Utah’s Rise as a Home Services Technology Hub

February 26, 2025, Lehi, Utah

By Emily Applegarth – CEO, Paiv

Before the Point of the Mountain became known as “Silicon Slopes,” Vivint was the main reason for many to drive from Provo to Lehi.

Todd Pedersen embodies Utah’s entrepreneurial spirit. He founded APX Alarm as a direct sales company and expanded it into Vivint, a home automation empire worth billions. Along the way, he helped create numerous millionaires—both through Vivint’s share value and by cultivating top-tier sales talent. This expertise continues to fuel the growth of many well-known SaaS companies today, reinforcing Utah’s deep-rooted culture of field sales.

The Booming Home Services Technology Sector

Homeowners in the U.S. and Canada spend $1.5 trillion annually on trade services, driving rapid expansion in the home services technology sector. ServiceTitan, for example, recently went public with a nearly $9 billion market cap on its first day on Nasdaq. Other billion-dollar companies in the space include Procore, Samsara, Jobber, and Housecall Pro.

Several Utah-based companies are leading this sector:

The Rise of AI Agents in the Trades

Paiv (Lehi) is revolutionizing revenue tooling for the trades using AI agents. Field employees bring in a majority of company revenue through an in-person bid process— it’s crucial that contractors have the best revenue tooling. 

Paiv is backed by MXV, the venture firm founded by Mark Ghermezian, an entrepreneur and investor known for co-founding Braze—a customer engagement platform that went public in 2021 at a $5.9 billion valuation. The company champions field sales and service employees as the backbone of the economy, addressing inefficiencies caused by outdated tools that require excessive back-office support. With Paiv, conversational AI initiates in-field sales workflows while AI agents automate field operations, allowing businesses to grow without increasing headcount. See previous TechBuzz coverage of Paiv (formerly known as Gamify).

Sameday (Lehi) and Sellify (Providence) are automating answering services for home service providers, allowing AI-driven service booking. These AI-driven tools handle service bookings, respond instantly to customer inquiries, schedule appointments, and manage follow-ups—24/7—eliminating front-office bottlenecks and improving customer experience.

Cinch (Riverton) is a Customer Data Platform (CDP) and omnichannel marketing platform helping local and franchise businesses enhance their marketing strategies through AI-driven insights. Integrated with Azure OpenAI Service, Cinch uses advanced natural language processing and machine learning to optimize performance and customer engagement.

Meanwhile, Interval AI (Provo) automates internal collections for businesses with overdue accounts. Managing receivables is costly and time-consuming, and existing solutions are often inadequate. Interval AI provides a seamless, risk-free way to handle collections, reducing financial strain on businesses.

Sequifi (Lehi), a vertical SaaS platform for home services, automates the entire employee lifecycle, serving as the “operational central nervous system” for contractors. Unlike generic HR tools, it future-proofs businesses by tackling industry-specific challenges like AI-powered payroll automation, dynamic commission tracking (for complex structures like solar leases or pest control upsells), and one-click onboarding. A mid-sized pest control company using Sequifi cut payroll processing time by 70% and reduced turnover by 45% while ensuring compliance with evolving labor laws. By embedding trade-specific logic, Sequifi eliminates spreadsheet chaos and optimizes workforce management.

What makes Sequifi unique is its laser focus on the gritty realities of trades work. Unlike generic HR tools, its end-to-end platform combines AI-powered payroll automation, dynamic commission tracking (handling complex structures like solar leases or pest control upsells), and one-click onboarding for field teams.

Utah: A Thriving Hub for Home Services Tech

Utah continues to be a powerhouse for home services innovation. Key companies leading this charge include:

No discussion of Utah’s thriving trades and home services sector would be complete without highlighting some of its most successful companies. Vivint, Aptive, Any Hour Plumbing, and ES Solar have established themselves as industry leaders, driving innovation and setting new standards in their respective fields. Additionally, Torus continues to make waves, securing $67 million in funding in 2024, led by Pelion, further solidifying Utah’s position as a hub for high-growth businesses in the trades and home services market.

The Future of Vertical AI in the Trades

The next wave of billion-dollar software companies in Utah is likely to emerge in vertical AI for the trades. As AI reshapes sales, operations, and customer engagement, top talent continues to flock to this ecosystem, fueling innovation and growth. With Utah at the forefront, the home services technology sector is poised for unprecedented expansion.

Emily Applegarth is the co-founder and CEO of Paiv, an AI revenue platform for home services businesses. Emily has spent her career in sales, both in the trades and in tech. She is passionate about her family and building wealth for the trades.