Swarm, a startup founded by UNC-Chapel Hill students Krish Vazirani and Aryan Aladar, is addressing a persistent challenge in software development: how to quickly and effectively validate product ideas. While advances in artificial intelligence have made it easier than ever to build software, gathering timely, reliable user feedback remains a slow and often inconsistent process. Swarm aims to close that gap by enabling founders to simulate customer feedback early in the product development lifecycle, helping teams test ideas, refine features and accelerate their path to market.
The idea for Swarm emerged from Vazirani and Aladar’s own experiences working in software development, where they encountered firsthand the inefficiencies of traditional validation methods such as interviews, surveys and beta testing. Recognizing an opportunity to improve this process, the duo built the first version of their platform in less than a week during winter break in December 2025. Within months, the company gained traction, raising more than $100,000 in early funding from Leap Year and Afore Capital.
The origins of the partnership trace back to Innovate Carolina’s Junction coworking hub, where Vazirani initially visited out of curiosity and quickly became part of the community. It was there that he met Aladar, and through ongoing conversations and collaboration, the two identified a shared interest in solving the user-feedback bottleneck. The Junction also provided access to a broader network of mentors, peers and early adopters, including UNC alumni who became some of Swarm’s first users.
Now, as participants in the spring 2026 cohort of Launch Chapel Hill Powered by KPMG, Vazirani and Aladar are further developing their platform while contributing to the broader startup ecosystem. By offering Swarm to fellow cohort companies, they are enabling other founders to test their ideas more efficiently while gathering valuable feedback to improve their own product.
Balancing academic responsibilities with the demands of building a startup, the founders are leveraging UNC’s entrepreneurial resources to refine their strategy, build connections and scale their company. Swarm reflects both the ingenuity of student entrepreneurs and the strength of Chapel Hill’s innovation ecosystem—where access to community, mentorship and flexible spaces like the Junction can help ideas quickly evolve into high-growth ventures.
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