(November 6, 2024) What began as a class project has grown into a startup for recent Yale engineering graduates Sneha Sivakumar and Anushka Nijhawan. During their senior year, the two developed an AI-powered no-code automation tool designed to simplify and speed up the process of testing web applications without manual coding.
Their innovative solution enables companies with web-based applications to verify functionality seamlessly, a concept that quickly gained recognition. Supported early on by a $500 grant from Yale’s Tsai CITY Student Exploration Fund and recently accepted into Y Combinator’s elite accelerator program with $500,000 in funding, the duo took their idea to the next level.
This May, shortly after graduating with degrees in Computer Science, Sneha and Anushka officially launched their startup, Spur, building on the foundation of their college project. “A lot of companies spend a lot of time writing tests for their web applications, and our entire company is about automating that process and making it really easy,” Sivakumar explained in a recent interview.
Anushka and Sneha
From class project to startup
Sneha and Anushka enjoyed working with each other on different projects since their first year in college. “We first met freshman spring at Yale,” remarked Sneha. As their first project, the innovative duo built a social planning application location for fun.
After working on several other projects, the youngsters realised that they really liked working on tasks together and came up with the idea of working on a startup. They decided to work on a user experience research application. “That side of tech companies is typically very underserved. We thought we could come up with a solution that would fix that problem,” shared Anushka. “We worked for three months during the fall semester in 2023 on the idea. Part of that was because we were taking this class at Yale called Software Engineering, which allowed us very dedicated, focused time throughout the semester to actually build it out in tandem with our other classes.”
Seeing their project come out well, they applied for the Y Combinator at the end of their last semester, and the rest is history.
Anushka and Sneha
What is Y Combinator?
Y Combinator (YC) is a top-tier startup accelerator that offers a three-month, high-intensity program aimed at rapidly scaling early-stage companies. It provides $500,000 in funding in exchange for a seven percent equity stake and includes tailored mentorship and a collaborative startup environment.
YC brings together founders at various stages—some just beginning, others more established—and pairs them with experienced partners for weekly guidance, along with bi-weekly group sessions. Founders connect via Bookface, YC’s exclusive platform for networking and knowledge-sharing, and participate in events like weekly talks from successful entrepreneurs, providing insights into startup growth and strategy. The program culminates in Demo Day, where founders pitch their startups to leading investors, often securing additional seed funding. Even after the program ends, YC alumni continue to benefit from ongoing support and access to YC’s extensive network, creating a lasting support ecosystem for continued growth.
“In YC, there’s about 200 to 300 companies every single batch and they break these companies into different groups. So, it builds a community in which everybody is working on all of their startups together,” explains Sneha.
Sneha and Anushka
Help and support from other sources
Sneha and Anushka’s journey in creating Spur was bolstered by crucial support networks and resources at Yale. Assistant Professor Arman Cohan’s mentorship was instrumental, beginning with his class on AI Foundation Models, which inspired the pair to work with him on their senior thesis.
Throughout their last semester, Professor Cohan offered ongoing guidance, connecting them with other industry experts and helping shape their project. Additionally, a $500 grant from Yale’s Tsai CITY Student Exploration Fund provided them with vital workspace and resources. The fund, which awards grants of up to $500 to student-led teams working on early-stage innovation and entrepreneurship projects, became essential for Sneha and Anushka as they refined their product. With a collaborative workspace at Tsai CITY available daily, they had the ideal environment for brainstorming, teamwork, and advancing Spur to launch readiness.
Anushka and Sneha during a Y Combinator launch live event
Taking entrepreneurship in stride
Sneha Sivakumar and Anushka Nijhawan’s journey of building Spur has been challenging and a learning experience for the young entrepreneurs. They admit that taking the plunge into full-time entrepreneurship was nerve-wracking, but once they committed, everything came into focus.
Now, each day is a new lesson—not just in engineering but in marketing, sales, accounting, HR, and tax management, as they are currently handling all aspects of the business themselves. “We’re just picking them up as we go,” remarks Anushka talking about the multiple skills that an entrepreneur’s life demands.
Although their life as an entrepreneur is far cry from their initial roles as developers, and while the hours are long and the work demanding, the youngsters find fulfillment in building something truly their own. Embracing the highs and the challenges alike, they’re learning that startup life is about so much more than just innovating something —it’s about adaptability, and the drive to bring their vision to life.
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