In an unusual setting for entrepreneurial pursuits, 17-year-old Eric Zhu launched Aviato, an advanced analytical platform for private market data, from a high school bathroom in Carmel, Indiana. Now, his startup is emerging from stealth mode with an impressive $2.3 million in venture funding.
Aviato offers comprehensive tracking of funding rounds, headcount, company credit card revenue data, employee vesting schedules, and the current employment of top engineers. Its functionality aligns with competitors like Crunchbase and PitchBook, but it also includes unique metrics inspired by SignalFire’s internal database. This design stems from Zhu’s collaboration with SignalFire’s founder, Walter Kortschak.
Zhu’s journey into the world of startups and venture capital began during the pandemic. At just 13 years old, he joined Discord group chats featuring notable figures like Sam Altman. This exposure sparked his interest in the field, leading him to launch Esocial, a digital platform for schools, in 2021. Esocial was acquired within ten months, and Zhu then joined Bachmanity Capital, focusing on early-stage companies with government applications. It was during this period that the concept for Aviato emerged.
“Aviato was born out of the realization that private market data has historically been unstructured,” Zhu explained. “Funds are spending millions to create internal databases, and we aim to provide a comprehensive solution.”
Despite his unconventional office setup in a school bathroom, Zhu managed to attract significant customers, including NEA, Republic Capital, and 8VC. His dedication even led to his expulsion from school, but not before securing critical initial interest in Aviato.
The $2.3 million seed funding round for Aviato saw contributions from prominent investors like 8VC, Soma Capital, and SoftBank. Eric Bahn, a co-founder and general partner at Hustle Fund, was one of Zhu’s early backers. Recalling their first meeting, Bahn noted Zhu’s maturity and determination, despite the unusual setting of a high school bathroom stall.
“He was clearly very young but also very mature,” Bahn said. “I was initially skeptical, but Zhu’s passion and the quality of the product convinced me.”
Bahn initially invested $3,000 in Aviato, a decision he humorously likened to flushing money down the toilet. However, three years later, he is impressed with Zhu’s progress and the product’s development.
“The product is elegantly made, and Zhu has proven his ability to attract and hire top talent,” Bahn added.
Last fall, Aviato brought on David Razavi, the former CTO of LowerMyBills and product lead at LendingTree, as a co-founder and COO. Harrison Kessel, the third employee at Sequoia-backed Zeet, joined as CTO. Together, this team is driving Aviato’s growth and development.
Zhu has since relocated to San Francisco and is completing his high school education online. Despite his parents’ initial confusion about his career path, Zhu is confident in Aviato’s potential.
“We’ve built a product that our customers love,” Zhu said. “Our goal is to serve everyone working in private markets and eventually replace PitchBook.”
