Turbo AI edtech AI note-taker

Turbo AI - How Two Young Dropouts Built a Viral Learning Assistant for the Masses

Posted on October 24, 2025 at 09:17 PM

Turbo AI: How Two Young Dropouts Built a Viral Learning Assistant for the Masses

Turbo AI is turning heads — and transforming study sessions — with its blistering growth. Founded by two 20-year-old college dropouts, Rudy Arora and Sarthak Dhawan, this AI-powered notetaker and learning assistant has rocketed to five million users, with thousands more joining every day and the company maintaining profitability along the way.

Executive Summary

Turbo AI began as a solution to a universal student struggle: the pain of taking notes while trying to pay attention in class. Within months, it spread from its founders’ classrooms to top universities like Harvard and MIT. Today, Turbo AI boasts eight-figure revenue and is being adopted by professionals in consulting, law, medicine, and finance — not just students.

Highlights

  • Explosive Growth: Turbo AI grew from 1 million to 5 million users in six months.
  • Profitability: The startup is cash-flow positive and has only raised $750,000 to date, prioritizing sustainable scaling over rapid fundraising.
  • Student-first Focus: The product’s flexible features — recording, summarizing, flashcards, quizzes, and explanations — save users time and help with retention.
  • Beyond the Classroom: Lawyers, doctors, and analysts at Goldman Sachs and McKinsey are using Turbo for reports, summaries, and podcasts.
  • Smart Expansion: Turbo combines manual and automated tools, letting users write alongside the AI or let it take the notes, which helps it stand out from competitors like Otter, Fireflies, and YouLearn.

Papers

While the TechCrunch article doesn’t cite academic papers directly, Turbo AI leverages natural language processing to transcribe, summarize, and generate interactive study content. Its efficacy relies on advances in AI language models and A/B testing in pricing strategies.

Implications

  • For Students: Turbo AI changes how students learn, shifting study time from notetaking to actual comprehension and review.
  • For Professionals: The tool’s flexibility for multiple content types opens up opportunities for knowledge workers to process information faster and in new formats.
  • For Edtech: Turbo’s viral growth and profitability provide a blueprint for lean AI startups targeting verticals with clear pain points.
  • Educators: Consider partnering with or piloting AI note-takers, emphasizing accessibility and learning outcomes.
  • Product Leaders: Study Turbo AI’s blend of manual/automated UX and pricing experiments for scalable growth.
  • Investors: Watch for student-focused, viral edtech tools with discipline in fundraising and cost management.

Glossary

  • Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR): The yearly income from ongoing subscriptions or contracts.
  • A/B Testing: Experimenting with different product versions to find the most effective strategy.
  • AI Note-taker: Software that automatically records, transcribes, and summarizes spoken or written materials using artificial intelligence.

Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/23/20-year-old-dropouts-built-ai-notetaker-turbo-ai-to-5-million-users/

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