Rajshree Upadhyaya | Business Remedies | April 05,2025 | Ayush Jaiswal’s entrepreneurial journey is a story of resilience, self-learning, and an unrelenting drive to bridge the gap between talent and opportunity. Born in Varanasi, his fascination with technology ignited at the age of 12 when he watched Steve Jobs unveil the first iPhone. This moment shaped his aspirations, leading him to explore website creation and graphic design by the time he was in eighth grade. His passion for technology grew stronger, pushing him to pursue engineering in Delhi, where he developed ERP software for colleges. However, the conventional education system failed to satisfy his thirst for real-world knowledge.
A conversation with a professor changed his course when he was advised that true learning happens outside the classroom. Taking this advice to heart, Ayush made a bold decision to drop out of college, despite his family’s opposition. To avoid confrontation, he kept his decision a secret and threw himself into the startup ecosystem. Financial struggles became a part of his journey as he navigated the uncertain world of entrepreneurship. He spent time in co-working spaces like Innov8, working with various startups without financial compensation, focusing instead on gaining hands-on experience.
His breakthrough came in 2017 when he co-founded Pesto Tech with American entrepreneur Andrew Linfoot, whom he met at Innov8. The idea behind Pesto was simple yet powerful. Indian engineers had immense talent but lacked access to global opportunities. Pesto aimed to change that by offering a 12-week bootcamp designed to refine technical and soft skills while connecting engineers with mentors from top tech companies like Facebook, Twitter, and Uber. The core belief behind Pesto was that while talent is universal, opportunities are not.
The startup quickly caught the attention of investors, and in 2019, Pesto secured $2 million in seed funding. The round was led by Matrix Partners India and saw participation from Swiggy co-founders Sriharsha Majety, Rahul Jaimini, and Nandan Reddy. This investment provided Pesto with the resources to scale its operations and strengthen its training programs, reinforcing its mission to connect Indian engineers with global tech companies.
The partnership between Pesto and Swiggy’s leadership deepened over time, and in 2020, Rahul Jaimini took his involvement a step further. As one of Swiggy’s co-founders and a key architect of its technological infrastructure, Rahul had always been a mentor and supporter of Pesto. In May 2020, he transitioned from an investor to a co-founder and took on the role of Chief Operating Officer. With his deep experience in scaling technology-driven businesses, Rahul brought a new level of expertise to Pesto, helping the company refine its strategies and expand its impact.
Under Ayush’s leadership, Pesto continued to evolve, attracting additional investments in October 2020 from industry leaders like Ryan Hoover, Anand Chandrasekaran, and Maran Nelson. This funding fueled the company’s global expansion, strengthening its footprint in Silicon Valley and enabling more engineers to access borderless job opportunities. Ayush envisioned Pesto as a company that would not just train engineers but fundamentally change the way talent was discovered and hired globally. He aimed to level the playing field, ensuring that skilled individuals, regardless of their location, had access to the best opportunities.
Pesto Tech has since emerged as a pivotal player in the edtech space, redefining the way engineers prepare for the global job market. Its impact goes beyond just technical training, it empowers individuals to compete on an international stage, challenging traditional hiring norms. The collaboration between Ayush and Rahul represents a shared vision of breaking barriers and fostering a culture of continuous learning and innovation. Today, Ayush Jaiswal continues to lead Pesto Tech with the same passion and determination that marked his early years. His story is a testament to the power of self-belief and unconventional choices. By redefining career paths for Indian engineers, he has not only transformed lives but also contributed to India’s growing presence in the global tech industry.
