These teenagers just founded a $2 billion AI startup—And they can’t even vote yet

Think you’re too young to build a unicorn? Think again. Some of tech’s biggest names got their start as teenagers, dropping out of college to chase bold ideas. Bill Gates. Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. They didn’t wait for permission. And now, a new generation is looking to follow that same path.

 Three teenagers are proving it’s still possible. And for every kid wondering if they’re too young to start, Mercor is a reminder: age doesn’t limit ambition.

Meet Adarsh Hiremath, Brendan Foody, and Surya Midha—three high school classmates, debate partners, and now co-founders of Mercor, an AI-powered hiring startup that has taken Silicon Valley by storm. They’re not tech veterans or Ivy League grads with MBAs. They’re barely 21.

And yet, in just under two years, their company has grown from a dorm-room idea to a $2 billion business backed by some of the most iconic names in tech.

From Debate Club to Dorm Room Founders

Their story started in high school, where they bonded over debate tournaments and long conversations about fixing broken systems. Later, Adarsh went to Harvard, while Brendan and Surya enrolled at Georgetown. But college didn’t keep them for long.

They left school and joined the Thiel Fellowship, a program that gives $100,000 to young people willing to skip college and build something ambitious instead. It was a bet on themselves—and it paid off.

“We weren’t learning how to solve real problems in school,” Foody said. “So we decided to start solving one ourselves.”

Fixing a Hiring System That Wasn’t Working

Hiring is slow, biased, and frustrating for everyone involved. Résumés pile up. Interview processes drag out. Great candidates get overlooked.

The trio saw an opportunity to build something better. Mercor launched in January 2023 as a manual job-matching service, but it quickly evolved into a smarter system. They started building their own language model, trained to screen résumés, conduct interviews, and match candidates to roles.

Today, employers upload job descriptions and Mercor’s AI handles the rest. It screens applicants, runs video interviews, creates skill profiles, and even manages payroll for global hires.

Some of the biggest AI labs now use Mercor to hire writers and video producers to help build training data. The platform supports roles across tech, design, finance, law, and more.

From Dorm Rooms to a $2 Billion Valuation: The Story of Mercor

They built the first version from their dorms. No big team. No recruiters. Just three teenagers with laptops and a vision.

In early 2023, Mercor raised $3.6 million in seed funding led by General Catalyst, with participation from Soma Capital, Link Ventures, and Scott Sandell of NEA.

Then came the breakout moment. In September 2024, Mercor raised $30 million in a Series A led by Benchmark. TechStartups.com was among the first to cover the round, highlighting how three Thiel Fellows were building one of the year’s most promising AI startups.

That round also brought on a slate of big-name backers: Peter Thiel, Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, OpenAI board member and Quora CEO Adam D’Angelo, and former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.

The company followed it up with a $100 million Series B led by Felicia Ventures, with continued support from Benchmark, DST Global, and others.

As of early 2025:

• Mercor is valued at $2 billion
• 300,000+ candidates screened
• 100,000+ interviews completed
• $75M revenue run rate
• 25+ countries served
• 15 full-time employees

All before any of the founders turn 22.

How Mercor’s AI Actually Works

Applicants upload a résumé and complete a 20-minute video interview. The first half covers experience; the second includes a role-specific case study. Mercor’s AI evaluates the responses and builds a skill profile.

For more complex roles, the platform may trigger a second round AI-led interview with deeper assessments.

The goal is speed and accuracy—no drawn-out processes, and less room for bias.

Building with Global Talent in Mind

Mercor isn’t just for Silicon Valley. Its largest talent pool is in India, followed by the U.S. and Southeast Asia. It’s built for global hiring—whether a company needs hourly workers, contractors, or full-time staff.

Until recently, Mercor filled all of its own roles through its platform. The founders believed if they were going to sell hiring software, it had to work for them first.

The Thiel Fellowship Effect

The Thiel Fellowship, launched in 2011 by Peter Thiel, gives young people $100,000 to skip college and build something real. Since its inception, Fellows have created companies now worth over $220 billion.

Mercor may be one of its biggest wins yet.

Thiel’s critics argue the program glamorizes dropping out and encourages risk. But the track record speaks for itself. Other alumni include Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin, Figma’s Dylan Field, Luminar’s Austin Russell, and OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal.

Mercor’s rise will likely cement the Fellowship’s place as one of the most unconventional but effective bets in tech.

What’s Next

Foody, Hiremath, and Midha aren’t following anyone’s blueprint. They’re building their own. And if Mercor keeps growing like this, they may not just change how companies hire—they might change how the next generation thinks about what’s possible.