Rising star: 16-year-old Indian prodigy Pranjali Awasthi launches AI startup & raises Rs 100 crore

In an astonishing entry into the tech industry, 16-year-old Indian prodigy Pranjali Awasthi has captured attention with her AI startup, Delv.AI. With a recent valuation of Rs 100 crore, this young entrepreneur is rewriting the rules of success.

At Miami Tech Week, Pranjali Awasthi revealed her brainchild, Delv.AI, which she founded in January 2022. In just a short time, she secured around $450,000 (Rs 3.7 crore) in funding, showcasing the immense potential of her venture.

Remarkably, Delv.AI's LinkedIn profile already features a team of 10 dedicated professionals. During the event, Awasthi credited her father as the primary source of inspiration for her entrepreneurial journey.

Early passion for technology

Pranjali's passion for technology ignited at an early age, influenced by her father's enthusiasm for promoting computer science education in schools. This encouragement led her to start coding at just seven years old, laying the foundation for her remarkable journey.

When her family moved to Florida when she was 11, new doors opened for Pranjali. She gained access to computer science classes and competitive maths programs. However, it was her internship at the research labs of Florida International University at the age of 13 that set her on the path to entrepreneurship.

The birth of Delv.AI

During this internship, Pranjali delved into machine learning projects while attending a virtual high school due to the pandemic. It was during this time that OpenAI released ChatGPT-3 beta, sparking the idea to use AI to streamline research data extraction and summarisation.

Thus, Delv.AI was born, with Pranjali's mission to use machine learning to enhance data extraction processes and break down data silos.

Accelerating success

A significant milestone occurred when Pranjali joined an AI startup accelerator in Miami, led by Lucy Guo and Dave Fontenot of Backend Capital. This acceptance marked her unwavering commitment to pursuing her dreams, even if it meant temporarily putting her high school education on hold. The beta launch of Delv.AI on Product Hunt was met with exceptional success, with Product Hunt being a platform for sharing software.

Delv.AI's goal & revenue

Pranjali explains that Delv.AI's primary goal is to help researchers efficiently access specific information within the vast realm of online content. The accelerator program played a crucial role in helping Pranjali secure investments from On Deck and Village Global.

In total, Delv.AI raised $450,000 (approximately Rs 3.7 crore) in funding and currently boasts an approximate valuation of $12 million (Rs 100 crore).

Pranjali Awasthi's journey with Delv.AI is not just impressive; it's an inspiration to young minds everywhere. With her dedication, she's proving that age is no barrier to success in the world of technology and entrepreneurship. Keep an eye out for this rising star in the AI industry!