From Robotics to AI: Aarav Garg’s Entrepreneurial Path at Purdue
When Aarav Garg was 10 years old, he discovered a YouTube tutorial that would change his life. From his childhood home in India, he built his first line-following robot—a simple project that ignited a passion for creating technology that moves, thinks, and interacts with the world. Today, as a junior majoring in Robotics Engineering Technology at Purdue, Aarav has transformed that childhood curiosity into entrepreneurial impact.
During high school, Aarav’s passion evolved into action. He launched Tech Nuttiez, an educational platform designed to make robotics learning fun and accessible for high school and college students. Through gamified tutorials and brand partnerships, Tech Nuttiez reached more than 150,000 users. “I wanted to help others learn robotics the same way I did—by making it hands-on and exciting,” Aarav said.
At Purdue, Aarav continued to push boundaries. He co-founded the Humanoid Robot Club, a student organization with more than 1,000 members and major sponsorships from companies like AMD and Autodesk. The club has raised over $300,000 and is building a four-and-a-half-foot humanoid robot capable of walking and interacting with its environment.
Aarav is also applying his skills beyond campus as the founding team member of Omi, a San Francisco-based AI wearables startup. Omi is developing innovative technology that captures in-person conversations—such as meetings or interviews—and generates intelligent summaries and insights. The device is being used by professionals in industries ranging from sales to healthcare and has already gained enterprise clients, including Salesforce and SoftBank.
Aarav credits Purdue’s Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program with helping him develop the mindset and network to pursue opportunities like working with Omi. “You can’t really learn entrepreneurship from a textbook,” he said. “What the certificate gives you are the people—instructors who’ve built companies, peers who are launching their own ventures, and a community that pushes you to think bigger.”
From a 10-year-old tinkering in his living room to a college innovator shaping the future of robotics and AI, Aarav embodies the entrepreneurial spirit and Boilermaker ingenuity for which Purdue is known.
