Meet Raul John Aju, the 16-year-old Kerala teen who pays his father ₹2 lakh a month to work at his AI startup
Alongside building AI products, Raul has also focused on AI education through his startup and ThinkCraft Academy.
- Aug 28, 2026,
- Updated Aug 28, 2026 11:42 AM IST
At 16, when most teenagers are still figuring out what they want to do after school, Kerala's Raul John Aju is running an AI startup with around 15 employees.
The Class 12 student has built more than 15 AI tools, reportedly pays his father ₹2 lakh a month to work at his company and has trained nearly five lakh learners. Yet, despite his early success, he says some of the most valuable lessons still come from learning from those with more experience.
From curiosity to creating AI
Raul's journey with artificial intelligence began when he was nine. His father's work at Adobe gave him access to premium technology tools, introducing him to a field that was still unfamiliar to most children his age.
But Raul did not stop at exploring AI. He wanted to understand how it worked, experiment with its possibilities and see what he could build.
By the time he was 12, that curiosity had turned into MeBot, a robot he built for a school science project. It was an early glimpse of the way he approached technology, not just as something to use, but as something to create.
Since then, Raul has developed more than 15 AI tools, including MeBot, RESQ AI, ZapGap, Investo AI and FeedFye. Across these projects, his focus has remained on building technology that solves practical problems rather than serving as technical demonstrations.
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When the teenager became his father's boss
Today, while still studying in Class 12, Raul leads a startup with around 15 employees. One of them is his father, Aju Joseph, whom he reportedly pays ₹2 lakh a month.
The arrangement may seem unusual, but Raul sees it as an opportunity to learn from someone with decades of industry experience.
Aju Joseph has worked at companies including Amazon, Adobe, Wipro and IBM, experience Raul believes cannot be gained overnight or learned from a phone.
Raul says having his father work alongside him helps him understand how technology companies operate and grow. He even joked that having his father in the company was "good for my marketing."
Behind the humour is a thoughtful approach to leadership. Although he is the founder, Raul knows where his experience ends and where someone else's begins. The son may be the boss, but he is still willing to be a student.
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Taking AI beyond the classroom
Alongside building AI products, Raul has also focused on AI education through his startup and ThinkCraft Academy.
He believes artificial intelligence should not be limited to computer science graduates or technology professionals. Instead, he wants to make AI learning accessible to students and working professionals alike.
His training initiatives have reportedly reached nearly five lakh learners worldwide, including students and professionals associated with IITs, IIMs, foreign universities and corporate institutions.
Raul also shares AI-related content on social media, where he is known as "Raul the Rockstar." But his message goes beyond learning AI tools. He has argued that young people should embrace artificial intelligence without losing the qualities that make them human, including creativity, empathy, curiosity and individuality.
From Kerala to the United Nations
Raul's work has taken him beyond classrooms and startup offices to national and international platforms.
At the 2026 India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, he participated in a United Nations-organised session on AI and children's safety and delivered the opening address. He also met UN Special Envoy Amandeep Gill and interacted with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
His work has also connected him with discussions on technology, education and public services through initiatives linked to Kerala and Dubai.
Looking beyond marks and degrees
At the India Today South Conclave 2025, Raul spoke about India's potential to become a technology leader. He stressed the importance of research, skills, education and creativity rather than treating marks and degrees as the only measures of a young person's potential.
That belief runs through his own journey.
At nine, he discovered AI. At 12, he built his first robot. By 16, he was running a company while still studying in Class 12.
Yet, for Raul, success has never meant having all the answers. Instead, he believes it comes from recognising how much there is still to learn and continuing to build, experiment and grow.
At 16, when most teenagers are still figuring out what they want to do after school, Kerala's Raul John Aju is running an AI startup with around 15 employees.
The Class 12 student has built more than 15 AI tools, reportedly pays his father ₹2 lakh a month to work at his company and has trained nearly five lakh learners. Yet, despite his early success, he says some of the most valuable lessons still come from learning from those with more experience.
From curiosity to creating AI
Raul's journey with artificial intelligence began when he was nine. His father's work at Adobe gave him access to premium technology tools, introducing him to a field that was still unfamiliar to most children his age.
But Raul did not stop at exploring AI. He wanted to understand how it worked, experiment with its possibilities and see what he could build.
By the time he was 12, that curiosity had turned into MeBot, a robot he built for a school science project. It was an early glimpse of the way he approached technology, not just as something to use, but as something to create.
Since then, Raul has developed more than 15 AI tools, including MeBot, RESQ AI, ZapGap, Investo AI and FeedFye. Across these projects, his focus has remained on building technology that solves practical problems rather than serving as technical demonstrations.
Must Read: Beyond factory floors: Piyush Goyal outlines next generation India-Japan economic partnership
When the teenager became his father's boss
Today, while still studying in Class 12, Raul leads a startup with around 15 employees. One of them is his father, Aju Joseph, whom he reportedly pays ₹2 lakh a month.
The arrangement may seem unusual, but Raul sees it as an opportunity to learn from someone with decades of industry experience.
Aju Joseph has worked at companies including Amazon, Adobe, Wipro and IBM, experience Raul believes cannot be gained overnight or learned from a phone.
Raul says having his father work alongside him helps him understand how technology companies operate and grow. He even joked that having his father in the company was "good for my marketing."
Behind the humour is a thoughtful approach to leadership. Although he is the founder, Raul knows where his experience ends and where someone else's begins. The son may be the boss, but he is still willing to be a student.
Don't Miss: Why HDFC Bank is facing a lawsuit in the US
Taking AI beyond the classroom
Alongside building AI products, Raul has also focused on AI education through his startup and ThinkCraft Academy.
He believes artificial intelligence should not be limited to computer science graduates or technology professionals. Instead, he wants to make AI learning accessible to students and working professionals alike.
His training initiatives have reportedly reached nearly five lakh learners worldwide, including students and professionals associated with IITs, IIMs, foreign universities and corporate institutions.
Raul also shares AI-related content on social media, where he is known as "Raul the Rockstar." But his message goes beyond learning AI tools. He has argued that young people should embrace artificial intelligence without losing the qualities that make them human, including creativity, empathy, curiosity and individuality.
From Kerala to the United Nations
Raul's work has taken him beyond classrooms and startup offices to national and international platforms.
At the 2026 India AI Impact Summit in New Delhi, he participated in a United Nations-organised session on AI and children's safety and delivered the opening address. He also met UN Special Envoy Amandeep Gill and interacted with UN Secretary-General António Guterres.
His work has also connected him with discussions on technology, education and public services through initiatives linked to Kerala and Dubai.
Looking beyond marks and degrees
At the India Today South Conclave 2025, Raul spoke about India's potential to become a technology leader. He stressed the importance of research, skills, education and creativity rather than treating marks and degrees as the only measures of a young person's potential.
That belief runs through his own journey.
At nine, he discovered AI. At 12, he built his first robot. By 16, he was running a company while still studying in Class 12.
Yet, for Raul, success has never meant having all the answers. Instead, he believes it comes from recognising how much there is still to learn and continuing to build, experiment and grow.