Aneesh Varma
Aneesh Varma | |
|---|---|
| Born | 1984 |
| Nationality | British-American |
| Alma mater | Lehigh University |
| Occupation(s) | Inventor, serial entrepreneur, angel investor |
| Years active | From age 16 – present |
| Known for | Founder of Aire; co-founder of FabriQate |
| Board member of | Lehigh University Alumni Association (LUAA) |
| Awards | HSBC Startup Star awards (2008, 2009), LDA KC Award (2009), British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur (2009), CF500 membership (2010), Business Insider 35 under 35 Fintech (2018), European Commission Entrepreneur of the Year nominee (2014), British Council Young Entrepreneur in technology (2009), Technology Innovator of the Year in Credit Sector (2020) |
Aneesh Varma is a British-American inventor, serial entrepreneur, and angel investor. He is the founder of Aire, a fintech enterprise that leads in the responsible application of machine learning for credit evaluation and underwriting processes. Earlier, Varma co-established FabriQate, which earned accolades such as the HSBC Startup Star awards in 2008 and 2009, the LDA KC Award in 2009, recognition as a British Council Young Creative Entrepreneur (YCE) in 2009, and membership in the CF500 in 2010. In 2018, Business Insider included him in their 35 under 35 Fintech list.
An outspoken proponent of financial inclusion, Varma pursued studies in Engineering and Quantitative Finance at Lehigh University. His entrepreneurial achievements were acknowledged by the European Commission with a nomination for Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014, and he was also honored as a British Council Young Entrepreneur in technology in 2009. In 2020, he received the Technology Innovator of the Year award within the Credit Sector.
Life
Recognized as a gifted mathematician from a young age, Varma achieved a perfect score on the Cambridge University Advanced Mathematics exam at just 15 years old. During his undergraduate education, he completed PhD-level coursework. As a Martindale Scholar at Lehigh University in 2005, he contributed research examining Europe's transition to a market-driven financial system.
Career
Varma initiated his entrepreneurial journey by launching his first company at age 16 and remained active in startup ventures throughout his university years. At 21, he commenced work at JPMorgan in New York, focusing on deals within the Financial Technology sector and collaborating with clients such as Visa and Synovus. He has since founded three technology companies based in the UK that have expanded globally and gained recognition for promoting financial inclusion.
In addition to his business pursuits, Varma holds a position on the Lehigh University Alumni Association (LUAA) board and contributes to multiple non-profit organizations.