Dubai student drops out of US university to launch AI startup
Khaleej Times|January 03, 2025
A 20-year-old former Dubai student has made the bold leap from college life to entrepreneurship, founding a startup focused on combating AI-enabled cyber threats - a venture already creating ripples in Silicon Valley.
Nandini Sircar
Dubai student drops out of US university to launch AI startup

This ambitious move comes after Avi Kapur took the daring step of leaving the prestigious University of California, Berkeley, where he had been studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences for just a year, to dedicate himself entirely to his startup.

While the likes of Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, and Mark Zuckerberg are often idolised as iconic college dropouts, Kapur's journey is uniquely rooted in Dubai's techforward environment. From an early age, he nurtured a passion for artificial intelligence. "I did a lot of AI research throughout high school," he told Khaleej Times during a recent interview.

Even as a 16-year-old, Kapur demonstrated his dedication. He recalled an early turning point.

"While still in school, I got a call from a fellow AI researcher who discovered me as a sophomore.

They offered to cover my flight and bring me out to the Bay Area.

This story is from the January 03, 2025 edition of Khaleej Times.

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This story is from the January 03, 2025 edition of Khaleej Times.

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