preparation. ConverseNow operates exclusively in North America, with its headquarters in Austin, Texas. The company has raised approximately $30M in venture funding from investors including Bertram Capital and a consortium of restaurant industry executives. While the firm does not disclose AUM, its revenue model is based on per-order transaction fees. In 2024, ConverseNow announced a strategic partnership with a major POS provider to embed its voice AI directly into existing restaurant workflows. A structural differentiator is ConverseNow's focus on drive-thru — the highest-volume channel for quick-service restaurants — rather than general-purpose voice assistants. Its AI is trained specifically on food-ordering vocabulary and noisy drive-thru audio, giving it higher accuracy than generic systems. The firm's operating model as a venture-backed technology company, not a family office or asset manager, positions it as a pure-play AI application provider in the food service industry.