Code, Courage & Crores: How Pranjali Awasthi at just 16, Became AI’s Youngest Trailblazer

AI’s New Age, and the Rise of a Teenage Tech Visionary

We live in an era where artificial intelligence is reshaping industries, research, and even the way we think. From chatbots to autonomous systems, the AI revolution is well underway. Amidst the global talent powering this shift, a remarkable young innovator of Indian origin, Pranjali Awasthi, has emerged as a symbol of brilliance, ambition, and next-gen leadership.

At just 16, she founded Delv.AI, a startup that simplifies research with AI, and scaled it to a valuation of ₹100 crore. Now, she’s already onto her next frontier: building Dash, an AI assistant she calls “ChatGPT with hands.”

Early Beginnings: A Passion for Code Sparked at Age 7

Pranjali’s story is rooted in early exposure and unrelenting curiosity. Born in India and raised by a father who is a computer engineer, she was introduced to coding at the age of seven. When her family moved to Florida, USA, at age 11, she immersed herself in mathematics and computer science, rapidly outpacing her peers.

By 13, she was already working as an intern at the Neural Dynamics of Control Lab at Florida International University. There, she contributed to machine learning research, including projects involving EEG data analysis for differentiating ADHD types — a task many seasoned researchers would find daunting.

The Birth of Delv.AI: Making Research Smarter and Faster

The pandemic year of 2020 turned out to be a turning point. When OpenAI released GPT-3, Pranjali recognized its potential to transform research workflows.

In January 2022, at the age of 15, she launched Delv.AI, an AI-driven platform designed to extract and summarize information from dense academic texts, PDFs, and other research content. Think of it as a digital research assistant that works 10x faster and never tires.

The platform allows users to search across multiple documents, sync with cloud storage, and export results for analysis. Its real impact? Reducing repetitive research tasks by up to 75%, saving hours of academic drudgery.

Delv.AI’s value proposition resonated strongly with investors and researchers alike. Within months, Pranjali raised $450,000 (₹3.7 crore) from top-tier investors including Backend Capital and Village Global, propelling her company to a valuation of ₹100 crore by late 2023. Her team now includes 10 employees, and her product is being used by researchers across the globe.

Beyond Delv.AI: Enter Dash – “ChatGPT with Hands”

At just 18, now a student of Computer Science at Georgia Institute of Technology, Pranjali has moved on to build her next innovation: Dash. While tools like ChatGPT can simulate human conversation, Dash aims to go a step further.

“It’s like ChatGPT—but with hands,” she explains.

Dash is built to be an AI assistant that not only chats but acts. It’s focused on automation and execution, potentially revolutionizing how users interact with their digital environments. From executing tasks to streamlining workflows, Dash represents the future of interactive AI.

Its early reception has been stellar—Dash hit the #1 spot on Product Hunt, and Pranjali has already launched a growing community through Discord.

Trailblazer in Tech: A Role Model for Young Innovators

Pranjali’s achievements don’t stop at product launches. She has interned at the Swartz Center for Computational Neuroscience, led AI-focused workshops, and completed the Creative Destruction Lab’s Apprentice Program, where she explored AI applications across fields like agriculture and neuroscience.

Her journey is a compelling mix of vision, education, and execution. She’s not just building products—she’s building the future.

Redefining What’s Possible—One Line of Code at a Time

In a world where technological revolutions are often led by seasoned experts, Pranjali Awasthi stands as proof that brilliance knows no age. With her deep-rooted understanding of AI, relentless drive, and problem-solving mindset, she represents a new wave of innovators—young, global, and impact-driven.

From simplifying research with Delv.AI to empowering action with Dash, her journey reflects the power of early mentorship, self-belief, and embracing opportunity.

In the age of AI, Pranjali isn’t just keeping up—she’s leading the charge.

(With agency inputs)

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