(October 14, 2023) At 16, I was worried about my upcoming XII boards, and what to pursue after I finished my school. And while most kids that age are dealing with this dilemma, Pranjali Awasthi has managed to secure a staggering ₹3.7 crores in investment for her artificial intelligence (AI) venture, Delv.AI. Charting a different course — one that is setting a new standard in the ever-evolving world of AI, the entrepreneur’s journey is a testament to her unwavering determination and innovative vision for the future.
With a singular objective of helping researchers to efficiently access specific information in the ever-expanding world of online content, this young entrepreneur is redefining the landscape of the burgeoning AI industry. “As more content gets uploaded online, it’s getting harder for people to find the right information, especially when that information is very specific. Delv.AI helps researchers leverage AI to find exactly the information they’re looking for,” the young Florida-based entrepreneur said during a recent interaction.
Like her father
In the world of exceptional young talents, Prajali Awasthi stands out as a true child prodigy. From an early age, she displayed remarkable intelligence and a passion for learning that would ultimately propel her into computer programming. The entrepreneur’s father, a software engineer himself, recognised the immense potential of his child and ensured that she had early exposure to this field. At seven years old, when most children are still navigating the world of toys and cartoons, Prajali began her coding adventure.
When she was just 11, the family moved to Florida. “After I reached the USA, my curiosity thrived as I could take computer science classes and do competitive math,” shared the entrepreneur, who won several competitions representing her school and also interned at Universities research labs. This is where she got the idea of starting her company.
Pranjali at the Future Forum Foundation in San Fransisco
“When I was 13, I started interning in university research labs at Florida Internal University working on machine learning projects alongside going to high school. Because of the pandemic, my high school had gone virtual, so I was able to intern for about 20 hours a week,” the entrepreneur said, adding, “My tasks included doing searches, extracting data, and creating literature reviews. In 2020, OpenAI released its ChatGPT-3 beta, and I knew we could use it to make extracting and summarising research data easier.”
As a research intern, the young entrepreneur knew the difficulties and loopholes in the AI industry. “I was hyper-aware of how hard it was getting to find exactly what you needed on search engines. I began thinking about how AI could solve this problem. That was the seed for my company, Delv.AI. It wasn’t a fully formed idea yet, but I knew I wanted to start a company using machine learning to extract data and eliminate data silos,” shared the Global Indian.
Spreading her wings
In 2021 the young entrepreneur attended Miami Hack Week, where she crossed paths with two with two influential figures in the startup world: Lucy Guo and Dave Fontenot, partners at Backend Capital, and founders of HF0 residency – a live-in startup accelerator in San Francisco and Miami. “I was accepted into their September 12-week cohort in exchange for a small piece of my future company. My parents told me I should take the opportunity – the network alone would be worth it, so I took an absence from high school,” said Pranjali, adding that the residency also paid for her to commute from and to the house via Uber every day.
“I launched the beta for Delv.AI on Product Hunt, a platform for people to share software for free, during the residency on my birthday – I’d just turned 15. It became the number three product of the day,” share the entrepreneur, “I formed strong connections in the A.I. community throughout the fellowship. This network was helpful for fundraising in the months following the residency. My success on Product Hunt added to the momentum.”
Pranjali speaking at Miami Tech Week
Her company, which managed to raise $450,000 in total from a combination of funds and angels including Lucy Guo and Village Global, is 10-employee strong. “We’re currently valued at around $12 million. I run a small and lean team, but I still do much of the work. I start my days with running and prepping for my team’s daily huddle. As my team members are older than me, good communication is key, as is knowing when to take the reins,” Pranjali informed.
Looking forward
After the company was established the youngster got very busy with all the work, however, she eventually learned to manage her studies and Delv.AI. “My parents are Indian, so academics are a priority for them. I wanted to get a GED, but we compromised on me finishing my high school credits online, which I completed in June 2023. My decision to not go to college is hard for them, but they understand,” she explained, adding, “I have a lot of responsibility on my plate and passion for what I’m building. I might consider college down the line to learn business skills like law and psychology, where the in-person format of college could be beneficial.”
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