Unikon.ai Revolutionizes Networking: AI-Powered Platform Connects Professionals and Experts Globally

Networking can be a daunting task, whether you are a business owner or climbing the corporate ladder. Cold emails often go unanswered, LinkedIn messages are ignored, and meetings frequently end without substantial outcomes. Aakash Anand, a serial entrepreneur and founder of D2C brand Bella Vita Organic and proptech startup PropKaro, experienced these challenges firsthand.
"While building my startups, I realized I was the least networked founder in the industry. Business development often involves spending significant time, money, and effort on cold calls and visits,"
Anand shares.
The Birth of Unikon.ai
To address these networking challenges, Anand partnered with Sumit Jha, CTO of SaaS startup Zecpe, and Palash Arneja, a chartered accountant, to create Unikon.ai in 2023.
Unikon.ai is an AI/ML-based peer-to-peer networking platform designed to help users connect with advisors or professionals for advice while enabling experts to share their knowledge and earn.

Image: Akash Anand
Image courtesy: Indian Retailer
"We envisioned a platform where users could get paid for their time and expertise, whether it's a founder seeking guidance from industry peers or individuals seeking support for personal issues,"
Anand explains
Solving Access Issues in Networking
Unikon.ai aims to eliminate the barriers to networking by providing easy access to networking opportunities. The platform, which stands for "you and I connect," allows users to maintain personal profiles with customizable rates for audio calls, video calls, or direct messages.
Based on these rates and their professional background, users can connect with others for video calls, audio calls, or chats within 24-48 hours or instantly.
Users can type their query to find sector experts through AI search and then make an instant call or book a time slot to discuss various topics, from cooking tips to coding skills.
Making Connections Rewarding
Unikon.ai focuses on rewarding connections by enabling individuals with relevant experience to offer advice. Experts can organize events such as webinars or workshops, sharing their expertise and earning income.
The platform is built using Flutter, a Google tool that allows developers to create apps for both Android and iOS with a single codebase. The company has a total headcount of 50.
"We are utilizing the latest technologies for development. Our AI model is currently in the training phase, supported by a dedicated tech team of around 25 members, even before the official launch,"
says Palash Arneja, COO and Co-founder of Unikon.ai
Key Features of Unikon.ai

Image courtesy: Entrackr
Unikon.ai offers four main features: UniShorts, UniKonnect, UniSeek, and UniShows.
UniShorts:Â This feature allows professionals to post short, engaging videos that provide a glimpse into their 1:1 sessions. These videos act as previews to help experts build their brands. Unikon's AI engine recommends these videos based on user interests and expertise, encouraging quick insights and connections for more in-depth discussions.
UniKonnect:Â This AI-powered discovery engine helps users find and connect with the right individuals from over 3,000 experts on the platform. Users can apply specific filters like location, company, experience, availability, ratings, age range, and gender to find the best matches.
UniSeek:Â This feature enables users to post their queries in a video format and seek personalized responses. Users can earn by solving queries from others or promoting job opportunities. The startup already has more than 100 open queries on the app.
UniShows:Â These live, interactive 'one-to-many' sessions allow users to host or attend events on various topics. Users can earn by hosting UniShows, which are recommended by AI to relevant individuals for registration.
Focus Areas and Future Plans

Currently, Unikon.ai focuses on professional connections, jobs and careers, and mental health.
In June this year, the startup raised $2 million in a seed round led by Ananta Capital, along with notable entrepreneurs such as Nikhil Kamath (Zerodha), Peyush Bansal (Lenskart), Vishesh Khurana (Shiprocket), Dholakia Ventures, Nitin Jain and Vasant Sridhar (OfBusiness), and Gaurav Khatri (Noise).
Influencers like Tanmay Bhat, Raj Shamani, Arjun Vaidya, Sharan Hegde, Ganeshprasad S, Shlok Srivastava, and Rahul Malodia have also backed Unikon.ai.
Revenue Model and User Growth
Unikon.ai generates revenue by taking a 20% cut from transactions on the platform. While all content on the app is free, connecting with people is a paid feature.
Users can set their hourly rates for audio/video calls and chats, and others can book their time accordingly.
The platform has onboarded over 10,000 users and plans to reach one million users by the end of this financial year. The startup also plans to introduce new features to enhance the user experience
.
Complementing Existing Platforms
"We don't want to compete with Meta or LinkedIn. We aim to complement them by providing a socio-professional marketplace. We offer a unique solution to a problem faced by millions of people,"
Arneja says
"Globally, there are startups focused on the top 1% or niche categories, but no one has attempted to achieve this on the scale we are planning."
Conclusion
Unikon.ai is poised to revolutionize networking by leveraging AI to connect professionals and experts globally.
With its user-friendly features and focus on making connections rewarding, Unikon.ai is set to become a game-changer in the networking space.
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