Meet IIT graduates, three friends who were featured in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia list, built AI startup, now…

The ninth iteration of Forbes' 30 Under 30 Asia list, which includes 300 remarkable people from the Asia-Pacific area, was just released. 86 of these gifted people are from India, which is impressive and highlights the country's growing talent pool. In ten broad categories—including art, entertainment, sports, finance, and venture capital—the list honours young leaders, trailblazers, and entrepreneurs.

Prominent figures on the roster include co-founders of the cutting-edge Merlin company, Pratyush Rai, Siddhartha Saxena, and Sirsendu Sarkar, who made it into the Consumer Technology category. The three IIT Kanpur alums founded Merlin, a ground-breaking ChatGPT Chrome addon that uses AI technologies to help users create and consume online content, including email composition and page summarization. The startup has secured funding from renowned investors such as Better Capital, and its mobile application has amassed over one lakh downloads.

The CEO and co-founder of Merlin, Pratyush Rai, has an outstanding educational and professional background. Following his success at Ahmedabad's St. Kabir School and his admission to IIT Kanpur, Rai went on to pursue a BTech in civil engineering. HT reported, he refined his talents through internships at esteemed companies like the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), Axis Bank, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) before co-founding Merlin. 

As per HT reports, Siddhartha Saxena, another co-founder, holds a BTech degree in Computer Science from IIT Kanpur and brings a wealth of experience from his internships at Envestnet | Yodlee, Wadhwani AI, and Aalto University. Additionally, he worked as a Machine Learning Engineer at Jumio Corporation in Montreal, Canada, before embarking on his journey with Merlin.

Sirsendu Sarkar, the third co-founder, also boasts an impressive track record. A graduate of IIT Kanpur with a degree in Materials Science and Engineering, Sarkar accumulated valuable experience through internships at Applop Mobile Solutions Pvt Ltd and GyanDhan, as well as a significant tenure as a Business Analyst at Quantiphi in Bengaluru.

The success of these three individuals and their innovative company, Merlin, serves as an inspiration to aspiring entrepreneurs and showcases the immense talent and potential within India's tech and startup ecosystem. According to Rai, Merlin has only been available for roughly six months, and since then, roughly 750,000 installs have been made, as reported by Forbes India.