Abhinav Anurag

Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Schmooze

Backend engineeringLarge-scale batch processingEvent-driven/serverless architectureGraph databasesWeb scrapingDeep learning

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About

I'm Abhinav Anurag, Co-Founder and CTO at Schmooze, a meme-based dating app based in Bengaluru. My career started with founding engineer roles at early-stage startups during my time at BITS Pilani, and I've since built expertise in backend engineering, large-scale systems, and AI through roles at HERE Technologies and BitClass. At Schmooze, I've scaled the app to over 2.5 million users and secured partnerships like Swiggy Dineout. I'm passionate about using AI to enhance social connections, understanding GenZ culture, and exploring how memes can revolutionize dating and communication. I'm always looking to connect with talented folks who might join our hustle, share practical advice, or collaborate on innovative projects in the startup and tech space.

Networking

What I can offer

›Expertise in building and scaling a viral consumer app
›Backend architecture and AI-driven product features
›Professional referrals and insights on startup building
›Platform for collaboration and promotion with other brands

Looking for

›Talented individuals to join Schmooze (engineers, product analysts, designers, marketers)
›Practical advice and resources (e.g., cloud credits) from the professional community

Best fit for

Startup foundersInvestors (e.g., Elevation Capital)Potential partners at large consumer tech companies (e.g., Swiggy, Reddit)BITS Pilani alumni networkGenZ community

Current Interests

AI & dating techGenZ cultureStartup growth & challengesBollywood & pop cultureMemes as a communication & matching tool

Background

Career

Started as a founding engineer at various startups during college, interned at Infibeam.com and HERE Technologies, worked as a software engineer and senior software engineer at HERE Technologies, co-founded Vertigo Tree, served as lead backend engineer at BitClass, and is currently co-founder and CTO at Schmooze.

Education

Bachelor of Engineering (BE) from Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani (2012–2016); Intermediate from Loyola High School (2000–2012).

Achievements

›Recognized in the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2024
›Successfully completed Google Summer of Code (GSoC) in 2015
›Scaled Schmooze to over 2.5 million users
›Processes over 4 million meme swipes per day on Schmooze
›Secured a collaboration/partnership with Swiggy Dineout
›Conducted an AMA session hosted by Reddit
›Received positive user testimonials including messages from users who met and married through Schmooze
›Successfully raised funding from Elevation Capital

Opinions

Traditional dating apps 'don't work' and an alternative focused on low-effort, meme-based interaction is needed
Rejects 'AI Girlfriends' as the future; believes AI should help introverts express themselves and connect without pressure
Strongly values 'gut feeling' and team chemistry in hiring, equating joining a startup to dating—requiring a mutual 'spark'
Believes in rapid execution and that early 'Feature-Market-Fit' is signaled by team excitement to build a newly conceptualized feature