Article Today, New York:
Two Indian-origin entrepreneurs have rewritten Silicon Valley history by becoming the youngest self-made billionaires at the age of 22. Adarsh Hiremath and Surya Midha, co-founders of the AI recruitment platform Mercor, achieved this milestone following a Rs. 2,900 crore Series-C funding round that pushed their company’s valuation to Rs. 83,000 crore. With a personal net worth of around Rs. 16,600 crore each, they have surpassed records earlier set by Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg.
Indian Roots, Global Vision
Surya Midha’s parents migrated from Delhi to the United States before his birth. Raised in Mountain View, California, he attended Bellarmine College Preparatory in San Jose, where he met Adarsh Hiremath, who also hails from an Indian background. Their friendship and shared interest in technology and innovation eventually led them to co-found Mercor along with their classmate Brendan Foody.
The Dropout Decision
Both Hiremath and Midha were exceptional students and national-level debate champions during high school. Adarsh enrolled at Harvard University to study computer science, while Surya pursued foreign studies at Georgetown University. However, inspired by their late-night discussions on the future of work and technology, they decided to drop out. A $100,000 grant from investor Peter Thiel’s Thiel Fellowship encouraged them to take the entrepreneurial leap.
From Freelance Platform to AI Powerhouse
Initially, Mercor started in 2023 as a simple platform connecting Indian software developers with U.S. start-ups. However, the unexpected boom in artificial intelligence changed its course dramatically. As demand for high-quality human intelligence and data annotation surged, Mercor evolved into an AI recruitment powerhouse. The platform now connects experts—ranging from engineers to doctors and lawyers—with AI model training projects worldwide.
A Global Workforce in Action
Today, Mercor manages a specialized network of over 30,000 professionals who contribute to AI systems for leading tech firms including OpenAI and Google DeepMind. The company’s ability to blend skilled human talent with advanced machine learning needs has made it a preferred partner across the tech industry.
Rapid Growth and Record Funding
The Mercor team comprises just 30 members with an average age of 22. In September 2024, the company raised Rs. 265 crore in Series-A funding, followed by Rs. 830 crore in Series-B funding by February 2025. Within months, Mercor achieved a valuation of Rs. 16,600 crore, marking one of the fastest growth trajectories in Silicon Valley’s history. The latest Rs. 2,900 crore Series-C round has now catapulted its valuation to Rs. 83,000 crore.
Silicon Valley’s New Power Players
Industry analysts say Mercor’s rapid rise reflects the growing dominance of Indian-origin innovators in the global AI ecosystem. With their company now working closely with top technology firms, Hiremath and Midha have not only joined the ranks of global billionaires but also redefined the possibilities for young entrepreneurs in the age of artificial intelligence.
