Jensen Huang's namesake says controversy has boosted his AI business
What's the story
Jensen Huang, a 24-year-old Singapore-based software engineer and founder of AI start-up Lycana, has been mistaken for NVIDIA co-founder Jensen Huang for years. The confusion stemmed from their shared name and the latter's prominence in the tech industry. However, the situation took a turn when NVIDIA's former CEO resigned amid personal controversies.
Business impact
'My name's going to be dragged through the mud'
The resignation of the former NVIDIA CEO on November 12, over personal matters, made Huang worry about his reputation.
He said, "My first thought was: Holy crap, my name's going to be dragged through the mud."
However, instead of hurting his business Lycana, the controversy brought it into the limelight.
"There are more eyes on what I'm building," he said.
Growth surge
Spike in traffic and subscriptions for Huang's start-up
The controversy surrounding the former NVIDIA CEO led to a massive spike in traffic for Huang's start-up.
He said, "I saw a 5,000-viewer spike from visitors who came to the site because of it." Some even bought subscriptions.
This unexpected attention has also opened doors for Huang as he has applied to Y Combinator and other venture capital-backed accelerator programs.
Investor interest
Start-up founder embraces the situation
Despite the initial concerns, Huang now sees the potential in this unexpected publicity. He said, "If this is what it takes for them to notice me, then hey, I'm all for it." This attitude shows his willingness to leverage any situation for his start-up's benefit.