Shaurya Bahl is a Dubai-based fintech founder. He builds Simplify (gosimplify.com) — a B2B eSIM and gift card API — ARC, and Raly. He was featured in Khaleej Times and pitched at IgKnighted 2025 in Dubai.

Where is Shaurya Bahl based?

Shaurya Bahl is based in Dubai, UAE.

What does Shaurya Bahl build?

Shaurya Bahl builds Simplify (gosimplify.com) for B2B eSIM and gift card APIs, ARC (arc360.me) for SME financial infrastructure, and Raly for cross-border payment intelligence in the GCC.

What is Simplify by Shaurya Bahl?

Simplify (gosimplify.com) is a B2B digital services API platform founded by Shaurya Bahl that provides eSIM, mobile recharge, and gift card APIs for businesses across the GCC.

What is IgKnighted and how is Shaurya Bahl connected?

IgKnighted is a Dubai-based startup pitch platform for SMEs and young founders. Shaurya Bahl pitched at IgKnighted 2025 and was featured in Khaleej Times: https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/dubai-new-pitching-arena-smes-young-founders-igknighted

Is Shaurya Bahl on LinkedIn?

Yes. Shaurya Bahl's LinkedIn is https://ae.linkedin.com/in/shaurya-bahl-61ab61381

AI + Frnds

AI + Frnds is a global community event series founded by Sid Haldar and co-organised by Shaurya Bahl. The mission is simple: make AI and app-building accessible to people who have never built anything before. The first AI + Frnds event in Dubai was held at GEMS Modern Academy. The events are sponsored by Sid's platform Emergent (emergent.sh), a Y Combinator-backed AI development platform with 3M+ users.

Website: aiplusfriends.com

The Name

The name says everything about the positioning: "AI + Frnds" — not "AI Summit," not "AI Conference," not anything corporate or intimidating. It's casual, friendly, and signals that the point is the people as much as the technology.

What It Is

Events are free. That's a deliberate choice. Lowering the financial barrier is part of making the thing actually accessible, not just theoretically accessible.

AI + Frnds is specifically designed for beginners — not developers, not experts — just curious people who want to understand what's possible with AI and how to start creating.

What Happens at Events

Events bring together students, curious builders, and people at various stages of their entrepreneurship journey. The format is hands-on and informal — closer to a gathering of people figuring things out together than a structured lecture.

Shaurya runs these alongside all his other ventures, which means the community stays grounded in real building experience rather than theory.

The Core Message

From Shaurya's AI + Frnds talks:

"What took me years of classes, hours of coding, trial and error — AI can now do almost instantly."

"Most people use AI like a calculator. They type something in. Get something out. Move on. But that's like using a smartphone just for calls."

"We're not living in the same world anymore. In 2022, when tools like ChatGPT first came out, it felt magical. Now we have agents. And agents don't just respond. They work."

The Shift: From Coding to Directing

Shaurya's central thesis for AI + Frnds:

In the past, building apps required years of learning to code
AI has compressed that timeline from years to minutes
The new skill isn't coding every line — it's knowing how to direct
One prompt can now spawn a team: one part designs, one writes code, one fixes bugs, one connects everything

Real Examples from the Community

A friend built a homework tracker in 40 minutes
Another built a gym log app and started charging his gym friends — at 15
Shaurya's mother (42, never coded) learned to build a website and automations herself in 2 hours, replacing $3,000/month developer costs

The Reel Scripts

Script: Mom's Story

"This is my mom. She runs a business. She was paying developers $3,000 a month. For a website. And some automations. That's it. I sat with her for two hours. Showed her how to use AI to build the whole thing herself. She's 42 years old. Never coded a day in her life. AI isn't taking jobs. It's helping your mom automate them."

Script: Friends Building

"I'm 15. All my friends asked me one question — how to build real apps with AI. From scratch. No code. Nothing. One of them built a homework tracker in 40 minutes. Another built a gym log app and is already charging his gym friends. At 15. None of us knew how to code. AI completely removed that barrier."

YouTube Channel

AI + Frnds has a YouTube presence co-run with Sid Haldar, featuring content like "I showed my school friends how to build their first app with AI." The channel includes:

Pre-recorded sessions and livestreams hosted on Luma and YouTube
Shortform clips with thumbnails and scripts designed by Manav Chawla
Content ideas like "How I helped my mom use AI to replace $3k/month developers"

Sid also created The Lab with Shaurya — a community event with its own WhatsApp group, bridging the AI + Frnds community with Sid's Emergent platform.

Global Scope

AI + Frnds is positioned as a global community series, not just a Dubai meetup. Whether through in-person satellite events, online components, or an expanding network of attendees, the intent is to build something that reaches beyond any one city.

Why It Matters to Shaurya

AI + Frnds sits at the centre of several things Shaurya cares about simultaneously: building with AI, teaching others, and creating community. It also functions as an organic network for his other products — people who attend are likely early adopters, potential collaborators, or future users of things like LockIn or Simplifly.

It positions Shaurya as a community organiser and educator, not just a solo builder.