“At just 13, life pushed me to think beyond my age. The need for financial support became real. My family’s financial balance was broken and my parents separation added another layer of emotional weight.
Watching my parents separate at a young age was one of the toughest moments of my life. But instead of breaking me, it shaped me. It made me stronger, more determined and ultimately, a better man.
The need to become self-sufficient wasn’t just a choice, it was a necessity!
Instead of waiting for things to get better, I asked myself, “Why not build something out of what I already know?”
That was the moment the entrepreneur in me began to rise. Quietly, but with purpose.
I began freelancing, from 3D industrial design to no-code web development. But being a young kid came with its challenges. Clients didn’t take me seriously, and rejection became a regular part of the journey.
Still, every failure taught me something new. Every setback became a stepping stone. And slowly, I began to grow. Not just as an entrepreneur, but as a person.
As a student who struggled academically, I often had to rely on tuition just to keep up. But during that time, I noticed a growing challenge. Many teachers were finding it hard to shift from offline to online teaching. That’s when an idea sparked.
Why not create websites to help them teach online? It was a simple thought, but one with real potential. I wanted to bridge the gap between accessibility and technology for educators.
To my surprise, the idea took off.
In just three years, we had served over 30 clients, and the business was thriving.
But I’ve never been one to stay still. Driven by curiosity, I ventured into fashion and even experimented with micro home gardens which didn’t work out.
While I saw Chennai drown in the floods in 2019, I had to move to Pondicherry for a brief period. This is when I became curious about the business environment there. I noticed that there were no startup ecosystems here.
After a ton of interaction with local business enthusiasts and studying the statistics, I hit reality. Most people didn’t even know what startups are in the first place. Their policies sounded like fantasies and their infrastructure was not up to the mark. There were a number of reasons for this. One of the most pressing concerns here was lack of investment and mentorship.
I realised this was not just the case of Pondicherry but the entire country!
We can notice that talented minds are moving to metro cities faster than one can manoeuvre through Velachery’s traffic. And now why is that?
Over 80% of venture capitalists funds in India revolve around Delhi, Mumbai and Bangalore. More funds equal more startups. Which pretty much explains the migration, leaving the Tier-2 cities unattended. I’m speaking about those Tier-2 cities which make up for almost 50% of India’s startup community.
At this pace people were lacking resources, both human and material. Networking between investors and businesses was almost nonexistent.
This is when we started FounderX, a startup ecosystem. Here any random person with a will to learn can walk in to connect with investors who are investing in million dollar startups.
The idea behind FounderX is to enable every aspiring entrepreneur. Especially those who weren’t born with a silver spoon. By bringing investors and entrepreneurs together, we’re building a community where potential meets support, and vision becomes reality.
FounderX has grown into a community of over 500 members across 6 cities. We’ve hosted 25 dynamic startup events, fostering innovation and real connections. Startups within our ecosystem bring up a combined valuation of more than $100 million, while our network of investors brings over $300 million in funding potential to the table. We’re not just building startups, we’re building a movement.
And the grand vision of this movement is to make FounderX the world’s largest open startup ecosystem!
Every setback shaped my story, every challenge fueled my growth. I’m not just building businesses. I’m building a legacy, and this is just the start!”