At an age when most teenagers are still figuring out their passions and aspirations, Pranjali Awasthi had already embarked on an extraordinary entrepreneurial journey that has inspiring minds across the globe.
1. Early Beginnings
Pranjali Awasthi was born in India and lived there until the age of 11, when her family moved to Florida, USA. Her father, being an engineer himself, introduced her to coding at the remarkably young age of 7, sparking her interest in technology from a very early age.
Her father’s advocacy for computer science education and his encouragement played a crucial role in nurturing her passion for coding and technology.
2. Machine Learning Internship
At the age of 13, while still in middle school, she interned at Florida International University’s research labs, where she worked on machine learning projects. During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, when her high school transitioned to virtual learning, she was able to dedicate 20 hours per week to interning.
Inspired by the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT-3 beta in 2020, Pranjali discerned its potential to streamline research data extraction and summarization.
3. HFO Residency Program
In September 2021, Pranjali was accepted into the HF0 residency program, a 12-week startup accelerator run by Backend Capital in Miami. During this accelerator, she launched the beta version of Delv.AI on Product Hunt on her 15th birthday, which became the #3 product of the day.
The HF0 accelerator program concluded with an investor demo day in late 2021, where Pranjali presented her project Delv.AI. This led to her securing her first investment from funds like On Deck and Village Global in early 2022. The initial seed funding allowed her to hire her first engineer and work on building a minimum viable product (MVP) for Delv.AI.
Throughout the accelerator fellowship, Pranjali formed strong connections within the AI community, which helped her with subsequent fundraising efforts after the residency ended. Her successful Product Hunt launch also added momentum to her fundraising.
4. 3.7 Cr in Fund Raise
Throughout the accelerator fellowship, Pranjali formed strong connections within the AI community, which helped her with subsequent fundraising efforts after the residency ended. Her successful Product Hunt launch during the accelerator also added momentum to her fundraising.
In total, Pranjali raised around $450,000 (approximately ₹3.7 crore) in funding for Delv.AI across multiple rounds from investors like Lucy Guo (Backend Capital), On Deck, Village Global, Backend Capital, and AngelList Quant Fund.
This funding raised Delv.AI’s valuation to around $12 million (approximately ₹100 crore).
5. Future Plans
After completing her high school credits online in June 2023, the then 16-year-old Pranjali decided to postpone college for the time being to focus entirely on growing Delv.AI, though she may consider pursuing higher education for business skills in the future.
With the funding raised, Pranjali was able to grow her team at Delv.AI. As of early 2023, the startup employed around 10 people.
Pranjali’s remarkable achievements as a young founder and entrepreneur garnered significant attention and recognition, including awards like the IEEE Rising Star 2022.
What To Learn From Pranjali’s Story?
Building a strong network: Pranjali’s participation in the HF0 residency program and Miami Hack Week allowed her to connect with industry professionals.
Be proactive in seeking out: When her family moved to Florida at age 11, Pranjali took advantage of the new opportunities available.
