Vamika Singhal, Entrepreneur, winner of The Telegraph online Edugraph 18 Under 18 Awards 2025 The Telegraph online Edugraph
At just 18 years old, Vamika Singhal, a student of Sanskriti The Gurukul, Guwahati, has already carved out a space for herself in the world of startups and social impact. An entrepreneur, innovator, and community builder, she’s the driving force behind The Founderly, a platform that’s empowering thousands of young dreamers to become doers. Her relentless drive to build, create, and empower has rightfully earned her a coveted spot among the winners of The Telegraph online Edugraph 18 under 18 Awards 2025.
Her entrepreneurial journey began when she noticed a gap faced by young founders around her. “I came up with the idea since I noticed people near me struggle with this problem,” she shares. That idea evolved into The Founderly, a startup that has, in less than two years, empowered over 5,000 budding entrepreneurs across 15+ countries through courses, mentorship, and community-driven support. “I wanted to create a platform that not only provides resources but also builds a community for young builders,” Vamika explains. Today, the platform boasts 40+ mentors, including $100k ARR founders, and collaborations with global organisations and NITI Aayog, conducting sessions for thousands of students and women entrepreneurs.
Beyond her venture, Vamika’s professional experience includes working at Build3 Venture Studio from the Founder’s Office, where she evaluated startup pitches and helped craft go-to-market strategies that increased brand impressions by 150%. At The Whole Truth Foods, she led B2B lead generation and market research, and as a freelance web developer, she built 10+ high-converting digital platforms for emerging brands.
A natural innovator, Vamika was selected as one of the top 20 teams (out of 7,000+ applicants) to present an affordable, automated farming solution at IIT Kharagpur and IIT Guwahati. At the Lodha Genius Programme (4% acceptance rate), she built a facial-recognition AI model with 97% accuracy—yet another example of her passion for combining technology and impact.
Her academic record is equally stellar, securing All-India Rank 10 in ICSE (98%), a 1510 SAT score, and representing India as the only female finalist at the ETEAM International Math Olympiad.
Winning the 18 Under 18 Awards 2025 was, for Vamika, a moment of affirmation. “It was extremely surreal. Being flown to Kolkata, meeting Dr. Shashi Tharoor, and connecting with other young changemakers felt like a celebration of all the hard work I’ve put in over the years,” she reflects.
As she prepares to join UC Berkeley’s prestigious MET program as one of two Indians selected this year, Vamika is eager to explore the intersection of AI, finance, and social impact. “My dream is to bridge the gap between ambition and execution for thousands of young founders. UC Berkeley is a place where ideas come alive, and I can’t wait to learn, build, fail, and start again.”
Her message to aspiring entrepreneurs? “Just believe in yourself. Have grit. Start small, stay curious, and don’t wait for permission to build what you believe in.”
At The Telegraph Online Edugraph, we applaud Vamika’s vision, grit, and relentless pursuit of impact and wish her continued success as she takes her ideas to the world.