When I sat down with Suraj Kripalani, it was immediately clear that he’s spent years thinking about how AI can drive meaningful, measurable progress for mission-driven startups. Our conversation followed his path from BlackRock, to MIT’s startup ecosystem, to founding BonBillo—and how that journey cemented his belief that structured processes and AI agents can dramatically accelerate impact.
Suraj was drawn to MIT for one reason: its “repeatable process to help startups launch and grow.” As a former consultant—and someone who had felt the sting of an early failed startup—the idea of a proven, structured method resonated.
This perspective became the foundation for BonBillo, an accelerator built for mission-driven founders.
While in Boston, he spent months embedded in the startup ecosystem, meeting founders and investors. He saw a gap: traditional accelerators offered capital and networks, but not comprehensive training. So he built on the MIT framework to support founders working toward the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
As AI tools rapidly advanced, Suraj began exploring what they could do for non-technical founders. In late 2024, he dove into tools like Replit, Cursor, and Agent.ai.
“These tools had gone from being … basic to now very powerful for a non-programmer," he told me.
That hands-on experimentation led to a major shift: BonBillo became an AI-first accelerator. Today, they offer founders 30+ startup AI agents, each built to speed up strategy, operations, and execution.
One of Suraj’s core beliefs is that creativity grows when you don’t start from zero. “Starting from something that is already high quality—as opposed to a blank canvas—actually unlocks creativity.”
AI agents give founders strong starting points, helping them focus on refinement and personalization.
A great example is BonBillo’s financial projections agent, which generates high quality forecasts quickly. Instead of getting stuck in spreadsheets, founders can shift their time to high level decisions. The result: faster iteration, clearer thinking, and more momentum.
Suraj views scalability as one of the biggest advantages of AI-powered platforms. “The whole agent platform enables us now to serve a lot more teams than we could without it.”
With AI agents handling structured workflows, BonBillo can support a global founder community, from Boston to Bangalore.
At the same time, Suraj emphasizes the importance of keeping a human in the loop. AI provides structure and insight, but founder judgment is what ensures these tools drive real results.
Suraj ended our conversation with a piece of advice for anyone exploring AI: “Give yourself permission to try, experiment, fail, and learn.”
This mindset mirrors his own journey—from MIT to building an AI-driven accelerator—and reflects his belief that founders who embrace experimentation will unlock the biggest breakthroughs.
If you’re ready to get started with AI, BonBillo is now accepting applications for its new Innovators Community—a global network of mission-driven founders using AI-powered frameworks, personalized mentorship, and investor insights to grow faster and create lasting impact.
Members get access to 30+ startup AI agents designed to help you:
Whether you're an experienced entrepreneur or just getting started, Suraj’s story is a powerful reminder of how AI agents can expand what’s possible.