Kanava AI - Your First AI Sales Hire for Wholesale Distributors
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Kanava AI and the Future of Voice-Driven B2B Sales

Wholesale distribution is a $9 trillion industry made up of over 410,000 businesses and 6 million employees. It’s a massive and essential backbone of the global supply chain—but it’s also buckling under a growing strain.

Sales teams in distribution companies are overloaded. With nearly a third of the workforce aged 55 and up, retirements are imminent, and the younger workforce isn’t stepping in fast enough to fill the gap. On top of that, existing reps spend less than 30% of their time actually selling. The rest is lost to answering repetitive calls, searching for stock information, quoting prices, logging field notes, and wrangling with outdated CRMs.

A staggering 25% of inbound calls in distribution never reach a human—resulting in lost revenue, frustrated customers, and missed opportunities. For an industry that already faces labor shortages and digital lag, these inefficiencies are snowballing into a full-blown crisis.

Kanava AI is stepping in to change that.

How does Kanava AI work?

At its core, Kanava AI builds voice-based AI agents that act like junior sales reps. These agents handle the tedious, time-consuming tasks that shouldn’t require a trained human to complete, especially not one on a six-figure salary.

Here’s what Kanava does out of the box:

  • Answers routine inbound calls using real-time ERP data
  • Checks prices and inventory availability
  • Logs field notes hands-free
  • Draft follow-up messages
  • Updates CRM systems

Kanava AI is not a chatbot or a glorified FAQ system. It's a voice-first assistant trained to understand sales workflows, structured ERP data, and human communication, offering actual conversations, not scripts.

Over time, Kanava levels up. By observing top-performing sales reps, it learns more complex behaviors and gradually takes on higher-value responsibilities:

  • Handling consultative sales calls
  • Identifying upsell opportunities in real time
  • Highlighting coaching insights based on rep conversations
  • Re-engaging dormant customer accounts with personalized outreach

Instead of attempting to replace the human touch, Kanava frees it. By automating the repetitive backend and frontline busywork, sales reps can focus on what matters: selling, strategizing, and building relationships.

Why is Kanava taking a different approach from other AI sales tools?

Unlike many AI products that overpromise and underdeliver, Kanava AI has adopted a focused and incremental approach. Smit Dagli and Vikhyath Mondreti, the founders, understand that wholesale distributors are typically late adopters when it comes to technology. Many of their customers still rely heavily on phone calls, spreadsheets, and legacy ERP systems.

Most AI sales tools crash and burn because they try to automate complex conversations or workflows before gaining user trust. Kanava flips that approach on its head. The company starts with the low-leverage, high-friction work routine calls, repetitive data entry, and proves its value right away.

Once users see tangible productivity gains, they become more willing to trust Kanava with deeper involvement in the sales cycle. The system doesn’t ask for blind faith—it earns responsibility over time, just like a human sales trainee.

It’s a philosophy rooted in patience, precision, and real-world impact.

Who are the founders behind Kanava AI?

Kanava AI is the brainchild of two computer science graduates from UC Berkeley: Smit Dagli (CEO) and Vikhyath Mondreti (CTO). While neither of them comes from the world of wholesale distribution, they bring deep expertise in AI systems, backend engineering, and voice agent development.

Smit Dagli previously built incident-resolution agents at Observe, a Series B observability startup. His resume also includes stints at Abnormal Security and Salesforce, giving him firsthand experience with enterprise-grade software systems and AI deployment.

Vikhyath Mondreti developed voice agents for data input and navigation at Uncountable, a data management company. He’s also worked at Uber and Amazon, where he focused on scalable infrastructure and automation.

The pair have been friends since their freshman year at Berkeley, and teammates on a spectacularly unsuccessful ultimate frisbee team. Despite losing every game, their camaraderie held strong. That same spirit now fuels their professional partnership, with a shared determination to solve one of the most overlooked problems in B2B sales.

What makes Kanava AI’s solution uniquely valuable?

Kanava AI isn’t a generic call center bot or a CRM add-on. It’s a vertically focused, deeply integrated solution for wholesale distributors—a space that’s long been underserved by modern AI tools.

Here’s what sets Kanava apart:

  • ERP Integration: It doesn’t just pull generic info. It taps into live ERP data to deliver real-time, accurate answers about stock, pricing, and order status.
  • Voice-First Experience: While many companies focus on chat, Kanava understands that the phone remains the primary sales channel in distribution. Its AI agents are trained for voice conversations, not just text exchanges.
  • Sales Intelligence: Over time, Kanava learns from top reps, generating real insights and even coaching tips based on call transcripts and outcomes.
  • Scalable Productivity: Rather than hiring more reps to handle growing volume, distributors can scale with AI. Kanava allows businesses to increase sales output without adding to headcount.
  • Human-Centered Design: Instead of replacing sales reps, Kanava supports them—automating the tasks they hate and amplifying the work they’re best at.

This combination of practicality, empathy, and technical sophistication makes Kanava a standout in the crowded AI tools landscape.

What’s next for Kanava AI?

Kanava AI is currently focused on establishing strong use cases within specific distributor segments—particularly electrical goods, industrial supplies, and auto parts, where the need is urgent and workflows are consistent.

The team’s near-term goals include:

  • Expanding state-by-state ERP integrations
  • Developing deeper voice personalization for AI agents
  • Launching smart reactivation campaigns for dormant accounts
  • Generating AI-assisted coaching feedback for human reps

Eventually, the vision is broader: to become a full-stack AI sales assistant that complements every part of the B2B selling motion—from first contact to closing, and beyond.

As more experienced reps retire and younger workers demand smarter tools, Kanava is poised to bridge the generational gap and reshape how sales is done in one of America’s largest yet slowest-moving industries.

Why does this matter for the future of industrial sales?

The AI revolution isn’t just about flashy productivity tools for software companies. It’s about solving the real, unglamorous pain points faced by legacy industries like wholesale distribution.

With Kanava AI, there’s finally a solution that’s built for these realities, not in spite of them. It listens. It adapts. It proves itself. And it scales.

For distributors overwhelmed by repetitive tasks, declining workforce pipelines, and missed revenue opportunities, Kanava offers more than automation. It offers a path forward.