Some entrepreneurs follow a path. Others build it themselves. Kunal Valrani belongs to the second group, driven by curiosity, shaped by experience, and drawn to problems others overlook.
Valrani grew up in Dubai, where entrepreneurship surrounded him, and the skyline changed by the year. “Watching the city transform showed me what’s possible,” he says. “It made me want to build things that last.”
At 15, Valrani launched Hungry Harry, a mobile game designed to raise awareness about malnutrition. “It was my first real taste of building something that could make an impact,” he says. The game received national media coverage and thousands of downloads. “That experience taught me that ideas can travel far if you act on them.”
By high school graduation, Valrani had already launched a platform that connected football players to local pickup games. “I’ve always tried to solve problems I see in my daily life,” he explains. “As a young founder, you can only build what you know. You have no prior startup experience and no real credibility. Why should anyone listen to you if you’re building something you know nothing about?”
He gained acceptance into the University of Pennsylvania’s Jerome Fisher M&T Program, one of only 50 students selected that year and the only one from the Middle East. “It gave me exposure to both engineering and business while being surrounded by the world’s smartest people. Engineering taught me how things work. Business taught me how things grow. That combination defines my approach as a founder.”
While at Penn, Valrani didn’t slow down. He explored ventures across various industries, from a men’s skincare brand in India to developing a sports betting concept tailored for Indian audiences. “College wasn’t just about classes,” he says. “It was a sandbox where I could test real ideas.”
He believes trying different paths helped sharpen his instincts. “Every product I’ve built has come from seeing inefficiencies firsthand,” he says. “It’s not just about starting companies; it’s about making systems work better.”
After graduation, Valrani joined The Raine Group, a global merchant bank focused on media, entertainment, and sports. “It was the perfect place to learn from some of the smartest people in the world,” he recalls. “I gained deep insight into AI, cybersecurity, gaming, and financial services.”
But the urge to build returned quickly. “Even while succeeding at Raine, I couldn’t stop thinking about startup ideas. I knew it was time to start building again.”
Valrani left his position at Raine to pursue his next venture. The company, still in stealth mode, was recently accepted into the Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator, one of New York’s oldest and most competitive programs. “Getting into ERA validated that I was solving a real problem,” he says.
Although he remains quiet about the company’s details, the theme remains consistent. “I’ve always been drawn to solving problems in industries where change is overdue. Finance just happened to be the one I lived firsthand, and I couldn’t ignore it.”
Valrani doesn’t seek the spotlight, but his peers recognize his clarity and focus. “Follow your gut,” he advises. “Take the leap.”
He sees himself building for the long haul. “In the future, I’ll still be solving hard problems that I’ve personally experienced. Especially in places where legacy systems haven’t caught up with what’s possible.”
For Kunal Valrani, bold moves aren’t the exception. They’re the pattern.