Using the bathroom of his high school in Carmel, Indiana, Eric Zhu founded Aviato, an analytical tool that will revolutionize the tracking and examination of private market data. With a noteworthy $2.3 million in seed funding, Zhu’s startup—which is only 17 years old—is emerging from stealth mode and attracting the attention of well-known investors.

Aviato offers more than just fundraising rounds and personnel information, with the goal of revolutionizing data tracking for private markets. Its platform offers a comprehensive picture of indicators such as income generated by the company’s credit card, employee vesting schedules, and the movements of its top engineers.

Zhu, who worked together with SignalFire’s Walter Kortschak, created Aviato to provide the kind of analytical detail that more conventional platforms like PitchBook and Crunchbase do not.

HOW THE JOURNEY STARTED

Zhu’s journey began during the pandemic when he was just 13, exploring venture capital through Discord chats. His curiosity led him to start Esocial, a digital platform for schools, which was acquired within a year.

He then joined Bachmanity Capital, where he conceived the idea for Aviato. The startup’s name is a nod to HBO’s “Silicon Valley,” reflecting Zhu’s early entrepreneurial spirit, even if it meant holding meetings from a high school bathroom stall.

Despite the unconventional setup—Zhu even got kicked out of school for his makeshift office—his efforts have paid off. Aviato has already attracted clients such as NEA, Republic Capital, and 8VC.

The startup’s seed round saw backing from 8VC, Soma Capital, and SoftBank, with early supporter Eric Bahn of Hustle Fund recalling a memorable Zoom call where Zhu was still in his high school bathroom, an image now seen as a testament to his commitment and ingenuity.

Since then, the team has expanded to include seasoned professionals like Harrison Kessel, formerly of Sequoia-backed Zeet, and David Razavi, former CTO of LowerMyBills. Zhu, motivated by a strong vision to replace current data platforms with Aviato, moved to San Francisco and is finishing his high school education online.

Zhu is certain that Aviato will fulfill his goal of serving all players in the private markets sector, especially with its promising debut and strong support. The young businessman has the potential to have a big influence on how private market data is handled and evaluated as he develops his offering.