ABOUT THE FUND
The Marcus Foundation supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.

KEMNU
Viraj Patel, CEO
Vishwa Mudigonda, CTO
MBA ’21
[email protected]
B.B.A. ’19 – Computer Information Systems
[email protected]
Launched January 2019 | Startup Stage
PROBLEM
Millenials are the most connected
in terms of quantity, yet the loneliest
in the quality of relationships
SOLUTION
KemNu is the next-generation social
networking platform that enables
people to easily meet new people
and expand their social
circle over exciting activities
BUSINESS MODEL
Local businesses pay a monthly
subscription fee for personalized
advertising to attract KemNu users
to “hang out” at their businesses
TARGET MARKET
Generation Z and Millenials
KEY COMPETITORS
Meetup, Facebook, Bumble BFF
USE OF FUNDS
60% development, 40% marketing
How has Georgia State supported you as an entrepreneur?
Having a computer science and business background truly helped build the mindset to navigate through various challenges. From writing the business plan to coding, we took care of everything. We were exposed to a lot of projects and presentations in our classes at Georgia State, which helped us maintain a proper discipline to continue working on KemNu.
What does entrepreneurship mean to you?
Entrepreneurship is a mindset that enables an entrepreneur to accept harsh criticism, pivot and learn from failure at every step of the way.
What inspired you to launch your company?
We noticed that a lot of our friends and family were distancing themselves as a result of technology. We wanted to create an app that would bring us together over exciting adventures.
How did you meet your business partner?
We met at a party and shared our past failed startups. More importantly, we talked about what we learned from that experience.
What advice can you offer to other entrepreneurs?
Failure is your biggest asset.
How has your company pivoted?
KemNu started out as an idea on a napkin at California Pizza Kitchen. It was merely a concept that would help people socialize more. We didn’t want it to be a dating app or a chatting app. After some customer discovery, we pivoted toward a “hangout” app model based on specific categories (camping, hiking, stargazing, etc.). We added more filters and personalized it to the user.
FOUNDER INTERVIEW AND PODCAST

ABOUT THE FUND
The Marcus Foundation supports Georgia State student entrepreneurs, recent alumni and Georgia State community entrepreneurs with seed funding and mentorship to start and grow new ventures.