About

About Rushi Manche

Rushi Manche co-founded a blockchain technology company, the first network of modular blockchains built to combine performance with liquidity and composability. In their early twenties, Rushi and his partner quit their internships and dropped out of Vanderbilt University to form their blockchain company. They secured $3.4 million in pre-seed funding from over 25 angel investors and eventually built a team of over 70.

In 2023, only a year later, they closed a $38 million Series A Round, a reflection of Rushi’s vision and bold ideas. Investors included venture capital firms Hack VC, Placeholder, Archetype, Maven 11, Robot Ventures, Figment Capital, Nomad Capital, Bankless Ventures, OKX Ventures, dao5, and Aptos Labs.

Thinking Outside the Box

Gen Z-er and digital native Rushi Manche was unafraid to take a calculated risk and focus on creating a blockchain ecosystem that enabled developers to build secure applications that interact seamlessly across different networks. Users can manage their digital assets without worrying about being hacked or encountering compatibility issues. According to Rushi, blockchain programming is a super-secure and efficient language for today’s digital age. It’s safer and more effective than older systems, making it ideal for businesses and financial applications.

Modular blockchain systems break down complex tasks into separate parts, or “layers,” that each perform one specific function and can be managed independently. These systems utilize a specialized programming language, which facilitates the development of secure and reliable features. By organizing the blockchain this way, developers can make it more flexible, easier to scale, and better suited to different needs.

The Inspiration Behind Rushi Manche to His Blockchain Company

While others in the tech world didn’t capitalize on advanced blockchain programming, which was created by Meta (then Facebook), Rushi saw its potential to create a new playing field in carving out his own space in today’s fast-moving technology and finance world. He saw the potential of Facebook’s programming language to bring stronger safeguards and better performance to everyday blockchain users.

With the launch of their L2 solution, a new Ethereum layer-2 network built on the advanced virtual machine technology, the company also introduced a faster, more secure infrastructure. Rather than accepting multimillion-dollar hacks as the industry norm, Rushi’s blockchain company is at the forefront of pioneering a smarter, more resilient path forward – one where speed and safety go hand in hand.

Rushi also launched a token, a cryptocurrency tied to his blockchain company.

Additional Professional Experience

Rushi started in software engineering and was interested in crypto at a very young age, even before attending college.

Prior to co-founding his blockchain company, Rushi worked as a Software Engineer at Aptos Project for three months. He was the Smart Contract Developer for the leading Aptos Decentralized Exchange (Kairos Exchange) and cross-chain index funds (Mira Finance).

He was also the founder of Ensemble, the world’s first test prep tutoring service powered by artificial intelligence, which provides free test prep materials to high school students. Rushi partnered with 53 high schools nationwide to integrate the service into their curricula and lesson plans.

Rushi spent three months as a Software Engineer at UnitedHealth Group, migrating seven APIs under the United Strategic Platform from on-premises to AWS cloud computing, resulting in an 84% cost reduction. He also transitioned the tech stack from ElasticSearch and OpenShift to AWS S3, OpenSearch, and Elastic Kubernetes Service to allow for features like dynamic autoscaling, multiregional support, and portability.

As a freelancer, he worked as a Full Stack Developer for Stories In the Cloud, where he revamped the user and admin portal using React and Bootstrap, handled DevOps using AWS Lambda, RDS, Route 53, and Elastic Beanstalk, and converted outdated PHP backend to Node.js/Express API and integrated with MySQL.

Certifications

Rushi received his Seal of Biliteracy in French. He also completed numerous courses with Udemy, an open online course provider. His course certifications include Clustering and Classification with Machine Learning in Python, Data Science: Natural Language Processing in Python, Machine Learning Classification Bootcamp in Python, Blockchain Developer Bootcamp with Solidity, PHP Login and Registration System – Email Confirm Activation, Python, JS & React/Build a Blockchain, and Complete Python Bootcamp: Go from Zero to Hero in Python 3.

Honors and Awards

Rushi has consistently distinguished himself as a dynamic thinker, self-inquisitive, and problem-solver long before co-founding his blockchain company. His academic achievements, entrepreneurial spirit, and commitment to social impact have earned him numerous prestigious awards at the state, national, and international levels. From winning investment and business competitions to being honored for public service, Rushi has shown an exceptional ability to merge analytical skills with purpose-driven leadership.

In 2021, he received the Ingram Scholarship at Vanderbilt University, awarded to students who demonstrate not only academic excellence but also a deep commitment to addressing complex societal challenges.

Rushi was also a recipient of the Burger King McLamore Scholarship, an Elks National Foundation Semifinalist (received a $4,000 scholarship for college), and a 2021 Coca-Cola Scholarship Semifinalist.

Rushi was a National AP Scholar, an award granted by the College Board to students in the United States who receive an average score of at least 4 on all AP Exams taken and scores of 4 or higher on eight or more of these exams.

He was the recipient of the Certified Young Investment Analyst Designation and the Champion of the New Jersey State Stock Pitch Competition, both awarded by the Young Investors Society.

Rushi also received the Diamond Challenge Entrepreneurship Competition award by Diamond Challenge. Rushi finished in the top three percent after he and his team presented an app to reduce food waste to a panel of judges.

In addition, he was honored with the 2020 New Jersey State Governor’s Jefferson Award. Honorees of the award demonstrate “measurable community impact and represent outstanding acts of public service, without the expectation of recognition or compensation. Recipients demonstrate unique vision, dedication, and tenacity of heroic proportions and serve as inspiration for others.”

Rushi was a Competition Finalist at the Seton Hall Pirates Pitch Business Plan event at Seton Hall University in 2019. He finished in the top four percent of competitors from more than 61 countries. Only 10 individuals were selected to pitch at Seton Hall University. He pitched his innovative application, which aims to solve educational inequality, to a panel of entrepreneurs.

Charitable Work: A Family Endeavor

Rushi Manche comes from a family committed to charity work in India. Over the last decade, Rushi and his family have supported children’s hospitals, heart research, and overall healthcare initiatives. In high school, Rushi volunteered regularly at UNICEF, Samaritan Homeless Interim Program, and other organizations.

Personal Life

Rushi was born in Springfield, Illinois. He likes to play basketball, travel, and take the time to enjoy nature.