EPISODE · Jun 14, 2026 · 33 MIN
How AI is Taking Over Smart Buildings & Net Zero Cities feat. Haran, CEO of IVIVA | Ep. 30
from Startups Dil Se 🎙️ · host Anthony Prakash & Riddhi Gore
He was the quietest guy in the room now he's building a billion-dollar company. Anthony Prakash sits down with Haran Shivanan, CEO of IVIVA, in one of the most personal episodes of Startups Dilse yet. The two go back over 20 years to their time together at Cognizant in Chennai, and this conversation is as much a reunion as it is a masterclass in building deep tech products across global markets. IVA is a smart buildings software platform operating across Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia. Their software connects to the physical systems people interact with every day — from energy management to predictive maintenance — and they're at the forefront of Asia's push toward net-zero buildings. Haran shares the unfiltered story of his career, from writing code and shipping to production the next day at a Singapore startup, to spinning out IVIVA and stepping into the CEO role with all the self-doubt that comes with it. He talks about how Paul Graham's essay on "founder mode" gave him language for his own leadership style, what it really means to manage a multicultural team across five countries, and why he believes IVIVA will be the first billion-dollar company in the smart buildings space. Whether you're a founder, operator, or just someone who appreciates a great career story — this episode delivers. ⏱️ What's covered: Introduction & reunion — Anthony and Haran’s Cognizant backstory How a Singapore smart buildings startup changed Haran’s approach to software The spin-out story: from product feature to standalone company Who buys smart building software (it's more complex than you think) AI and machine learning in a hardware-first world Singapore's net-zero 2030 mandate — and IVIVA’s role in it Imposter syndromePaul Graham's founder mode, and leading as an introvert Growing up as a global nomad and building cross-cultural resilience IVIVA’s 10-year vision: the first billion-dollar smart buildings company Whether you're a founder, operator, or just someone who appreciates a great career story — this episode is for you.
What this episode covers
He was the quietest guy in the room now he's building a billion-dollar company. Anthony Prakash sits down with Haran Shivanan, CEO of IVIVA, in one of the most personal episodes of Startups Dilse yet. The two go back over 20 years to their time together at Cognizant in Chennai, and this conversation is as much a reunion as it is a masterclass in building deep tech products across global markets. IVA is a smart buildings software platform operating across Singapore, India, Sri Lanka, the Middle East, and Australia. Their software connects to the physical systems people interact with every day — from energy management to predictive maintenance — and they're at the forefront of Asia's push toward net-zero buildings. Haran shares the unfiltered story of his career, from writing code and shipping to production the next day at a Singapore startup, to spinning out IVIVA and stepping into the CEO role with all the self-doubt that comes with it. He talks about how Paul Graham's essay on "founder mode" gave him language for his own leadership style, what it really means to manage a multicultural team across five countries, and why he believes IVIVA will be the first billion-dollar company in the smart buildings space. Whether you're a founder, operator, or just someone who appreciates a great career story — this episode delivers. ⏱️ What's covered: Introduction & reunion — Anthony and Haran’s Cognizant backstory How a Singapore smart buildings startup changed Haran’s approach to software The spin-out story: from product feature to standalone company Who buys smart building software (it's more complex than you think) AI and machine learning in a hardware-first world Singapore's net-zero 2030 mandate — and IVIVA’s role in it Imposter syndromePaul Graham's founder mode, and leading as an introvert Growing up as a global nomad and building cross-cultural resilience IVIVA’s 10-year vision: the first billion-dollar smart buildings company Whether you're a founder, operator, or just someone who appreciates a great career story — this episode is for you.
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How AI is Taking Over Smart Buildings & Net Zero Cities feat. Haran, CEO of IVIVA | Ep. 30
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