Two years ago, IIT Kharagpur alumni Varun Vummadi and Esha Manideep defied convention by rejecting high-paying job offers and a Stanford PhD to pursue their entrepreneurial dream. Vummadi turned down a ₹4 crore (≈US $525,000) quant trader offer and admission to Stanford, while Manideep declined a $150,000 role at a top high-frequency trading firm.
In 2023, the duo co-founded Giga, a San Francisco-based AI startup focused on real-time, multilingual customer support automation. The platform enables enterprises to deliver faster, more personalized interactions across voice and chat, powered by proprietary AI models. Within a short span, Giga secured major clients including DoorDash, demonstrating the scalability and reliability of its technology.
Recently, Giga raised $61 million (≈₹500 crore) in Series A funding led by Redpoint Ventures, marking one of the largest early-stage AI funding rounds for Indian founders abroad. Their decision to forgo traditional success paths for innovation and purpose has drawn widespread admiration online, with many praising their courage to “build rather than join.”
The journey of these young IITians underscores India’s growing global footprint in deep-tech innovation and the rise of a new generation choosing vision over validation.
See What’s Next in Tech With the Fast Forward Newsletter
Tweets From @varindiamag
Nothing to see here - yet
When they Tweet, their Tweets will show up here.
