Ex-Uber Engineer Behind AI Startup Julius Gains Traction with Harvard Business School

Rahul Sonwalkar, better known from a viral prank as ‘Rahul Ligma’ following Elon Musk’s 2022 Twitter acquisition, has emerged as a legitimate tech entrepreneur. Though he never worked at Twitter (now X), Sonwalkar previously held an engineering role at Uber and was part of a Y Combinator cohort for an earlier startup. He is now the founder of Julius, an AI-powered data analytics tool designed to make data science accessible through natural language prompts. Julius has garnered more than 2 million users and recently attracted attention from Harvard Business School. Professor Iavor Bojinov, impressed by Julius’ capabilities after comparing it to platforms like ChatGPT and Gemini, integrated a customized version into a new required course titled ‘Data Science and AI for Leaders.’ Julius is currently a 12-person team and has reportedly raised a seed round led by Bessemer Venture Partners, although details remain undisclosed. While Sonwalkar admits his ‘Ligma’ notoriety may have helped in the startup’s early days, the tool’s current success stems from its functionality and adoption by serious institutions like Harvard. This transition reflects a broader trend in tech where credibility is increasingly tied to product performance rather than viral fame.