Jyoti Bansal, an Indian-born entrepreneur, has built not one but two billion-dollar companies an achievement that has placed him among the world’s elite tech founders. After selling his first startup to Cisco, Bansal went on to launch Harness, an AI-powered software delivery platform that recently raised $240 million at a massive valuation.
From a Small Town in Rajasthan to Silicon Valley
A graduate of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Jyoti Bansal grew up in a small town in Rajasthan. His entrepreneurial ambitions were sparked early, inspired by a visit from Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates to an IIT campus and the global success of Hotmail co-founder Sabeer Bhatia, an IIT alumnus.
“That’s what brought me to Silicon Valley,” Bansal has recalled, describing the moment he realised he wanted to build technology companies of his own.
When Did Jyoti Bansal Move to the US?
At the age of 21, armed with just a few hundred dollars, Bansal moved to California. He spent the next seven years working as an engineer at various technology companies that sponsored his H-1B visa.
Reflecting on his early struggles, Bansal has openly spoken about the limitations of the H-1B visa system. “The challenge unfortunately is if you’re on an H-1B visa, you’re not allowed to start a company and create more jobs, which I find very ironic,” he told Forbes. He added that he had to wait until receiving his green card before starting a business freely. Bansal later became a US citizen in 2016.
Jyoti Bansal’s Net Worth
Harness recently secured $240 million in a Series E funding round led by Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Institutional Venture Partners, and Menlo Ventures, according to Forbes.
The publication estimates Bansal’s net worth at approximately $2.3 billion, largely driven by his nearly 30% stake in Harness. He also earned significant cash from the sale of his first company, AppDynamics, which Cisco acquired in 2017.
Why Did He Start Harness?
After selling AppDynamics, Bansal embarked on a world tour, believing he had completed everything on his professional bucket list. “I tried to retire,” he told Forbes.
However, the break made him realise that retirement was never his goal. “People say, ‘Once I retire, I’m going to do what I enjoy,’” he explained. “I asked myself, ‘Do I enjoy playing golf all the time or being on the beach all the time?’ I don’t really. I realized—why not just go back to what I enjoy: building a company.”
The Problem Harness Was Built to Solve
Bansal’s fascination with software reliability carried over from his work at AppDynamics. He explained that while writing code is crucial, it is only a small part of the process.
“When you ship software and a glitch or outage happens, our software helps fix it,” he said. “People don’t often realize writing code is just the first 30% of the job. The remaining 70% is about testing, deploying, and ensuring that code works seamlessly.”
That insight ultimately became the foundation of Harness, positioning it as a key player in modern software delivery.
Jyoti Bansal’s journey from a small town in Rajasthan to building multiple billion-dollar companies in Silicon Valley reflects the resilience, patience, and long-term vision required of immigrant entrepreneurs. His story not only highlights the realities of the H-1B visa system but also underscores how persistence can turn limitations into stepping stones. By continuing to build, innovate, and create jobs, Bansal stands as a powerful example for Indian immigrants navigating similar challenges—proving that global success is possible, even when the path is far from easy.
Disclaimer : This story is auto aggregated by a computer programme and has not been created or edited by DOWNTHENEWS. Publisher: ZEE News
