Abhay Kalra
| Abhay Kalra | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, software engineer |
|---|---|
| Known for | Founder of Avent, AI agents for industrial commerce |
| Education | University of California, Berkeley (Electrical Engineering and Computer Science) |
Abhay Kalra is an Indian-American entrepreneur and software engineer who is the founder of Avent, a startup that develops artificial intelligence agents for industrial commerce. The company, which is part of Y Combinator's Summer 2025 batch, provides AI-driven automation tools for manufacturers and industrial distributors to streamline quoting, order entry, and inbox management.[1]
Early life and education
Kalra grew up in his family's electrical and industrial distribution business in India, where he observed how administrative tasks consumed the inside sales team's capacity and limited the company's ability to pursue new business. He later studied electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley.[2]
Career
Drawing on his experience in his family's distribution business, Kalra founded Avent to address the operational bottlenecks he had witnessed firsthand. He noted that growth at his family's company was constrained by the speed at which new salespeople could be hired and trained, as existing staff were occupied processing current orders rather than pursuing new accounts.[3]
Avent's platform uses AI agents to automate core sales operations functions for manufacturers and industrial distributors. The system manages sales inboxes, builds quotes using historical pricing data and institutional knowledge, and maintains records in existing enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems. The platform integrates with major ERP systems including Epicor, Oracle NetSuite, and SAP, and is designed to work alongside existing infrastructure rather than replace it.[4]
The company's technology stack consists of multiple layers: a data layer that aggregates ERP, CRM, and catalog data; an integration layer connecting systems through APIs; a knowledge layer that captures business rules and pricing logic; an action layer that generates quotes and orders automatically; and an intelligence layer for document understanding and AI-driven reasoning.[5]
Avent officially launched on August 14, 2025, with backing from Y Combinator. The company was founded in 2025.[6]
References
- ↑ "Avent – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Second Generation Distributor Creates AI Sales Rep Startup". 'Modern Distribution Management}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Second Generation Distributor Creates AI Sales Rep Startup". 'Modern Distribution Management}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Avent – Transform Industrial Commerce with AI". 'Avent}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Avent – Transform Industrial Commerce with AI". 'Avent}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Avent – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.