Indian-American teen's AI startup valued at Rs 100 cr
At just 16 years old, Pranjali Awasthi, an Indian prodigy, has entered the tech arena with her startup, Delv.AI. Her venture, dedicated to streamlining the process of data extraction for research purposes, took off in January 2022.
Since its inception, Delv.AI has secured $450,000 (around Rs 3.7 crore) in funding, showcasing Pranjali’s impressive entrepreneurial skills. She leads a team of up to 10 employees.
With $450,000 (approximately Rs 3.7 crore) in funding, Delv.AI presently boasts an estimated valuation of $12 million (Rs 100 crore).
Pranjali's journey into technology began at a young age, and she attributes her father, an engineer, as the main source of inspiration for her entrepreneurial path.
She told Business Insider that her father's passion and values motivated her to start coding at the age of 7.
At 11, she relocated to Florida with her family from India, which introduced her to the world of computer science and competitive mathematics.
At 13, she began interning in university research labs at Florida International University, working on machine learning projects while attending school.
During the COVID pandemic, she dedicated about 20 hours a week to her internship since her school had shifted to virtual learning.
In 2021, Pranjali earned a spot in an AI startup accelerator in Miami, organized by tech enthusiasts Lucy Guo and Dave Fontenot from Backend Capital.
She joined their 12-week program starting in September, in exchange for a small equity stake in her future company.
Temporarily stepping away from high school, the accelerator provided the launchpad and facilitated her in attracting investments from notable entities including On Deck and Village Global.
Pranjali clarified that Delv.AI's primary aim is to assist researchers in accessing specific information within the realm of online content.
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