Rising technologies don’t rest, and every new advancement forms countless opportunities. Working online does have its merits; however, it brings forth a lot more exposure.

E-commerce develops by relying on a person’s data. The more of it online, the greater the chance of misuse.

Ankit Chaudhari and Nicholas Boehnlein were two bright-minded people aiming at creating a tool that would help individuals control their data flow. They wanted to help people understand the value of their data and personal information.

The duo launched Aiisma - a software that grants users the ability to choose what data they want to share and when to share it. Heck, the platform also coaches users on how to monetize their data, eliminating the chance of exploitation.

To discover the full enigmatic story of how these entrepreneurs came up with such an idea, read down below.

Early Beginning

Ankit Chaudhari was born in the Chandigarh Area, India, in the late 1980s. He was born in a loving family, alongside many siblings. Ankit was the straightforward kid who would say it straight. He was honest and harsh, and that’s what made him irresistible. He could convince anyone otherwise as he had a true gift of charisma.

Ankit showed true signs of intelligence in other spheres as well. Apart from excelling in school, Ankit was fascinated by computers. He loved technology and the opportunities behind it. He had a vision of becoming both successful in business and technology ever since his very first engagement with the internet. With his goals in mind, Ankit Chaudhari began studying technology - to one day enter and modify the world he imagined.

Nicholas Boehnlein was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in the early 1990s. He was a playful, curious, and polite child - unlike his current business partner. Like most children, he developed a love for sports, especially hockey. He went on to climb to the top and play for the Swiss National Hockey Team. This brought him success and an award for the best goalkeeping in Europe for a player under 18!

Nicholas thought he would remain a player forever. However, his horizons opened up, his mindset evolved, and he acquired a taste for business. From 2009 to 2013, Nicholas had scored a bachelor’s degree in Biology from Zurich University. Later on, he enrolled at the EU Business School. He would leave the school with an MBA in International Business. Not bad for an ice-hockey goalie, is it?

Growing Pains

While Nicholas was busy studying, Ankit had already made a name for himself in different areas. In 2005, he used his wits as a resolution expert at Dell. The two-year journey at Dell changed Ankit’s perspective, teaching him all about leadership.

In 2007, Ankit became a business analyst at Evalueserve Circle of Experts. This job allowed Ankit to travel across India, and this would encourage him to start his own line of individual start-ups.

Once Ankit got the job at Paxcel, he took the role of a manager, business analyst, leader, and finally - founder. Ankit’s series of Indian startups included: Technicion Inc., eCademy, and Tech Heal in Canada. This was Ankit’s attempt of expanding across the globe, and boy - he did it in style!

In 2016, Nicholas left college with a Master’s degree in International Management. Right after, he flew to Dubai to pursue a career in business administration. He worked for INT Recordz as a public relations manager.

Besides becoming a fully experienced manager and analyst, Nicholas wanted to try and become a partner with the Consu Group. This is where he gathered knowledge on investment and funding. Nicholas also had a gift for charming people while sharing his experiences. His captivating character allowed him to work as a professor at the European Business University of Luxemburg.

It was during this period that the two future co-founders met and exchanged numbers and opinions. Both Ankit and Nicholas attended a mutual friend’s party in Dubai.

They would later go on and become partners by creating Aiisma!

Preparations Intact

Nicholas and Ankit jokingly mentioned the misuse of data during a conversation. They discussed how many social networks provide personal data that will eventually become a victim of identity theft or abuse. They shared a lightbulb moment and rushed to their drawing board.

Their idea was to create a delicate ecosystem that will protect and regulate every individual’s data. A platform that people can actively join and not take any risks with their data. It all boiled down to a social network that will offer better and more convenient services for users.

This took the duo to Nevada, Las Vegas, where they studied and compared just how much data is being abused by larger businesses. They compared users from the States and India, and with this in mind, they created a new, modern, and safer platform.

On July 26th, 2018, Ankit and Nicholas founded Aiisma in Nevada, Las Vegas. The platform helps businesses connect to their employees and users whilst keeping their data safe from harm and abuse. It helps maintain a person’s digital life intact. Aiisma will help consumers monetize their data and engagements on the app. This is possible through transforming the data into an API, after which it becomes a tradable asset.

The idea behind Aiisma was to create an engaging and fun app - all while keeping customers’ privacy intact and helping them monetize along the way. Users will also get rewarded for sharing data points transferred through their smartphones, tablets, PCs, etc.

Ups and Downs

At first, most users thought Aiisma was just an unpleasant joke. It mildly spread across India, but it only attracted a small number of users. With time, persistence, and splendid marketing - Aiisma started to get the recognition it deserved.

It was a great surprise when finally, in March of 2019, Aiisma raised $260K in a Pre-seed round. This was a huge step for Nicholas and Ankit, which meant that great businesses and individuals were getting fond of Aiisma.

In 2019, the duo opened APAC and MENA headquarters in Sharjah, UAE. Aiisma became a part of the trending list with their campaign #MyDataMyAsset. The founders did this to raise awareness of customer data problems.

In 2020, as a part of Aiisma, Nicholas and Ankit launched Aii. Social Aii. Social would be a futuristic social network, available on Google Play and Apple App Store. The social network aimed to help users convert their data or social engagement into rewards and payments while keeping the user’s data safe from prying eyes.

Aii.Social is Aiisma’s product, and by 2021, it will have 50+ brands working with it. It’s estimated that the number of members will increase drastically, with approximately 5 million+ soon. With that in mind, the co-founders aim at expanding Aiisma to the Middle East.

Aiisma, Today

Aiisma today has 50+ employees working tirelessly on providing new activities for its users. Its headquarters are in Las Vegas, with other offices expanding to India.

Over the years, Aiisma has become partners with more than a few notable companies, including European Business University, IOTA Foundation, SquareBoat, KomaLooma, Mijini Tech, Kwan, Zaggle, and many more.

Nicholas and Ankit now have more than 6,000 members who use the start-up, most coming from India, the UAE, and the Philippines.

Guided by the idea that a valuable asset can’t go uncompensated, the duo raised awareness over the value of personal data.

By creating a transparent data haven, the duo put a stop to outdated, traditional data-gathering methods. By moving one step further with technology, users got a clear perspective of how much their data is worth in the busy world of e-commerce.

Thanks to Aiisma, no more data will get abused. Even better - it allows users to monetize on it!