Facebook and Google are the most well known examples of successful companies started by college students. However, there are many such businesses which began on college campuses and turned into successful and iconic companies. Here is a list of five such companies which were founded by college students.
Successful companies founded by college students
1) Time
Time is a reputed American weekly magazine founded in 1923. Its founders, Britton Hadden and Henry Luce, were classmates at Yale University when they founded the Magazine, making Time the first weekly news magazine in the United States. Now, after 96 years since its foundation, Time is still a popular weekly magazine with a readership of 26 million worldwide.
2) Dell
Dell is a multinational computer technology company which develops and sells computer related products. The Company was founded by Michael Dell in 1984, while he was a student at the University of Texas at Austin. Michael Dell started his business from his dorm room and after making profits from it, dropped out of college to devote his time to build his company. The success of Dell Technologies Inc., made Michael Dell one of the richest people in the world, with a net worth of $ 35 billion.
3) The Onion
The Onion is a satirical digital media company which was conceived by University of Wisconsin students Tim Keck and Christopher Johnson in 1988. The duo initially started a satirical weekly magazine called The Onion, inspired by an onion sandwich. Short on funds just like many other college students, the duo began their business with a loan from Keck’s mother. The Company has grown from just a weekly magazine to a huge and beloved digital media organization.
4) Insomnia Cookies
Inspired by midnight cravings for cookies, Insomnia Cookies was founded by a University of Pennsylvania student, Seth Berkowitz. Berkowitz started baking cookies in his dorm room and started selling them to other students at his college. After the demand grew, Berkowitz branched to other campuses. Insomnia Cookies became a popular chain of bakeries in the United States of America and is present in over 150 locations nationwide.
5) Reddit
Reddit was founded as a social news site in 2005 by the University of Virginia students and roommates Steve Huffman and Alexis Ohanian. The duo struggled in the initial days of the startup, before securing a funding from Y Combinator. Reddit gradually became a popular site and is adored by many because of its unique and interesting features. The site is now dubbed as the “front page of the internet,” with a net worth of $ 1.8 billion.
The success of these founders and their companies shows students with great potential can utilize the resources colleges provide and create a successful career for themselves.
The success story of which of these companies inspired you the most? Comment below and let us know.
Bengaluru-based investment bank IndigoEdge, in partnership with entrepreneur Hitesh Ahuja, has launched PixelSky Capital, a secondaries fund targeting INR 400 crore. The fund will invest in eight late-stage tech and consumer companies expected to go public within three to four years, with cheque sizes of INR 40–50 crore each. PixelSky has already invested in beauty retailer Purplle and aims to close a second deal by June 2025.
The fund focuses on secondary transactions, allowing existing shareholders to sell stakes to new investors, providing liquidity ahead of IPOs. Founders have committed INR 10–15 crore, with additional capital coming from domestic family offices and startup founders. Final close is expected by March 2026.
Led by Hitesh Ahuja, who sold his foodtech startup Yumlane in 2023, and IndigoEdge cofounder Zerin Rahiman, PixelSky marks IndigoEdge’s expansion from advisory and proprietary investments into fund management. The firm has facilitated over 150 transactions worth around $3 billion and invested INR 25–30 crore as a limited partner in multiple VC funds. PixelSky is currently evaluating about 20 companies before finalizing its portfolio
Meta is developing its first true AR glasses, set to launch in 2027. Before the public release, employees will test the device starting in 2024. The company is also releasing new generations of Ray-Ban smart glasses in 2023 and 2025 with enhanced features like a “viewfinder” display.
Specifications and Features
The AR glasses are expected to feature OLED displays and Qualcomm Snapdragon chipsets, offering sophisticated AR and AI capabilities. They will enable users to interact with virtual objects and project high-quality holograms of avatars onto the real world.
Design and Competition
Meta aims for a sleek design, potentially building on its Ray-Ban partnerships. The AR glasses market is competitive, with Apple and Google also investing heavily. Meta seeks to make its AR glasses a game-changer by offering a unique user experience.
Future Plans
In addition to AR glasses, Meta is expanding its VR offerings with new headsets like the Quest 3 and exploring other wearable technologies. The company is focused on reducing costs to make the AR glasses more consumer-friendly by launch.
MobiKwik is venturing into the stock broking sector with the launch of its subsidiary, MobiKwik Securities Broking Private Limited (MSBPL), following approval from the Ministry of Corporate Affairs on March 3, 2025. This move aims to diversify MobiKwik’s offerings beyond its core digital payments services and compete with established players like Zerodha and Groww.
MSBPL will provide a range of brokerage services, including trading in shares, securities, commodities, and derivatives. The subsidiary has an initial capital of Rs 1 lakh, with plans for an additional Rs 2 crore investment to support its operations.
As MobiKwik enters this competitive market, it brings a substantial user base of 172 million and a merchant network of 5 million. Despite recent financial challenges, including a reported loss of Rs 55.2 crore in Q3 FY25, the company aims to leverage its existing infrastructure and user engagement to capture a share of the growing investment technology market, projected to reach $74 billion by 2030.
This strategic expansion aligns with MobiKwik’s broader goals of enhancing its financial service