In today’s age of escalating cyberattacks and AI-assisted fraud, every business relies on its IT team to keep their company and customers safe. While larger enterprises rely on their internal IT teams, small and scaling businesses often turn to trusted Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to manage their IT infrastructure, security, and end-user systems.
But as requests for support increase, many MSPs are finding their margins shrinking as the risks grow.
It is a problem Shweta Mishra has witnessed first hand in fifteen years working on the frontlines of IT and Customer Analytics. Over her career, she saw tools like ticketing platforms and knowledge bases that improved IT teams’ workflow, but there was never a single solution to address the problems her teams faced every day.
“But now with AI, like, there’s so much possible in terms of getting help right away to the end user,” she said.
After hearing IT leaders and MSPs share their stories, Mishra decided it was a challenge she could solve.
More tickets, more problems
“MSPs want to onboard more customers to grow revenue, but as they get more customers, their ticket volume will also grow. Adding technicians helps, but that reduces their margins. So the problem was how to make technicians more effective,” Mishra said.
In 2025, she launched NetZenAI, an AI-powered that provides IT technicians with the right information before they even start a task. Instead of a technician receiving a vague “Zoom isn’t working” ticket, NetZenAI automatically analyzes the user’s environment to pinpoint the issue
By reducing the back and forth between IT technicians and users, NetZenAI allows technicians to resolve tickets faster and more efficiently, helping MSPs scale their customer bases without increasing headcount.
“Less frustration for the support person. Less frustration for the end user. That’s our goal,” she added.
Opening a ticket with the Accelerator Centre
As a first-time founder, Mishra said she knew she needed help. Thankfully, she learned about the Accelerator Centre’s AC:Incubate+ program just when she started to build out her business plan.
“I’ve always heard such great things about AC. The fact that it is designed for women founders made it even more perfect for me,” she said.
Initially, Mishra said she considered targeting large enterprise IT departments. But working with her AC mentors helped her realize that a startup’s most valuable resource is focus
“As a startup, you have limited resources and you cannot target five segments at the same time. The AC’s mentors helped us become more pinpointed. That’s how we chose MSPs as our first beachhead market,” Mishra explained.
Mishra’s support from the AC:Incubate+ program went beyond high-level strategy. She said that AC mentors worked as “boots-on-the-ground” support to help her navigate her first-time founder needs. Whether it was refining the messaging on the NetZenAI website with marketing mentors or practicing sales pitches with Melissa Durrell, Mishra said the AC team to be a constant sounding board.
“I’m always bouncing ideas off of them,” she said. “I’ve shown them my sales deck and we’ve walked through the outreach process. As someone who doesn’t come from a sales and marketing background, having access to mentors like Hannah, Ellyn and John Beresford has been a game-changer.”
In the Waterloo tech ecosystem, who you know is often as important as what you build. Shweta noted that rather than gatekeeping connections, the Waterloo tech community is already to lend a hand.
“Some mentors are incredible at making warm connections. I remember talking to Lisa Cashmore about wanting to get in touch with local IT contacts. Within 15 minutes of our call ending, she had already sent out three introductory emails. That kind of support keeps you energized,” Mishra recalled.
What’s next for NetZenAI
Looking back on her journey so far, Mishra’s advice for aspiring founders is to fall in love with the problem, not the solution.
“Validate the problem as much as you can before you start building,” she advised.
She also emphasizes that even for technical founders, the “human” side of the business—networking—is where real growth can happen.
“Go to the events where your customers hang out. Those connections are what open the doors,” she said.
While the platform is officially in-market, Mishra is keeping her focus on not just growth, but the right growth.
“We want to see how the product performs in specific environments, and use that feedback to determine our trajectory,” she added.
If the feedback is as positive as the initial interest suggests, NetZenAI plans to move aggressively into a broader market outreach by mid-year.
“We’re excited to see how this evolves and ready to build on the momentum as it unfolds.”
