Archive · 30 Sep 2026
IIT Delhi Graduate Builds $2 Million AI Startup in US
Pushpak Pujari wanted to study a specific subject at a top Indian college.
His first JEE rank was 2,790, so he took the exam again while attending college.
He studied mostly at home because he did not want to leave his family after his father died.
His mother supported him by staying awake while he studied.
On his second attempt, he achieved rank 183 and entered IIT Delhi.
Later, he worked at Sony, Amazon and Verkada.
In 2025, he left Verkada to start Harden with a longtime friend.
Harden first explored vision-language models but changed direction toward coding agents.
The company has raised $2 million to build its AI products.
Pushpak Pujari improved his JEE rank from 2,790 to 183 while continuing college studies.
He studied Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi after preparing largely at home.
Pujari later worked at Sony in Japan, Amazon and Verkada, where he led security-camera and AI product initiatives.
He left Verkada in 2025 to co-found San Francisco-based AI startup Harden with a longtime friend.
Harden has raised $2 million in pre-seed funding after shifting its focus toward coding agents.
- Who
- Pushpak Pujari and his co-founder founded Harden.
- What
- Pujari improved his JEE rank, built a technology career and launched Harden, an AI startup that raised $2 million.
- When
- Pujari achieved his JEE rank of 183 after a second attempt; he founded Harden in 2025.
- Where
- Pujari studied at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi, worked in Japan and the United States, and founded Harden in San Francisco.
- Why
- He retook the JEE to pursue his preferred subject and institution, and later changed Harden’s focus toward coding agents after that technology gained traction.
- Founder
- Pushpak Pujari
- Startup
- Harden
- Headquarters
- San Francisco, United States
- Funding
- $2 million in pre-seed funding
- JEE rank
- Improved from 2,790 to 183
- Education
- Electrical Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi; MBA at The Wharton School
- Previous employers
- Sony, Amazon and Verkada