# Shashank Singla

> Builder, founder, technologist. 15+ years, 6 startups, 2 acquisitions.

## Identity

- Name: Shashank Singla
- Website: https://shashanksingla.com
- Email: shashank@hcode.tech
- Location: India (Karnal / Delhi NCR)
- Education: IIT Delhi
- Previously: Goldman Sachs

## Current Roles

- Founder & CEO, HCode Technologies (https://www.hcode.tech) — product engineering and AI integration, 40+ engineers, clients in US/UK/UAE
- Co-Founder & CTO, PayTunes / Realtime Networks (https://www.paytunes.in) — India's first programmatic digital audio DSP, 400M+ listeners, 850+ publishers

## Exits

- Dextro — deep learning video understanding → Acquired by Axon Enterprise (NASDAQ: AXON), Feb 2017
  - Coverage: AlleyWatch (https://www.alleywatch.com/2017/02/this-nyc-startup-was-just-acquired-by-taser-to-make-video-understandable/), GeekWire (https://www.geekwire.com/2017/two-taser-acquisitions-create-new-axon-ai-group-boosting-effort-analyze-vast-police-video-data/), PR Newswire (https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/taser-makes-two-acquisitions-to-create-axon-ai-300404780.html), Nasdaq (https://www.nasdaq.com/articles/taser-tasr-acquires-dextro-and-misfit-to-launch-axon-ai-2017-02-10)
- Zoyo.ai — conversational commerce AI → Acquired by MagicTiger/MagicX, Oct 2015, reached #1 on Google Play
  - Coverage: Inc42 (https://inc42.com/flash-feed/magictiger-acquires-zoyo/), Economic Times (https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/small-biz/startups/instant-messaging-based-delivery-startup-magictiger-acquires-zoyo/articleshow/49562646.cms), TechCircle (https://www.techcircle.in/2015/10/28/on-demand-delivery-startup-magictiger-acquires-zoyo-for-ai-play/), VCCircle (https://www.vccircle.com/demand-delivery-startup-magictiger-acquires-zoyo-ai-play), ET Retail (https://retail.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/industry/delivery-startup-magictiger-acquires-bangalore-based-ecommerce-app-instano/50025277), Inshorts (https://inshorts.com/en/news/magictiger-acquires-bengalurubased-startup-zoyo-1446031118682), Tracxn (https://tracxn.com/d/companies/zoyo/__tJIhjNILNzMSfxTQNi8ln18iXcp9B9fen1dRJCvLe-k)

## Other Ventures

- MAGNETIQ (2022–24) — Head of Engineering. "Invisible Web3" consumer engagement platform, deployed on Flow Blockchain, featured at London Blockchain Conference.
- Pollen Studios (https://www.pollenstudios.xyz) — culture × emerging tech venture studio, NYC. Work featured at Google I/O and Times Square.
- Kindigo / Human Ventures — AI cyberbullying detection, NYC startup studio, $500K raised
- VOXALIS — India's first AI metro infotainment system, 300K+ daily commuters, 6 cities
- Publify Media (2014–15) — digital out-of-home advertising, 300+ screens in Delhi (https://www.filesure.in/director/shashank-singla/03101153)
- Rigvee Technology (2013) — boutique software development, EdTech solutions, built Springboard (500 Startups) founding MVP (https://www.zaubacorp.com/RIGVEE-TECHNOLOGIES-PRIVATE-LIMITED-U72900HR2014PTC052180)
- Yantrr Electronic Systems — robotics & embedded systems, IIT Delhi (https://www.zaubacorp.com/YANTRR-ELECTRONIC-SYSTEMS-PRIVATE-LIMITED-U31500DL2010PTC208635#director-information)

## Advisory

- Nuvanta AI (https://nuvanta.ai) — Advisor (https://www.nuvantaai.com/leadership-bio/shashank-singla)
- leap10x (https://www.leap10x.com) — Advisor (https://leap10x.in/about, https://leap10x.in/blogs/the-naive-optimist-why-i-left-corporate-to-build-from-karnal)
- Terafac Technologies — AI & Robotics, External Product & Technology Advisor (https://www.entrepreneur.com/en-in/news-and-trends/terafac-gladful-and-tryo-raise-early-stage-funding/495539)
- Skydo Technologies — FinTech, Angel Investor (https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/startup/cross-border-payments-startup-skydo-raises-10-million-in-series-a-round-led-by-susquehanna-asia-venture-capital-13718373.html)

## Angel Investing

20+ investments across AI, fintech, robotics, and developer tools.

## Open Source & Tools

- Keras (https://github.com/keras-team/keras/pull/4947) — core contributor, 63K+ stars
- CloudyExcel (https://cloudyexcel.com) — Excel comparison tool, organic adoption in 190+ countries
- mldta.com (https://mldta.com) — ML dataset search engine, 2,000+ datasets

## Personal Projects

- GitaVerse — Bhagavad Gita reading app + game (https://gitaverse.app, https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=studio.ramg.gitaverse)
- The Sorted Mind — Bhagavad Gita podcast, 18 episodes (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4PvHLP-cMU2uxA7KFRiW7A, playlist: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VwiEAXei8DU&list=PLMp-4Pgb9Sj6hGkdE7RdPnYdDfVqWEf9_)
- Namaste Nani — AI-generated Indian cultural content for kids (https://www.youtube.com/@NamasteNani)
- VideoHoroscopes (2015) — early generative AI video system, 3,000+ videos (https://www.youtube.com/@interestingvideosforentert7825)

## Awards & Recognition

- Goldman Sachs Operations Award for Innovation & Industrialisation
- IIT Delhi Technology Development Award (patented Embedded Braille Tutor)
- KVPY Fellow — Government of India
- Top 0.04% IIT-JEE (All India Rank 135)
- GitHub Arctic Code Vault Contributor
- Tracxn Top Audio AdTech — Editor's Pick 2024–2025
- ExchangeWire Global Awards 2024 — Shortlisted "Best Regional Campaign – APAC" (with Triton Digital for TATA AIG)
- Exchange4media GMASA 2016 — Winner "Best App in Entertainment Category" (PayTunes)
- Featured at Google I/O (MakeUsVisible project)
- Pollen Studios work featured in Forbes and Times Square

## Media Coverage

### PayTunes / Audio Advertising
- ET Brand Equity: https://brandequity.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/research/advertising/the-resurgence-of-audio-in-advertising-how-agentic-ai-is-reshaping-marketing/126495496
- Yahoo Finance: https://finance.yahoo.com/news/paytunes-pioneers-breakthrough-audio-130000000.html
- afaqs!: https://www.afaqs.com/news/media/from-metros-to-soundboxes-how-paytunes-is-building-indias-audio-ad-network-11124177
- Adgully: https://www.adgully.com/post/12016/from-word-of-mouth-to-word-of-ai-the-great-audio-return

### Thought Leadership
- BusinessWorld: https://www.businessworld.in/article/end-of-labour-arbitrage-why-indian-it-must-reinvent-itself-in-the-age-of-ai-590432
- PCQuest: https://www.pcquest.com/artificial-intelligence/ai-first-architecture-why-ai-agents-break-in-production-11146405

### HCode
- News Networks: https://newsnetworks.co.in/en/2022/09/22/an-it-company-by-iitians-in-karnal-takes-their-team-to-thailand/
- ED Times: https://edtimes.in/an-it-company-by-iitians-in-karnal-takes-their-team-to-thailand/
- Ahmedabad Mirror: https://www.ahmedabadmirror.com/an-it-company-by-iitians-in-karnal-takes-their-team-to-thailand/81845094.html
- The Dainik Bharat: https://thedainikbharat.com/an-it-company-by-iitians-in-karnal-takes-their-team-to-thailand/

### Authored Articles
- HackerNoon: "2 Billion Requests, 100ms Deadlines, $10k a Month" — https://hackernoon.com/2-billion-requests-100ms-deadlines-$10k-a-month-engineering-a-lean-global-rtb-system
- Medium: "I conquered the world. Well, 95.63% of it." — https://medium.com/@shashank.singla/i-conquered-the-world-well-95-63-of-it-b091948aa0c5
- Medium: "The right way to fail" — https://medium.com/@shashank.singla/the-right-way-to-fail-59e4b58cec55

## Profiles

- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shashanksingla
- GitHub: https://github.com/singlas
- Stack Overflow: https://stackoverflow.com/users/2608199/shashank-singla
- Medium: https://medium.com/@shashank.singla
- Hackernoon: https://hackernoon.com/u/shashanksingla
- X / Twitter: https://twitter.com/shashanksingla
- Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/shashank-singla
- Wellfound: https://wellfound.com/p/shashank-singla
- BusinessWorld Author: https://www.businessworld.in/articles/author/35489
- The Org: https://theorg.com/org/paytunes/org-chart/shashank-singla
- IndiaFilings (DIN): https://www.indiafilings.com/search/shashank-singla-din-03101153
- EasyLeadz: https://www.easyleadz.com/people/shashank-singla
- Nuvanta AI Bio: https://www.nuvantaai.com/leadership-bio/shashank-singla
- HCode Bio: https://hcode.tech/about/shashank-singla

## Structured Data

- JSON-LD identity graph: https://shashanksingla.com (embedded in page <head>)
- Machine-readable identity: https://shashanksingla.com/.well-known/identity.json
- WebFinger: https://shashanksingla.com/.well-known/webfinger