Founders Unfiltered

By A Junior VCBusiness Entrepreneurship

Founders Unfiltered episodes

October 08, 2023 Ep 89: Replacement For Credit Cards? ft. Simpl
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.
Join us as we talk to Nityanand Sharma, the Founder of Simpl about their story.
Nitya finished his mechanical engineering in 2002 at Punjab Engineering College. Then, he went on to do an M.S. in Financial Mathematics and Finance at the University of Michigan.
After that, he had jobs as a Structured Credit Trader at Bear Stearns & Co. and as a Vice President at Goldman Sachs in the Greater New York City area.
Eventually, in May 2015, he started Simpl.
🏢 About Simpl:
Simpl is India’s fastest-growing checkout and post-purchase experience platform. Simpl uses machine learning and AI to offer a quick, secure, and hassle-free checkout experience to its users and build trust in the post-purchase experience.
56 min
September 24, 2023 Ep 88: Building Future of Mobility ft. Yulu
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.
Join us as we talk to Amit Gupta, the Co-Founder & CEO of Yulu about their story.
Amit graduated with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering from IIT Kanpur in 2000. Later, he completed an executive programme at Harvard Business School.
His professional journey included roles as a software engineer at Aditi Technologies, an assistant manager at Citifinancial India, a manager at Andale, and a founder and advisor at Analyticsworks. He also held a global board member position at MMA.
In 2006, he co-founded InMobi, and later, in 2017, he co-founded Yulu.
🏢 About Yulu:
Yulu is India's largest shared micro-mobility service provider, using electric two-wheelers to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution in urban India.
Yulu’s technology-driven mobility platform uses IoT, ML, and AI for demand-supply management and efficient operations. Currently, Yulu is present in Bengaluru, Delhi NCR, and Greater Mumbai.

1 hr 4 min
September 10, 2023 Ep 87: Creating the Future of Video with AI ft. VideoVerse
Join us as we talk to Vinayak Shrivastav, the Co-Founder & CEO of VideoVerse about their story.
Vinayak pursued his bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering from Savitribai Phule Pune University. Following that, he gained valuable experience in a wide range of fields. He contributed as a production engineer at KMO Engineers, took on the role of business development head at BigSchoolBox.com, and served as the head of sales and marketing at iolytics.
His entrepreneurial spirit led him to co-found several successful ventures, including Styck, Magnifi, Illusto, and most recently, VideoVerse, established in 2022. Additionally, Vinayak holds the distinguished title of being an official member of the Forbes Technology Council.
🏢 About VideoVerse:
VideoVerse is a video tech company that encapsulates an ecosystem of smart video editing tools using AI for all enterprise and individual content creators.
51 min
August 27, 2023 Ep 86: Putting India on the Global Fashion Map ft Ace Turtle
oin us as we talk to Nitin Chhabra, the CEO of Ace Turtle about his story.

In 1995, Nitin completed his B.Com. degree at the University of Delhi, followed by a master's in business and management in 1997 from the Apeejay School of Management.
He started his professional journey as a territory sales manager at Hindustan Unilever. He subsequently held positions of increasing responsibility, including the role of vice president at Arvind Brands, VF Corporation, and Reliance Brands Limited.
Nitin also served as CEO for Brooks Brothers India and Iconix Brand Group. In September 2013, he took on the position of CEO at Ace Turtle.
🏢 About Ace Turtle:
Ace Turtle, the forefront tech-native retail company of the new India, is pioneering the next phase of change in the retail sector.
With vertical integration spanning design, local manufacturing, and direct consumer outreach, it employs proprietary technology driven by data science. This ensures it consistently meets evolving consumer needs from design to fulfilment.

38 min
August 13, 2023 EP 85: IIT Madras Prof to Entrepreneur ft. ePlane
Join us in our discussion with the Co-Founder of ePlane, Satyanarayanan Chakravarthy.

Prof. Satya Chakravarthy received his Bachelor of Technology in Aerospace Engineering from IIT Madras in 1991 and went on to obtain his PhD from the Georgia Institute of Technology, USA.
Following his academic pursuits, he returned to his alma mater, IIT Madras, in 1997 as a professor in Aerospace Engineering. At present, he leads the Centre of Propulsion Technology at IIT Madras and has also established and heads the National Centre for Combustion Research and Development (NCCRD) within the institution.
Prof. Satya is very passionate about deep tech entrepreneurship to democratise technology. He holds the roles of Co-founder and Advisor in various companies, including AgniKul Cosmos, Aerostrovilos Energy, GalaxEye, TuTr Hyperloop, and X2Fuels. He also serves as an advisor for Avishkar Hyperloop and NewTrace.
In April 2018, Prof. Satya took the initiative and founded ePlane.ai.
🏢 About ePlane.ai:
ePlane is developing India’s first flying electric taxi for up to 10 times faster intra-city commutes and cargo transport.
As an Urban Air Mobility (UAM) startup, they aim to alleviate on-road traffic congestion in cities worldwide by offering safe, sustainable, and affordable flying experiences through their flagship product, The ePlane e200.
🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/

48 min
August 09, 2023 Ep 84: Hobby to Sponsoring IPL ft. Upstox
Join us as we talk to Ravi Kumar, the Cofounder of Upstox about their story.
Ravi and his younger brother Raghu were born in Madhya Pradesh, India, then moved to France before settling in Canada for 8 years. Ravi completed his high schooling there and developed a strong interest in startups.
He later moved to California to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Information and Computer Science at UC Irvine, graduating in 2004.
In September 2006, the brothers relocated to Chicago and co-founded RK Trading Partnership, a successful HFT firm that earned them over a million dollars in just two years.
However, the 2008 crash forced them to return to India. In 2009, Ravi co-founded Upstox.
🏢 About Upstox:
Upstox is an online trading app for Demat Account, Share Market, MF, IPO with 1cr+ customers. Backed by Ratan Tata and venture capitalists such as Tiger Global, Upstox offers a best-in-class technology-enabled trading platform.
Headquartered in Mumbai, Upstox holds memberships with the NSE, BSE, MCX, and MCX-SX.
🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
Playlists🎬:
🎙️Founders Unfiltered: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_1r_yCxtrkFtTqwgoKj8f66
🎥 AJVC BTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_2SqAGAJ0_rS1--1u82jvfL
🦄 Start-up Chronicles: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_0ujPMygWRZQcJBK250BXbC
🔎 AJVC Insights: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_00SpPyAU_zhicXdehoNuBd
🎯 Deep Dives: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_2BHzAOji1wBEKjXo-go7e6
📈 Founder Insights: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_1L3HjHLvNUQgPWGrfcoc-q
57 min
August 06, 2023 Ep 83: Building India’s first $1Bn HR Tech ft. Darwinbox
Join us as we talk to Rohit Chennamaneni, the Co-founder of Darwinbox about their story.
Rohit Chennamaneni completed his Bachelor's degree in Technology from VIT Vellore and subsequently pursued his master's degree at IIM Lucknow.
Following his education, he gained professional experience at renowned organisations such as Google, Procter & Gamble, and McKinsey & Company. Ultimately, in November 2015, he co-founded Darwinbox.
🏢 About Darwinbox:
Darwinbox is a leading provider of cloud-based HR Management Software (HRMS). Their SaaS platform uses AI and ML to create a smarter and mobile-first HR experience.
Darwinbox serves over 750 organisations and 2 million employees across 100+ countries. Their clients include notable conglomerates and technology companies like Adani, Kopi Kenangan, MatchMove, Mahindra, Bank BTPN, TVS, Shakey's, JSW, Nivea, Swiggy, Tokopedia, JG Summit Group, NutriAsia, Indorama, and more.
🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
Playlists🎬:
🎙️Founders Unfiltered: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_1r_yCxtrkFtTqwgoKj8f66
🎥 AJVC BTS: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_2SqAGAJ0_rS1--1u82jvfL
🦄 Start-up Chronicles: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_0ujPMygWRZQcJBK250BXbC
🔎 AJVC Insights: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_00SpPyAU_zhicXdehoNuBd
🎯 Deep Dives: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_2BHzAOji1wBEKjXo-go7e6
📈 Founder Insights: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUZb75L7Qi_1L3HjHLvNUQgPWGrfcoc-q
1 hr 11 min
July 02, 2023 Ep 82: How KreditBee is Bringing Credit to 40 Cr Indians
🎙️Founders Unfiltered Ep-81:
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.
Join us as we talk to Madhusudan Ekambaram, the CEO and Co-Founder of KreditBee about their story.
In 2004, Madhu completed his Bachelor's degree in Information Technology from NIT, Karnatka. He enrolled in the Rotman School of Management at the University of Toronto to pursue an MBA in 2010 but later dropped out in 2011.
Throughout his career, Madhu has worked with notable companies such as TCS and Krazybee. In 2020, Madhu co-founded the Fintech Association for Consumer Empowerment (FACE). Additionally, he serves as an angel investor in various companies, including Wint Wealth, OneCode, Jodo, and others. Finally, in 2018, he co-founded KreditBee.
He is also a proud recipient of "Rashtrpathi Puraskar" from K.R. Narayanan, President of India, and "Rajya Puraskar" from Khurshid Alam Khan, Governor of Karnataka State, India, for his contribution towards the Scout Movement.
🏢 About KreditBee:
KreditBee is a financial technology (FinTech) platform that enables professionals to obtain immediate personal loans based on their specific needs, with loan amounts of up to Rs. 4 lakh.
The platform has received funding in its Series-D round and is supported by reputable investors such as Advent International, Premji Invest, Motilal Oswal Alternates, TPG-NewQuest, Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, ICICI Bank, and Mirae Asset Venture Investments.
Presently, the company serves a customer base of 10 million individuals throughout the country.
🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
59 min
June 18, 2023 Ep 81: Enabling 40M passenger | Founder of RailYatri and IntrCity SmartBus
🎙️Founders Unfiltered Ep-80:
Brought to you by the Founders Unfiltered podcast by A Junior VC - Unscripted conversations with Indian founders about their story and the process of building a company. Hosted by Aviral and Mazin.
Join us as we talk to Manish Rathi, the Co-founder & CEO of Rail Yatri and IntrCity about their story.
In 1992, Manish successfully earned his Bachelor's degree in Technology from the University of Mumbai. He continued his academic journey and obtained his Master's degree from Western Michigan University in 1997.
Following his graduation, Manish began his career as a research scientist at Telcordia Technologies. Subsequently, he gained valuable experience working in various roles with different companies, including Leapstone Systems, July Systems, and ultimately GlobalLogic.
In July 2011, Manish took on a new venture and co-founded Intrcity.
🏢 About Rail Yatri and IntrCity:
Intrcity RailYatri began its journey in 2011, and Intrcity SmartBus was introduced in early 2019.
Intrcity SmartBus consists of a group of buses with special branding, aiming to offer passengers a consistent, safe, secure, and comfortable bus travel experience. In early 2019, Intrcity SmartBus started operating in two cities, and now it connects over 100 cities across India.
The objective of RailYatri is to offer current and accurate information to the 25 million passengers who travel by train daily. Within its first year of launch, RailYatri's Android app has crossed 1 million downloads.
🌐 For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
41 min
June 04, 2023 Ep 80: Farmer to Engineer to Founder | Jumbotail: 1,000 Cr Platform for India's Kiranas
Join us as we talk to Ashish Jhina, the Co-founder Jumbotail about their story.
In 2005, Ashish earned a dual degree in Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology from IIT Delhi. He later pursued an MBA from the Stanford University Graduate School of Business and an MS in Environment and Resources—Freshwater from Stanford University in 2011.
During his time at IIT Delhi, Ashish gained valuable experience interning at the Technical University of Denmark and the French National Institute of Agricultural Research. Subsequently, he worked with prominent companies such as Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and Moutain Hazelnuts. In 2009, he co-founded a company named NextDrop before co-founding Jumbotail in 2015.
Ashish's dedication to excellence and his commitment to empowering retailers have resulted in Jumbotail being recognized as a transformative force within the industry. Apart from his contributions to Jumbotail, Ashish is highly regarded as a leading figure in the entrepreneurial community.
For more visit - https://ajuniorvc.com/podcast/
1 hr 10 min