A young developer from Mumbai is behind a fast-growing AI search platform that’s winning global attention. The 22-year-old Zaid Mukaddam founded Scria AI, an open-source project. It has processed over a million searches and currently has 60,000 monthly users.
The project has received significant tech support and more than 8,000 GitHub stars despite lacking outside funding. Perplexity AI served as the inspiration for the platform, which was first known as MiniPerplx. However, the platform’s goal was to make powerful AI tools freely available. Additionally, the recent backing of Groq and Vercel has created new avenues for growth and exposure.
Inside India’s Rising Force in AI Search
Scria AI is a fast-evolving tool designed to compete with platforms like Perplexity. It began gaining traction after Mukaddam’s post went viral on X. It was created with Vercel’s SDK and now incorporates frameworks such as Shadcn/UI, Tailwind CSS, and Next.js. Additionally, curiosity and the open web have driven the platform’s organic growth.
Despite being a one-person project, December saw a significant increase in users. Its backend was stretched to its breaking point as traffic surged from 500 to 16,000 overnight. Groq, an AI startup known for custom hardware, stepped in to provide scalable compute support. Additionally, this gave access to Alibaba’s Qwen models and its inference engine. As a result, accurate responses with the right citations were made available at scale.
The Tech and Community Powering Scria AI
Scria AI combines multiple AI models to serve user queries, offering detailed and reliable results. It uses Exa AI and Tavily’s API to extract data for YouTube insights, academic search, and live web crawling. Additionally, it collects data from X and Reddit, providing content related to finance, entertainment, and travel. The system is helpful for developers because it manages tasks related to code as well.
Mukaddam announced the tool last August, which gained attention from the developer community instantly. His post earned likes from UI library Shadcn and Vercel CEO Guillermo Rauch. “Getting 14,000 impressions was huge for me,” he shared. That instance demonstrated how interested the public was in a new AI search option.
Groq disclosed on X how it saved the tool when API costs almost caused it to shut down. “Every search chipped away at Zaid’s savings,” the company noted. With Groq’s assistance, Scria AI was given another chance by providing the speed and processing power required for scaling.
Scria AI Eyes the Future with Confidence
Mukaddam expressed his aim clearly in a blog post: making smarter AI tools more open. He believed that the majority of the premium features in Perplexity and other existing tools were too expensive. That motivated him to create a more feature-rich and limitless AI startup experience.
Recently, the Vercel AI Accelerator accepted the project. Additionally, this program provides access to investors and tech resources for up-and-coming builders. It’s a significant advancement for Scria AI, assisting Mukaddam in advancing the open-source project.
As the AI ecosystem expands, Scria AI’s unique blend of affordability, accessibility, and power will become more important. These qualities distinguish it as a noteworthy AI startup worth monitoring. Even though it only has one developer and no funding, its journey is already inspiring.
Bottom Line
Scria AI has proven that even solo developers can disrupt the AI search space. It might soon redefine what autonomous open-source projects can accomplish by remaining open, flexible, and user-focused. Additionally, its quick growth shows how promising India’s developer community is becoming in the global ecosystem of AI startups.
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