Dubverse is a Gen AI-powered platform that allows anyone to translate videos from one language into multiple languages. At its core, it exists to break the language barrier at scale, especially in a country like India, where a large part of the population still does not consume English content comfortably.
For Anuja, the co-founder, building Dubverse was never just about technology. It was about access, inclusion, and the quiet but powerful belief that language should never stop someone from learning, growing, or feeling inspired.
But before Dubverse, there was a very different beginning.
Anuja’s Learning Journey
Anuja started her career at KPMG, working in finance and audit. It was structured, reputable, and safe. Yet very early on, she realized something important about herself. She did not want to be a small part of a very large system. She wanted ownership, impact, and the feeling that her work mattered beyond reports and numbers.
Around 2015, as India’s startup ecosystem was beginning to take shape, she applied to multiple startups. One interview stood out.
It was with LimeTray. She joined LimeTray and stayed for five years. Starting in sales, she went on to set up multiple cities and worked closely on company-level growth. It was a steep learning curve and one that shaped how she understood scale, ownership, and execution.
After LimeTray, Anuja moved to Freshworks, where she spent about a year and a half. This was the period when Freshworks was preparing for its IPO. Being part of a reputed global team during such a crucial phase gave her exposure to systems, credibility, and how large organizations operate at scale.
Soon after, a conversation with her cofounder, Varshal, changed everything.
Starting Dubverse from Zero
Varshal was thinking about an idea that revolved around speech, language, and AI. He invited Anuja to collaborate. Initially, she helped while having some time on hand but eventually made the decision to join full-time.
Dubverse did not begin with funding or a clear revenue path. It began with belief.
They met two engineers online through a Discord conversation. They were working on similar speech-related projects. The alignment was instant. With no funding, no certainty, and only a shared vision, the four of them came together to build Dubverse.
Later, the company raised around 800K in funding from Kalaari Capital along with angel investors who guided them through difficult decisions and growing pains.
Building AI Before AI Was Popular
Dubverse started in 2021, a time when AI was still seen as a black box. Enterprises were hesitant. Many even rejected it outright, calling it synthetic media that could not be trusted.
Then everything changed.
When ChatGPT launched, the entire AI landscape shifted. Dubverse was already live, already built, and tested. That moment became a massive push for the company, helping it scale to over 3 million users on the platform. Anuja and her team witnessed firsthand how perception turned into demand almost overnight.
The Customer Story That Stayed
One story during the COVID period stayed with Anuja deeply.
“A user reached out saying they had watched a TED talk that inspired them deeply. They wanted to share it with their father, but he did not understand English. The question was simple: could Dubverse help translate the video so the meaning and inspiration could be shared?
That moment captured exactly why Dubverse exists.”
In India, nearly 90 percent of people do not speak English fluently. Yet most quality content online is still in English. Dubverse bridges that gap, translating meaningful content into Hindi, Marathi, Telugu, and many other languages where good-quality content is still scarce.
From a business lens too, this gap is real. One of their early customers worked with tier two and tier three markets. While decision-makers spoke English, actual users did not. Translation was no longer optional; it was essential.
What Dubverse Offers Today
Dubverse is a completely self-serve web-based platform.
Users can sign up, access a trial, and start using the product immediately. If it fits their needs, subscriptions can be purchased directly.
The platform focuses on three major use cases:
- Video translation across languages
- Captions and subtitles in multiple languages
- Text-to-speech, converting written content into natural-sounding audio
These tools serve creators, enterprises, and global teams alike.
Challenges Along the Way
Anuja describes entrepreneurship as an intense journey of self-discovery. Founders face vulnerability daily. Rejections are constant. Growth is uncertain.
Two major challenges stand out.
- One is language itself. While English has advanced rapidly in AI models, many Indian and global languages still need significant improvement to scale at the level Dubverse aims for.
- The second is talent. Hiring top-notch AI talent in India has become extremely competitive, especially as more startups rush into the AI space.
Yet, the team continues to push forward.
For Anuja, 2025 was about clarity.
Instead of moving in multiple directions, the team consciously chose one clear path and focused deeply on it. That alignment, internally and strategically, became one of the biggest wins of the year.
Anuja’s Personal Tradeoff
Anuja is honest about the personal cost of building something meaningful.
For years, her personal life has taken a back seat. Experiences, breaks, and balance were consciously deprioritized to stay focused on building Dubverse. While she acknowledges this is not ideal forever, it has given her clarity and momentum during a crucial phase of the company’s journey.
Dubverse was built without certainty, without funding at the start, and without a clear roadmap.
What kept it alive was belief.
Belief that language access can change lives.
Belief that technology can be human.
Belief that what they were building truly mattered.
And sometimes, that belief is enough to begin.
Connect with Anuja:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuja-dhawan/
Check Dubverse: https://dubverse.ai/
If you’d like your journey to be featured in our Meet The Mahilas series, write to us at hello@mahila.money.
We’d love to hear your story and share it with women across India.
