Summary:
Rahul Sonwalkar, aka 'Rahul Ligma', went viral as a fake fired Twitter worker but is a real tech entrepreneur
Founded Julius, an AI data startup with 2 million users, making data science accessible
Harvard Business School adopted Julius for its AI course after outperforming ChatGPT in tests
Secured a seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, signaling strong investor confidence
The morning after Elon Musk’s 2022 acquisition of Twitter (now X), reporters encountered two men with boxes outside the company’s headquarters. One introduced himself as recently laid-off Twitter engineer “Rahul Ligma.” His real name is Rahul Sonwalkar, and while the prank went viral, he's actually a serious tech entrepreneur.
The Man Behind the Meme
Sonwalkar never worked for X or FTX but is a tech veteran with years at Uber and a stint in Y Combinator. His initial logistics startup didn’t take off, but it led him to his current venture: Julius, an AI data analyst startup.
Julius: Making Data Science Accessible
Julius can analyze and visualize extensive datasets and perform predictive modeling from natural language prompts. With over 2 million registered users, it’s gaining traction, even catching the eye of Harvard Business School (HBS).
Harvard’s Stamp of Approval
Iavor Bojinov, an assistant professor at HBS, compared Julius to platforms like ChatGPT and found it superior. Julius was customized for HBS’s new course, Data Science and AI for Leaders, a significant endorsement for the 12-person startup.
Funding and Future
Julius has secured a seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, though details remain under wraps. Sonwalkar’s early stunts as 'Rahul Ligma' opened some doors, but today, it’s Julius’s innovation that’s speaking volumes.
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