Bella Vita Organic founder Aakash Anand launches new startup Unikon.ai

Serial entrepreneur Aakash Anand, the founder of Bella Vita Organic, has introduced his new startup, Unikon.ai.

Unikon.ai aims to facilitate peer-to-peer networking by allowing users to monetize their time and knowledge. 

Anand is leading the venture with co-founders Palash Arneja, who serves as the Chief Operating Officer, and Sumit Jha, the Chief Technology Officer.

Arneja is a chartered accountant with over a decade of experience, while Jha previously served as CTO of Zecpe, which was acquired by Cashfree in 2023.

Raising $2 million in seed funding

As part of the launch, Unikon.ai has raised $2 million in a seed funding round led by a diverse group of notable entrepreneurs and influencers. 

The round saw participation from Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), Vishesh Khurana (Shiprocket), and Dholakia Ventures.

Other investors include Nitin Jain and Vasant Sridhar (OfBusiness), Gaurav Khatri (Noise), and influential figures such as Tanmay Bhatt, Raj Shamani, Arjun Vaidya, Sharan Hegde (Finance with Sharan), Ganeshprasad (Thinkschool), Shlok Shrivastava (Techburner), and Rahul Malodia (Business Coach).

How does Unikon.ai work?

Unikon.ai operates by allowing users to create personal profiles where they can set customizable rates for audio calls, video calls, or direct messages.

"Unikon stands for ‘you and I connect’. It is an open-source platform where we have taken away the problem of access. Each user maintains a personal profile with customizable rates for audio calls, video calls, or direct messages," said Aakash Anand.

Users can connect with others based on their professional background within 24-48 hours or instantly, depending on the set rates.

Facilitating networking and professional growth

The platform offers various features to facilitate networking and professional growth. Users can post queries for professional advice, organize events such as webinars or workshops, and share their expertise to earn income.

The platform’s AI search function ensures easy discovery of suitable advisors.

Additionally, it provides free, AI-recommended 1:1 discussions across various subjects and a customized content feed to keep users engaged. Unikon.ai also allows users to set their prices and schedules for private sessions via chat, audio, or video calls.

Planning to expand to the US market

Currently based in Gurugram, Unikon.ai operates in India and plans to expand to the US within three months.

“While building my startups, I've been the least networked founder in the industry. For example, business development is such a massive use case where people spend time, money, or fuel on cold calls and cold visits. So we thought, what if a platform could be created where you get paid for your time and knowledge?," said Aakash Anand shared.

The platform aims to democratize access to guidance and knowledge from individuals who have significant experience or are currently successful in their fields.