Think you’re too young to launch the next billion-dollar startup? These teens are proving otherwise.
Before they were old enough to vote, Adarsh Hiremath, Brendan Foody, and Surya Midha were already reshaping the future of work with Mercor, an AI hiring startup that’s now valued at $2 billion. What began as a high school friendship has quickly turned into one of Silicon Valley’s most surprising success stories.
They weren’t Ivy League grads or seasoned entrepreneurs. In fact, they hadn’t even finished college. But what they did have was a clear vision, a deep frustration with broken hiring systems, and the courage to do something bold.
From High School Debate to Startup Domination
The journey started in high school debate tournaments, where the trio bonded over late-night strategy talks and shared ambitions. While Adarsh went on to Harvard, Brendan and Surya enrolled at Georgetown. But traditional education didn’t hold them for long.
The three left college behind and joined the Thiel Fellowship, a $100,000 grant that backs young founders willing to skip school and build instead. That bet on themselves quickly paid off.
“We weren’t learning how to solve real-world problems in class,” Foody said. “So we decided to tackle one ourselves.”
That problem? The painful, outdated world of hiring.
Reimagining the Hiring Process with AI
Hiring has long been inefficient—slow, biased, and full of missed opportunities. Résumés stack up, interviews drag out, and great candidates often fall through the cracks.
The team saw a chance to fix it. They started Mercor in early 2023 as a basic job-matching service. But within months, they pivoted to something far more powerful. They began building their own AI—specifically trained to screen applicants, conduct video interviews, and match people to jobs based on real skills, not just keywords.
Today, Mercor’s AI doesn’t just help companies fill roles. It handles screening, interviews, skill assessments, even global payroll—automating the entire process from application to onboarding.
From Dorm Rooms to a $2B Valuation
The first version of Mercor was hacked together in their dorm rooms. No fancy office, no big team—just laptops, determination, and relentless focus.
In 2023, they raised $3.6 million in seed funding from General Catalyst and other early believers. That was just the beginning.
By September 2024, Mercor closed a $30 million Series A round led by Benchmark, quickly followed by a $100 million Series B from Felicia Ventures and other top-tier firms including DST Global.
The company’s backers now include Peter Thiel, Jack Dorsey, Adam D’Angelo, and Larry Summers—proof that even the biggest names in tech are betting on these young founders.
Here’s where they stand in early 2025:
- Valuation: $2 billion
- Revenue run rate: $75 million
- Countries served: 25+
- Candidates screened: 300,000+
- Interviews conducted: 100,000+
- Full-time staff: just 15
How Mercor’s AI Hiring Engine Works
Applicants start by uploading a résumé and completing a 20-minute video interview. The first part focuses on experience; the second dives into a tailored case study.
Mercor’s AI analyzes the video, evaluates skills, and builds a detailed profile. For specialized roles, the system may trigger a second round of AI-led assessments for deeper insights.
This approach speeds up the hiring process, reduces bias, and helps employers identify top talent faster than ever.
Designed for Global Teams
Mercor isn’t just built for Silicon Valley. In fact, its largest talent pool comes from India, followed by Southeast Asia and the U.S. It’s designed to support global hiring across roles in tech, design, finance, and law.
Even Mercor’s own team was hired using its platform—a real-world proof of product. If it didn’t work for them, they believed it wouldn’t work for anyone.
The Thiel Fellowship’s Star Bet
The Thiel Fellowship, created by Peter Thiel in 2011, gives young people $100,000 to skip college and build real companies. Since then, it’s helped launch startups now worth over $220 billion.
Mercor may become its crown jewel.
Critics argue the Fellowship glamorizes risk and college dropout culture. But its alumni roster speaks volumes—Ethereum’s Vitalik Buterin, Figma’s Dylan Field, Luminar’s Austin Russell, and OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal all came through the program.
Mercor’s meteoric rise further validates that sometimes, betting on youth pays off in billion-dollar ways.
What Comes Next for Mercor?
Hiremath, Foody, and Midha are just getting started. They’ve already built a world-class AI hiring startup before turning 22. But their vision goes far beyond making hiring faster.
They want to transform how people everywhere find meaningful work—and how companies discover untapped talent around the world.
In doing so, they’re not just changing how companies hire. They’re rewriting the rulebook for what young founders can achieve.
