Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- Herrera\u2019s firsthand experience working at a call center helped inspire the outsourcing startup Horatio.<\/li>\n
- The company launched in 2018 with its first location in the Dominican Republic. <\/li>\n
- Today, Horatio leverages AI without losing sight of human value to see 9-figure annual revenue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
After starting his career at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, Dominican founder Jose Herrera couldn\u2019t shake the \u201centrepreneurial bug.\u201d He began investing in direct-to-consumer startups and noticed a common pain point: The businesses consistently struggled with customer service. Herrera had firsthand experience on the other side, having worked a summer job at a call center before college.\u00a0<\/p>\nImage Credit: Courtesy of Horatio. Jose Herrera. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201c\u200aThe environment in the traditional call center is super dark, dingy, feels like a prison,\u201d Herrera tells Entrepreneur.<\/em> \u201cThey really don\u2019t invest in the employee experience, and it\u2019s an industry that has convinced itself that this is just how outsourcing worked.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nColumbia MBA classmates launch Horatio in 2018<\/h2>\n
At Columbia University\u2019s MBA program, Herrera (CEO) connected with co-founders Alex Ross (COO) and Jared Karson (CFO), who would help him launch the outsourcing startup Horatio<\/a>, named for Hamlet\u2019s trusted friend in the Shakespearean play, in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\nThe co-founders didn\u2019t raise any money, relying on their savings alone to open their first location in the Dominican Republic.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Horatio-CoFounders-Columbia-University-on-graduation-day.jpeg?w=768\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of Horatio. Jared Karson, left, Alex Ross, center, and Jose Herrera, right.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nHoratio brings in 9-figure annual recurring revenue<\/h2>\n
In the years since, Horatio has grown from a startup focused on customer support into a global operation with more than 125 clients across healthcare, fintech, ecommerce and other high-growth industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, the company brings in more than nine figures in annual recurring revenue. Horatio\u2019s reach extends across the U.S. and Latin America (the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Honduras), with more than 3,500 team members globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Through it all, amid a rapid scale rate of 40% year-over-year, the company still hasn\u2019t taken any outside capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\nWe make sure that our people are at the center.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n
\u201cWe never set out to build a venture-backed company,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cWe wanted to build a great company. \u200aI wanted to bring the Silicon Valley culture, that tech campus culture, to nearshore talent. Because there\u2019s incredible talent in Latin America, but there was nothing like what we\u2019ve built. At Horatio, we make sure that our people are at the center.\u201d<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s commitment to providing robust employee benefits \u2014 from designing open workspaces to encouraging collaboration, offering career development opportunities and focusing on wellness and culture \u2014 drove real results for clients. And those clients wanted more; over 77% have expanded their team size and scope within the brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Horatio-HQ-Daycare.jpg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of Horatio. Horatio HQ Daycare.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nAI empowers employees and increases customer lifetime value<\/h2>\n
In response to increasing client interest, Horatio has grown its offering over the years and leaned into AI with intention. To Herrera, that means disproving the traditional AI narrative, which at times has had the reputation of being used by vendors to hide from their customers and slash costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFounders nowadays are feeling the pressure to implement AI,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cBoards are pushing them to say that they\u2019re AI-enabled. But founders see us as a strong operational partner that can help them do what is necessary to make AI work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Horatio aims to use AI to empower people and increase customer lifetime value, Herrera says.\u00a0<\/p>\n
AI consulting services bridge the tech implementation gap<\/h2>\n
The company rolled out its own AI consulting services to help solve a problem it saw across its roughly 40 AI vendors: Those vendors didn\u2019t have time to implement their technology or fully understand Horatio\u2019s clients\u2019 workflows. And the clients didn\u2019t have time to experiment with implementation either.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause we already have a roster of clients that are actually actively looking for that solution, and because we have a team of AI strategists and consultants, we\u2019ve been able to help them with the deployment of this technology,\u201d Herrera explains. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to fine-tune.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
No easy automation or off-the-shelf bots<\/h2>\n
The company tells clients up front that it doesn\u2019t sell \u201ceasy automation.\u201d Instead, Horatio focuses on building AI for regulated verticals because off-the-shelf bots won\u2019t work for its clients, most of which reside in the healthcare and fintech sectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The company\u2019s specialized AI tools handle industry-specific workflows where accuracy, compliance and privacy are non-negotiables, Herrera notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201c\u200aOur clients understand that we should not use AI to replace the human touch,\u201d Herrera adds. \u201cWe should use AI to make our humans supercharged or superpowered. Because in healthcare and fintech, close enough in AI isn\u2019t good enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Horatio-HQ-inspired-by-Google.jpg?w=1024\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of Horatio. Horatio HQ.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nThat human touch is exactly what\u2019s allowed Horatio to check off its major growth milestones, Herrera says. Some team members who joined Horatio on day one working as agents remain with the company today and serve in leadership roles, including as directors of operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThey started from the ground,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cThese people live and breathe our brand day to day. It\u2019s refreshing to see that now we\u2019re able to delegate and continue to foster that talent, which is the key to the success that we\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n
As Herrera looks to Horatio\u2019s future, he\u2019s excited to continue leveraging AI to empower the company\u2019s team members and identify new growth opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cInvesting in our people is going to remain central to our thesis,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cAs we diversify and expand across different regions, continuing to foster that talent is top of mind for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
\n\nKey Takeaways<\/h2>\n\n- Herrera\u2019s firsthand experience working at a call center helped inspire the outsourcing startup Horatio.<\/li>\n
- The company launched in 2018 with its first location in the Dominican Republic. <\/li>\n
- Today, Horatio leverages AI without losing sight of human value to see 9-figure annual revenue.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n
After starting his career at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, Dominican founder Jose Herrera couldn\u2019t shake the \u201centrepreneurial bug.\u201d He began investing in direct-to-consumer startups and noticed a common pain point: The businesses consistently struggled with customer service. Herrera had firsthand experience on the other side, having worked a summer job at a call center before college.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.entrepreneur.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2026\/08\/Jose-Herrera-Horatio-Co-Founder-and-CEO.jpg?w=683\")
Image Credit: Courtesy of Horatio. Jose Herrera. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\u201c\u200aThe environment in the traditional call center is super dark, dingy, feels like a prison,\u201d Herrera tells Entrepreneur.<\/em> \u201cThey really don\u2019t invest in the employee experience, and it\u2019s an industry that has convinced itself that this is just how outsourcing worked.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\nColumbia MBA classmates launch Horatio in 2018<\/h2>\n
At Columbia University\u2019s MBA program, Herrera (CEO) connected with co-founders Alex Ross (COO) and Jared Karson (CFO), who would help him launch the outsourcing startup Horatio<\/a>, named for Hamlet\u2019s trusted friend in the Shakespearean play, in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n
After starting his career at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, Dominican founder Jose Herrera couldn\u2019t shake the \u201centrepreneurial bug.\u201d He began investing in direct-to-consumer startups and noticed a common pain point: The businesses consistently struggled with customer service. Herrera had firsthand experience on the other side, having worked a summer job at a call center before college.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThe environment in the traditional call center is super dark, dingy, feels like a prison,\u201d Herrera tells Entrepreneur.<\/em> \u201cThey really don\u2019t invest in the employee experience, and it\u2019s an industry that has convinced itself that this is just how outsourcing worked.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n At Columbia University\u2019s MBA program, Herrera (CEO) connected with co-founders Alex Ross (COO) and Jared Karson (CFO), who would help him launch the outsourcing startup Horatio<\/a>, named for Hamlet\u2019s trusted friend in the Shakespearean play, in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n The co-founders didn\u2019t raise any money, relying on their savings alone to open their first location in the Dominican Republic.\u00a0<\/p>\n In the years since, Horatio has grown from a startup focused on customer support into a global operation with more than 125 clients across healthcare, fintech, ecommerce and other high-growth industries.\u00a0<\/p>\n What\u2019s more, the company brings in more than nine figures in annual recurring revenue. Horatio\u2019s reach extends across the U.S. and Latin America (the Dominican Republic, Colombia and Honduras), with more than 3,500 team members globally.\u00a0<\/p>\n Through it all, amid a rapid scale rate of 40% year-over-year, the company still hasn\u2019t taken any outside capital.\u00a0<\/p>\n We make sure that our people are at the center.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n \u201cWe never set out to build a venture-backed company,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cWe wanted to build a great company. \u200aI wanted to bring the Silicon Valley culture, that tech campus culture, to nearshore talent. Because there\u2019s incredible talent in Latin America, but there was nothing like what we\u2019ve built. At Horatio, we make sure that our people are at the center.\u201d<\/p>\n The company\u2019s commitment to providing robust employee benefits \u2014 from designing open workspaces to encouraging collaboration, offering career development opportunities and focusing on wellness and culture \u2014 drove real results for clients. And those clients wanted more; over 77% have expanded their team size and scope within the brand.\u00a0<\/p>\n In response to increasing client interest, Horatio has grown its offering over the years and leaned into AI with intention. To Herrera, that means disproving the traditional AI narrative, which at times has had the reputation of being used by vendors to hide from their customers and slash costs.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cFounders nowadays are feeling the pressure to implement AI,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cBoards are pushing them to say that they\u2019re AI-enabled. But founders see us as a strong operational partner that can help them do what is necessary to make AI work.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Horatio aims to use AI to empower people and increase customer lifetime value, Herrera says.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company rolled out its own AI consulting services to help solve a problem it saw across its roughly 40 AI vendors: Those vendors didn\u2019t have time to implement their technology or fully understand Horatio\u2019s clients\u2019 workflows. And the clients didn\u2019t have time to experiment with implementation either.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cBecause we already have a roster of clients that are actually actively looking for that solution, and because we have a team of AI strategists and consultants, we\u2019ve been able to help them with the deployment of this technology,\u201d Herrera explains. \u201cWe\u2019ve been able to fine-tune.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The company tells clients up front that it doesn\u2019t sell \u201ceasy automation.\u201d Instead, Horatio focuses on building AI for regulated verticals because off-the-shelf bots won\u2019t work for its clients, most of which reside in the healthcare and fintech sectors.\u00a0<\/p>\n The company\u2019s specialized AI tools handle industry-specific workflows where accuracy, compliance and privacy are non-negotiables, Herrera notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aOur clients understand that we should not use AI to replace the human touch,\u201d Herrera adds. \u201cWe should use AI to make our humans supercharged or superpowered. Because in healthcare and fintech, close enough in AI isn\u2019t good enough.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n That human touch is exactly what\u2019s allowed Horatio to check off its major growth milestones, Herrera says. Some team members who joined Horatio on day one working as agents remain with the company today and serve in leadership roles, including as directors of operations.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThey started from the ground,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cThese people live and breathe our brand day to day. It\u2019s refreshing to see that now we\u2019re able to delegate and continue to foster that talent, which is the key to the success that we\u2019ve had.\u201d<\/p>\n As Herrera looks to Horatio\u2019s future, he\u2019s excited to continue leveraging AI to empower the company\u2019s team members and identify new growth opportunities.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cInvesting in our people is going to remain central to our thesis,\u201d Herrera says. \u201cAs we diversify and expand across different regions, continuing to foster that talent is top of mind for us.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n After starting his career at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, Dominican founder Jose Herrera couldn\u2019t shake the \u201centrepreneurial bug.\u201d He began investing in direct-to-consumer startups and noticed a common pain point: The businesses consistently struggled with customer service. Herrera had firsthand experience on the other side, having worked a summer job at a call center before college.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201c\u200aThe environment in the traditional call center is super dark, dingy, feels like a prison,\u201d Herrera tells Entrepreneur.<\/em> \u201cThey really don\u2019t invest in the employee experience, and it\u2019s an industry that has convinced itself that this is just how outsourcing worked.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n At Columbia University\u2019s MBA program, Herrera (CEO) connected with co-founders Alex Ross (COO) and Jared Karson (CFO), who would help him launch the outsourcing startup Horatio<\/a>, named for Hamlet\u2019s trusted friend in the Shakespearean play, in 2018.\u00a0<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nColumbia MBA classmates launch Horatio in 2018<\/h2>\n
Horatio brings in 9-figure annual recurring revenue<\/h2>\n
\n
AI empowers employees and increases customer lifetime value<\/h2>\n
AI consulting services bridge the tech implementation gap<\/h2>\n
No easy automation or off-the-shelf bots<\/h2>\n
Key Takeaways<\/h2>\n
\n
Columbia MBA classmates launch Horatio in 2018<\/h2>\n