# Zmode

Aiolum story: https://aiolum.com/story/zmode/ · added 2026-11-11 · updated 2026-11-11

**In short.** Zmode (AI agent that runs the website, bookings, customer messages, payments and marketing of small service businesses, United States): Says it serves thousands of businesses, September 2026. Evidence grade E: no revenue figure was checked. Team: 2 co-founders named in a September 2026 press release; headcount not published. Launched February 2026; still running.

AI agent that runs the website, bookings, customer messages, payments and marketing of small service businesses · United States · AI-native · team of 2 to 10 · still running · group: Customer support agents

- Outcome: Says it serves thousands of businesses, September 2026 (evidence grade of the headline number: E; no revenue figure)
- Launch: February 2026; months from launch to the outcome: 7
- Team: 2 co-founders named in a September 2026 press release; headcount not published
- Outside funding: Techstars New York City, Fall 2025 class; the amount for Zmode is not published
- Main factor: Niche
- Meters, 1 to 4: evidence strength 1, copyable pattern 2, capital needed 2
- Tags: AI-native, Small team, Funded, Running, B2B, Small business

Links:

- Visit zmode.com: https://zmode.com/

**The product.** Software for owners of small service businesses such as nail salons, studios, cleaners and bakeries. An AI assistant answers customers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, email and text, in English or Spanish. It books appointments, takes deposits, sends invoices, builds a website and runs email and text campaigns. The owner can also chat with the assistant to change things.

**Why it worked.** Zmode sells one bundle of customer messages, bookings, invoices, marketing and a website to owners who, in its own words, "became every department". The pricing page says every plan has every feature. A larger plan adds room for contacts, conversations, emails and texts, not new functions.

Evidence grades: A = disclosed by a public company, a filing or a payment processor, or verified by one; B = two or more independent reports agree, or a journalist confirmed it; C = a founder claim that no one else verified; D = reported, not verified: one founder claim or a third-party estimate with no second source; E = no revenue figure found, so the headline is a non-money fact and the other facts carry their own grades; calc = computed on this page from graded facts.

## Summary

Zmode is software that does the daily office work of a small service business with an AI agent. An AI agent is a program that carries out tasks on instructions and does not only chat. Zmode answers customers on messaging channels, books appointments, sends invoices, runs marketing campaigns and builds the website. Hiredupai, Inc., a Delaware corporation, sells it under the trade name Zmode.

Fausto Lendeborg and Danny Gonzalez are named as co-founders in a press release of 23 September 2026. The company's archived pages show an earlier product, HiredUpAI, a tool for finding local staff, with a 2023 copyright notice. The Zmode product first appears in a Techstars announcement of 5 December 2025 and in an archived page of 6 February 2026. On 19 October 2026 the pricing page lists three paid plans with a 14-day free trial.

No revenue figure was found for Zmode. The headline is the company's own statement of 23 September 2026 that it serves "thousands of businesses". No outside party has confirmed that count or that these businesses pay. The home page counter says 1,000 businesses and does not say how many of them pay.

## Why did Zmode work?

### It sells one bundle to one kind of customer, small service businesses

The pricing page and the pages for each trade name salons, studios, cleaners, coaches, bakeries and real estate agents. Techstars describes the market as "37M profitable U.S. service businesses that earn zero revenue online". That is the Techstars text about the company, not a measured figure.

### Every plan has every feature, and only the allowance grows

The pricing page says "A bigger plan gives you more room, not more features." The plans differ in contacts, conversations, emails and texts. Extra seats cost US$29 a month each, and text packs are sold once, as the company's pricing page states.

### It answers customers in the chat apps they already use

The pricing page lists answers on WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook Messenger, email and text. It says the assistant replies in the language the customer writes in, English or Spanish. The owner can pause it and take over a conversation.

## How it was built

These details come from the company's own legal pages and from an archived page. They are grade C.

- The privacy policy names Supabase, Railway, Vercel, Anthropic, Stripe, Zernio, Resend and PostHog among the service providers that help run Zmode. It does not say which provider does which task.
- An archived page of 6 February 2026 names Lovable as the author of the page. Lovable is a tool that builds websites from a description.
- The terms say actions that send, charge or delete ask for the owner's confirmation unless the owner turns them on to run by themselves.
- The privacy policy says the company's AI providers may not use customer data to train their models.
- The privacy policy says Zmode stores and processes data in the United States.

Sources: [4, 7, 3, 4, 4]

## Who tried this before Zmode, and why did they fail?

Two companies in our database of failed startups sold digital tools to businesses and lost to larger rivals. The values below are from that database and are not independently verified.

The failed startups come from our database of dead startups, retold here in our own words; Its entries are AI-assisted summaries of public sources, so they carry no evidence grade.

### LocalOn (2013 to 2016; funding US$500K; cause: Competition)

- Promise: Websites, social media links and local search tools that let small local shops compete online.
- Why it died: It could not set itself apart from larger rivals such as Shopify and Wix. Its platform lacked features of its own.
- Record: 

### Hipmob (2012 to 2015; funding US$120K; cause: Competition)

- Promise: Live chat and messages that businesses add to their own apps and websites to talk with customers.
- Why it died: Larger and better funded rivals such as Intercom and Zendesk added the same features to their products.
- Record: 

## What changed

LocalOn and Hipmob each lost to larger rivals, by the database's account. Hipmob's rivals added its features to their own products. Zmode sells a bundle of website, messages, bookings, invoices and marketing, so it is not one feature. It also depends on large platforms: WhatsApp, Instagram and Stripe are named on its pages.

Whether the bundle has paying customers in large numbers is not shown by any source. The company states thousands of businesses, and it offered a free start in September 2026. Rivals still sell booking tools to the same trades, and Zmode's own comparison pages name six of them.

## Can one person copy Zmode now?

**Verdict: The structure, yes. The proof is missing.**

The structure can be copied. It has one bundle for one kind of small business. It has one price list with all features in every plan. The assistant works on the chat apps that customers already use. No source shows how many customers pay or how large the team is. The company's own pages already name six rivals, so a copy needs a narrower trade.

1. Pick one trade, such as nail salons, where owners answer messages by hand while working.
2. Connect the channels that customers already use, such as WhatsApp and Instagram, before adding new ones.
3. Charge for volume, not for features, so that every plan shows the whole product.
4. Ask for a deposit at booking, because the company's pages list no-shows among the problems that cost the most bookings.

**What is still open.** Other trades with many small owners who answer messages by hand, such as repair shops, clinics, driving schools and photographers.

## How much revenue does Zmode make? The numbers, graded

A company with a 2023 start and a price list since 2026 that states thousands of customer businesses, with no revenue figure published

| Fact | Value | Grade | Note | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Customers, September 2026 (headline) | "thousands of businesses", by the company's own statement | C | The press release of 23 September 2026 says "Zmode already serves thousands of businesses" in the United States, Latin America and Europe. The distributor of the release says it does not verify the claims. | [5] |
| Counters on the home page | "1,000" businesses serviced and "100" first customers set up personally | C | Read on 11 November 2026. The page says its experience with these businesses "helped shape ZMODE". It does not say how many of them pay for Zmode. | [1] |
| Paid plans, October 2026 | Basic US$49, Starter US$169 and Growth US$349 a month, each with a 14-day free trial | C | The company's pricing page, marked "Last updated October 19, 2026". A card is required to start the trial. | [2] |
| How the company says it charges | paid plans billed in advance through Stripe and renewed until the customer cancels | C | Section 8 of the Terms of Service, effective 25 October 2026. The terms do not say how many customers pay. | [3] |
| Price list on 29 September 2026 | Starter US$169 and Growth US$349 a month, Enterprise on request, and a free start with no card | C | An Internet Archive copy of the home page, saved 29 September 2026. The company's page of that date shows no Basic plan. | [8] |
| Company and its start | Hiredupai, Inc., a Delaware corporation doing business as Zmode; copyright notice of 2023 | C | The terms name the corporation. Archived pages of hiredupai.com show "© 2023 HiredUpAI, Inc." The Internet Archive's earliest copy of that domain is from 15 May 2024. No incorporation date was found. | [3, 9, 10] |
| Earlier product of the same company | HiredUpAI, a tool for finding local staff, with a Business plan at US$129 a month | C | The archived page of 9 August 2024 says "Hire local staff for your business" and lists a Business plan at US$129 a month, or US$89 on yearly billing. A copy of 12 January 2025 reads the same. | [9] |
| First traces of the Zmode product | Techstars post of 5 December 2025; archived Zmode page of 6 February 2026 | C | Techstars lists Zmode in its Fall 2025 New York City class. The archived page says "Launch your business online in 10 minutes" and names Lovable, a website builder, as its author. No launch date is published. | [6, 7] |
| Accelerator and funding | Techstars New York City, Fall 2025 class; amount for Zmode not published | C | Techstars says the first cohort under its new terms receives US$220,000 with a SAFE and 5% of common stock. A SAFE is a simple agreement for future equity. The post does not say what Zmode received. | [6] |
| Founders and team | Fausto Lendeborg, co-founder and CEO; Danny Gonzalez, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer; headcount not published | C | Both are named in the company's press release of 23 September 2026. The release says Lendeborg earlier built two other companies. No page gives a headcount. | [5] |
| Time from the first archived product page to the customer statement | 7 months | calc | Calculated: 6 February 2026 to 23 September 2026. | [7, 5] |

How to read this table. Every value is grade C. It is a statement by the company in its own pages or press release. An Internet Archive copy of such a page counts the same. A "calc" value was computed on this page. No value is grade A or B.

## Pricing

Zmode prices in November 2026, read from the company's pricing page, last updated 19 October 2026 (grade C)

| Plan | Per month, billed yearly (US$) | Per month, billed monthly (US$) | Limit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic |  | 49 | email support; 14-day free trial |
| Starter |  | 169 | more contacts, conversations, emails and texts; 14-day free trial |
| Growth |  | 349 | largest allowance; calls with the Zmode team; 14-day free trial |
| Extra seat, add-on |  | 29 | per month |
| 1,000 texts, add-on | 25 one-time |  | text allowance |
| 5,000 texts, add-on | 99 one-time |  | text allowance |

The pricing page states that each paid plan starts with a 14-day free trial and that a card is required to start. It states that the first charge is on day 15. The page names no limits in numbers: the plans differ in contacts, conversations, emails and texts. The three plans are billed monthly. No yearly price is shown. The add-ons work with any paid plan.

## When did Zmode launch, and how did it grow? Timeline

From a 2023 copyright notice of an earlier product to a stated count of thousands of businesses in September 2026. Each entry carries its grade.

- **2023** (grade C [9]): A copyright notice "© 2023 HiredUpAI, Inc." appears on the site of the company's earlier product, a tool for finding local staff.
- **5 December 2025** (grade C [6]): Techstars names Zmode in its Fall 2025 New York City class and describes an AI-built website with bookings and a customer list.
- **6 February 2026** (grade C [7]): The Internet Archive saves a Zmode home page that offers a website, booking calendar, payments and customer list, with a free start.
- **23 September 2026** (grade C [5]): A press release names two co-founders and says Zmode serves thousands of businesses.
- **29 September 2026** (grade C [8]): The archived home page offers a free start and plans at US$169 and US$349 a month, with five testimonials and a list of results.
- **19 October 2026** (grade C [2]): The pricing page, marked as updated on this date, lists Basic, Starter and Growth with a 14-day free trial and a card required.

## What could go wrong for Zmode?

- **What is not verified.** No revenue figure was found for Zmode. The search covered the company's pages, its legal pages, a Techstars post, two copies of a press release and archived pages. The count of thousands of businesses is the company's own statement. No independent source confirms that these customers pay. Pages of two company-data sites could not be read, because their robots.txt files disallow Claude agents. A reader could look for a payment-processor profile or a founder interview with a figure.
- **Trust signals changed between pages.** The archived home page of 29 September 2026 showed five testimonials. Each had a first name and a business name. The page also listed results such as "a 35% increase in repeat customers". No source for the results was read. The current home page shows neither. A web search for one sentence of three of the testimonials found no other source. The archived page also listed a "Customer review engine" without describing it. The current home page shows counters of "1,000" businesses serviced and "100" first customers. The press release of September 2026 says "thousands of businesses". No source explains the difference.
- **The company and its product changed in 2026.** The same corporation sold HiredUpAI, a tool for finding local staff, before Zmode. The archived Zmode pages show a free start with plans at US$169 and US$349 a month on 29 September 2026. The pricing page of 19 October 2026 shows Basic at US$49 a month and a card-required trial. The press release says Zmode is Techstars-backed and aims to run "millions of businesses". The title of the press release says payments and banking are "Built In". The archived page of 29 September 2026 marks "Digital payments and banking" as "Soon".
- **The assistant can send texts and charge customers.** The terms say the business owner is responsible for the consent of its customers to receive texts, calls and emails. They say actions that send, charge or delete ask for confirmation unless the owner turns them on to run by themselves. The terms also say AI "can make mistakes" and that the owner should review prices and policies. An owner who connects WhatsApp, Instagram or other services must also follow those services' terms, by the same page.

## Sources

1. ZMODE home page: the AI agent that runs your small business — https://zmode.com/ (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. Source for the counters, the product description and the trade name.
2. ZMODE pricing: plans from $49 a month — https://zmode.com/pricing (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. The page is marked "Last updated October 19, 2026". Source for the plans, the trial, the add-ons and the channels.
3. Zmode Terms of Service, effective 25 October 2026 — https://zmode.com/terms (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. Source for the corporation, the billing terms, the AI rules and the consent rules.
4. Zmode Privacy Policy, effective 25 October 2026 — https://zmode.com/privacy (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. Source for the service providers, the data location and the AI training rule.
5. Swace News, 23 September 2026: From Website to Revenue in Seconds: Zmode's Autonomous AI Takes On Wix and Shopify, With Payments and Banking Built In — https://www.swacenews.com/2026/09/23/from-website-to-revenue-in-seconds-zmodes-autonomous-ai-takes-on-wix-and-shopify-with-payments-and-banking-built-in/ (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. A press release distributed by King Newswire, which says it does not verify claims. A second copy at investmentnewz.com has the same text. Source for the customer count and the founders.
6. Techstars, 5 December 2025: Meet the Fall 2025 Class of Techstars New York City — https://www.techstars.com/blog/program-news/meet-the-fall-2025-class-of-techstars-new-york-city (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. The accelerator's own post. Source for the class, the description of Zmode and the cohort terms.
7. Internet Archive copy of zmode.com, saved 6 February 2026 — https://web.archive.org/web/20260206221640/https://zmode.com/ (grade C). Opened on 11 November 2026. The page loads by script, so only its title, description and author tag could be read.
8. Internet Archive copy of zmode.com, saved 29 September 2026 — https://web.archive.org/web/20260929183411/https://zmode.com/ (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. Source for the earlier price list, the testimonials and the results list.
9. Internet Archive copy of hiredupai.com, saved 9 August 2024 — https://web.archive.org/web/20240809001539/https://hiredupai.com/ (grade C). Read in full on 11 November 2026. A copy of 12 January 2025 has the same text. Source for the earlier product, its prices and the 2023 copyright notice.
10. Internet Archive copy of hiredupai.com, saved 15 May 2024 — https://web.archive.org/web/20240515061727/https://hiredupai.com/ (grade C). Opened on 11 November 2026. The page loads by script and shows only its title. The Internet Archive's index lists this as the earliest copy of the domain.
11. Database of failed startups, local export — /method/#dead (grade C). Record pages read on the website on 11 November 2026. AI-written summaries, not independently verified. Source for the failed predecessors.

Contact: aiolum@livyden.com. Run Zmode? Send corrections or a verified figure to aiolum@livyden.com (subject: Correction: Zmode).