At only 17, Eric Zhu traded traditional education for entrepreneurship, developing a novel analytics platform, Aviato, using proprietary market data. The platform, hence conceived in a high school washroom in Carmel, Indiana, secured a whopping $2.3 million in venture capital.
Aviato, now one of the fastest-rising tech startups in the Midwest, began its journey against all odds & now serves as an emblem of Zhu’s unyielding spirit and his unorthodox approach to success. Zhu’s prolific rise illuminates the belief that the conventional way isn’t always the best way.
Aviato zeroes in on tracking funding rounds and current employee counts, offering unique data points from revenue info to employee stock vesting schedules. Many see Aviato as a one-stop-solution delivering a comprehensive view of a company’s financial health, outshining competitors like Crunchbase and PitchBook.
Zhu’s entrepreneurial journey started within the throes of the pandemic. On a Discord server, Zhu connected with like-minded young entrepreneurs who helped him build Esocial, an educational platform, in 2021.
Teen’s successful venture in analytics platform
This venture was acquired merely ten months later, expanding Zhu’s horizon in the business and tech worlds alike.
After Impressing investors at Bachmanity Capital, Zhu saw the potential to take data-centric platforms like PitchBook and Crunchbase a notch higher. He wanted to add an extra layer of analytics, which were later incorporated in Aviato, amplifying these platforms’ effectiveness while enhancing business growth through informed analysis.
An interesting tidbit is that Zhu navigated prominent business negotiations from his high school washroom, successfully acquiring investments from firms such as NEA, Republic Capital, and 8VC. His makeshift office included a ring light, a green screen, and a convincing back story.
The platform’s initial investment of $2.3 million expanded with the addition of personal contributions from Eric Bahn of Hustle Fund, and sponsorships from 8VC, Soma Capital, and SoftBank. Subsequently, Aviato closed a Series A financing round led by Vulcan Capital, attracting $7.5 million. Thereafter, they expanded their team and secured clients.
Despite initial hurdles, Zhu is determined to grow Aviato, his pride, parallelly to completing his high school degree online. His end goal is to create a product that the consumers deem indispensable, a testament to his unwavering spirit.
