Last Updated:January 15, 2026, 11:32 IST

Young entrepreneur developed an AI optimisation platform, which gives your brand visibility in AI answers.

Pitcher sparks brand visibility face-off between Vineeta and Namita.(Photo Credit: X)

Shark Tank India has returned with a brand-new season. Season 5 of the show premiered on January 5 and has since featured several interesting pitches, filled with drama, insights and entertainment.

In the latest episode, the ‘sharks’ were in for a reality check as a young entrepreneur put their understanding of brand visibility to the test. Ashish Kamathi, who recently graduated, pitched his AI optimisation tool, Vryse, which helps brands improve their ranking across multiple AI platforms and boost online product visibility. He presented his idea before a panel comprising Namita Thapar, Vineeta Singh, Kunal Bahl, Varun Alagh and Anupam Mittal.

A young entrepreneur pitched an AI optimisation tool

He started his pitch by saying, “My mother and ChatGPT are best friends. She refers to the platform for every piece of information, whether it is recipes or product reviews; after all, it is fast and convenient. Now products are discovered on AI, and if products are not visible on AI platforms, they won’t sell. My company Vryse is an AI optimisation platform, which gives your brand visibility in AI answers. Our suggestion model analyses your website and products and provides you suggestions for increasing your visibility on AI.”

AI shows Vineeta Singh’ company, but not Namita Thapar’s

Ashish then demonstrated his point by asking ChatGPT to recommend the best sleep gummies available in India. The AI-generated results prominently featured What’s Up Sleep, a brand backed by Vineeta Singh. Meanwhile,

Namita Thapar, who owns the pharma company Emcure, recently launched their sleep gummies called Arth.

The moment left Namita visibly surprised. She quipped, “Hello, main kahan hoon?” Vineeta, on the other hand, was seen celebrating from her seat, while Anupam Mittal added to the moment by playfully teasing Namita.

“I decided to turn down offer from IIM Indore”

The pitcher also revealed that he dropped IIM-Indore to build his business. “I gave the CAT exam to remove myself from the placement season during college. I cleared that and got an offer from IIM Indore as well, but I decided to turn that down and continue what I was building.”

Vineeta went on to highlight that AI optimisation is a promising space in the current scenario, noting how traditional SEO is rapidly losing relevance. She said, “You have brought up something important, because so many brands worked on SEO, and now that’s become nothing. Because 60% of searches result in 0 clicks, because most of it is happening through AI.”

She then asked Ashish to share his journey into space and explain what inspired him to develop the product.

The young entrepreneur replied, “When I was in second year, I was thinking of launching a SaaS (Software as a Service) product in the future. I looked at many such products and realised that marketing is the biggest move. So I entered SEO in 2021, and I used it for one of my own websites. I did some internships after that, while I was still studying.”

He received applause from the ‘sharks’, who praised his dedication and courage in choosing to upskill himself and pursue a clear career path even before completing his graduation.

While Kunal Bahl, Namita Thapar and Varun Alagh chose to opt out, Vineeta Singh and Anupam Mittal showed interest in Ashish’s startup and made a joint offer. Ashish had initially sought Rs 40 lakh in exchange for 2 per cent equity, but Vineeta and Anupam countered with Rs 40 lakh for a 10 per cent stake.

After some negotiations, Anupam told Ashish, “Your first client after signing with me will be Shaadi.Com, and then 10 more clients will roll in automatically.” Convinced by the offer, Ashish accepted the deal and walked away with Rs 40 lakh for 10 per cent equity.