Silicon Valley, the hub of technological innovation and entrepreneurial dreams, has drawn countless talented individuals seeking to make their mark in the tech industry.
Among them is Veer Bhatia, a machine learning and AI enthusiast who is dropping out of university to pursue his startup dream.
A Leap of Faith: From School to Startup
Bhatia, born and raised in British Columbia, had a passion for artificial intelligence and data science from an early age. After attending Seaquam Secondary School, he pursued a degree in computer science and math at UBC, specializing in AI. His academic journey was intertwined with hands-on experience, having interned at Amazon, where he worked on projects for their artificial intelligence team focused on pricing.
However, Bhatia felt the pull of entrepreneurship and the opportunity to make a broader impact. He had been developing AI websites like CensusGPT and HoopsGPT, which collectively attracted over 200,000 unique visitors, but he knew that these projects needed more resources and a sustainable business model.
His drive to build something meaningful led him to start working on Julius with Rahul Sonwalkar, the CEO. After growing the platform to 600,000 active users and engineering many of its core software features, Bhatia made a bold decision: he is dropping out of UBC to move to Silicon Valley and work on Julius full-time.
Building Julius: The AI Data Scientist
Julius is a unique platform that democratizes AI-powered data analysis, visualization, math problem-solving, and coding. Its large language models empower users—from business owners to students—to analyze large amounts of data, create stunning graphs, and gather insights by simply uploading a spreadsheet or file. Julius’s versatility has attracted a broad user base, with over 1.5 million graphs generated to date.
“Our users are super, super diverse. I wish I could say that there’s just one type of user that uses Julius, but there’s people in academia, PhD students, high school students, business owners, and hospitals,” Bhatia told Techcouver.
The platform’s capabilities have even been integrated into educational settings, with courses at prestigious institutions like Harvard Business School, Rice University, Brevard College, and Texas State University using Julius to teach AI-powered data analysis.
The Julius team consists of just five members, making their achievements even more impressive. Veer, as the founding engineer, plays a pivotal role in driving the technical side of the platform, contributing to its rapid growth and innovative features. The startup’s notable partnerships, such as its collaboration with Wolfram Alpha to supercharge its AI math engine, have further solidified Julius’s position in the industry.
A Bright Future with Influential Backing
Julius has already caught the attention of significant investors and industry leaders. Their funding includes backing from YCombinator, the famed accelerator that has supported startups like Airbnb, Stripe, and Reddit, as well as AI Grant, led by Nat Friedman, former CEO of Github.
The list of other investors reads like a who’s who of the tech industry, including founders and CEOs from companies like Palantir, Replit, Notion, Vercel, Intercom, Flexport, Perplexity, Zapier, and researchers from OpenAI and Anthropic.
With such an esteemed group of backers and a dedicated team, Bhatia’s move from Vancouver to Silicon Valley seems to be a stepping stone toward even greater success. Though the exact investment amount remains under wraps due to the early stage of the startup, the caliber of investors and Julius’s rapid growth suggest a promising future.
The Road Ahead
Bhatia’s journey from a UBC student to a startup entrepreneur in Silicon Valley exemplifies the spirit of innovation and determination. By dropping out of school to focus on his startup, he’s taking a calculated risk, backed by a strong vision and a robust team. Julius’s mission to make AI-powered data analysis accessible to everyone is resonating with users and investors alike, and the road ahead looks promising.
As Bhatia settles into the dynamic tech environment of Silicon Valley, he and his team at Julius are poised to continue their rapid growth, further innovate in the field of AI, and make a significant impact on how people analyze and understand data. The story of Julius and Bhatia is a testament to the power of entrepreneurship, the willingness to take risks, and the belief in building something that can change the world.
Inspiring!
Congratulations Veer Bhatia