Build-A-Way Inc

Who Is Behind the Company

Build-A-Way Inc was founded in 2024 by Ashton Hilliard and Joshua Bartholomew. Hilliard serves as CEO, and Bartholomew serves as Chief Product Officer [LinkedIn, Ashton Hilliard profile] [LinkedIn, Joshua Bartholomew profile].

Inside the Company

Build-A-Way Inc is a New Orleans-based startup founded in 2024, emerging from the Founder Institute accelerator program [LinkedIn]. The company's public narrative centers on addressing the administrative burden faced by very small home-services contractors, a problem CEO Ashton Hilliard connects to his father's experience as a solo entrepreneur [YouTube]. The company's legal entity name is confirmed as Build-A-Way Inc [Crunchbase].

Key milestones trace a path from concept to initial product launch. The company's formation and accelerator participation in 2024 was followed by a public unveiling of its AI Personal Assistant for contractors in local New Orleans business media in 2026 [Biz New Orleans, 2026]. That same year, the company was named a Nexus Cup finalist [Biz New Orleans, 2026].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Company details confirmed by its website and LinkedIn; founding year and accelerator participation are stated but not independently corroborated by third-party filings.

Under the Hood

Build-A-Way's product is a voice-activated CRM and workflow automation platform, a proposition that centers on reducing administrative friction for a specific, often-overlooked user. The company's public materials describe a system designed to intercept the primary points of manual entry for a small contractor: the inbound phone call, the scheduling calendar, and the invoice. The core claim is that a tradesperson can manage these tasks without typing, a feature the company markets as a "zero-input CRM" [YouTube].

The product's functional surface appears to cover three key workflows: job intake, scheduling, and invoicing [Biz New Orleans, 2026] [Build-A-Way site]. Public performance claims are ambitious: CEO Ashton Hilliard stated the platform can automate "up to 80-90% of back-office work" and save users "two to six hours per day" [YouTube]. The product is explicitly tailored for a regional and vertical niche, being "built for Louisiana plumbers, HVAC techs, and electricians" [Build-A-Way site].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Product claims are consistent across the company's owned channels and one local press article, but performance metrics are uncorroborated.

Market Research

Third-party sizing for the total addressable market for home services software is not available for Build-A-Way's specific focus. However, the broader field service management software market was valued at $4.1 billion in 2024 and is projected to grow to $6.9 billion by 2029 [ServiceTitan, 2026].

Metric	Value
Field Service Management Software Market 2024	$4.1B
Field Service Management Software Market 2029	$6.9B

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Market sizing is an analogous figure from a competitor's report. Company-specific demand claims are from a founder interview and lack third-party validation.

Competition and Substitutes

Build-A-Way enters a mature market for home-services software by targeting its smallest, most fragmented customer segment with a voice-first, zero-input automation promise.

Company	Positioning	Stage / Funding	Notable Differentiator	Source
Build-A-Way Inc	Voice-AI CRM for solo to 5-person trade teams	Pre-Seed (~$1,000,000)	"Zero-input" voice-activated workflow automation	[Build-A-Way site] [YouTube]
ServiceTitan	End-to-end operating system for large home-service businesses	Late-stage (Venture-backed)	Enterprise-grade suite	[ServiceTitan, 2026]
Housecall Pro	All-in-one platform for home-service pros	Growth-stage (Venture-backed)	Strong mobile app	[ServiceTitan, 2026]
Jobber	Field service management for small businesses	Growth-stage (Venture-backed)	User-friendly interface	[serviceagent.ai, 2026]
QuoteIQ	AI-powered quoting and estimating for contractors	Early-stage (Venture-backed)	Specialized AI for quotes	[serviceagent.ai, 2026]

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- Competitor profiles and market segments corroborated by industry analysis; Build-A-Way's positioning and differentiation are based on company materials.

Opportunity

The potential prize for Build-A-Way is the automation of back-office operations for millions of small, owner-operated trade businesses. The company's cited focus on a 'zero-input CRM' for teams of one to five directly targets a user archetype that larger competitors often overlook [Build-A-Way site].

Data Accuracy: YELLOW -- The core product thesis and target market are confirmed by company sources. Growth scenarios and market comps are extrapolated from the competitive landscape and industry context.

Sources

1. [Build-A-Way site] About page | https://buildaway.ai/about
2. [LinkedIn] Build-A-Way Inc LinkedIn company profile | https://www.linkedin.com/company/build-a-way-inc
3. [YouTube] HOW BUILD-A-WAY AI IS GIVING TRADESMEN THEIR TIME BACK | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5RTGmpNUtgo
4. [LinkedIn, Joshua Bartholomew profile] Joshua Bartholomew LinkedIn profile | https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuabartholomew/
5. [Crunchbase] Crunchbase, Build A Way Construction profile | https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/build-a-way-construction
6. [EastTexasRadio.com, 2026] Paris High Seniors Place in Air Force Essay Contest | https://easttexasradio.com/paris-high-seniors-place-in-air-force-essay-contest-2/
7. [LinkedIn, Ashton Hilliard profile] Ashton Hilliard - Build-A-Way Inc | LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashtonhilliard/
8. [Biz New Orleans, 2026] Build-A-Way Unveils AI Assistant for Contractors | https://bizneworleans.com/build-a-way-unveils-ai-assistant-for-contractors/
9. [Value Add VC, 2026] Startup Funding Rounds in 2025: What's Normal at Pre-Seed, Seed, A, and B | https://valueaddvc.com/blog/startup-funding-rounds-in-2025-whats-normal-at-pre-seed-seed-a-and-b
10. [Biz New Orleans, 2026] Nexus Cup Finalist Build-A-Way Offers Voice AI for Trades | https://bizneworleans.com/nexus-cup-finalist-build-a-way-offers-voice-ai-for-trades/
11. [ServiceTitan, 2026] ServiceTitan vs Housecall Pro | 2026 Comparison & Analysis | https://www.servicetitan.com/comparison/servicetitan-vs-housecall-pro
12. [serviceagent.ai, 2026] Top 8 Housecall Pro Alternatives for Home Services (2026) | https://serviceagent.ai/blogs/housecall-pro-alternatives/
13. [LeadTruffle, 2026] 6 Best AI Answering Services for Contractors in 2026 | https://www.leadtruffle.co/blog/best-ai-answering-services-contractors-2026/