Santhosh Kumar Ethiraj & Nishaalu Selvakumar: The Founders Redefining Spinacle

From Rural Roots to Revolutionary Thinking

Santhosh Kumar Ethiraj and Nishaalu Selvakumar, the Co-founders of Spinacle Technologies Pvt. Ltd., represent a new generation of Indian entrepreneurs — resilient, data-driven, and deeply grounded in purpose. Hailing from Tamil Nadu, their story begins not in corporate boardrooms but in classrooms and small towns. Santhosh, born in the Town of Arakkonam, and Nishaalu from Mallapadi, Krishnagiri, met during their undergraduate studies in B.Tech Artificial Intelligence and Data Science at Rajalakshmi Institute of Technology. What started as classroom discussions about innovation and real-world problems soon turned into a long-term partnership that shaped Spinacle’s journey.

The Early Days: From Curiosity to Commitment

In 2022, while still in college, Santhosh and Nishaalu made a bold decision — to register their company even before graduation. They had no investors, no external mentors, and no clear playbook — just a shared drive to build something meaningful. Their first mission was ambitious: to use AI to automate CT angiogram segmentation and improve diagnostic efficiency. Together, they visited hospitals, interviewed radiologists, and observed how medical data bottlenecks slowed down diagnosis. While the prototype showed strong potential, strict data regulations in India made scaling impossible.

This experience didn’t discourage them — instead, it became their first real lesson in what entrepreneurship actually means. Santhosh led field research and operations, while Nishaalu worked on the algorithmic and architectural side. It was here that they learned how to navigate regulatory challenges, handle rejection, and maintain direction under uncertainty.

Pivoting with Purpose: From Healthcare to Fintech

After their healthcare AI journey, the duo noticed a recurring theme: patients weren’t just struggling with treatment — they were struggling to afford it. This observation birthed their second chapter — Xecure, a fintech-driven cancer care platform aimed at making treatment financially accessible.

Santhosh took charge of partnerships, working closely with NGOs, hospitals, and NBFCs, while Nishaalu built the technology stack — connecting data, insurance, and lending systems through AI. Their solution wasn’t just another app; it was a financial infrastructure that could predict treatment costs, simplify medical loans, and offer specialized cancer insurance. The team collaborated with cancer counsellors like Neerjaa, a breast cancer survivor, whose experiences gave their mission emotional and social depth.

However, even Xecure faced systemic challenges — high capital requirements for insurance licensing and strict RBI compliance made progress slow. Instead of quitting, they evolved. Each failure sharpened their clarity. They realized that every founder faces a similar challenge — not with ideas, but with structured execution. And from that realization, Myve was born.

The Myve Chapter: AI for Founders, Built by Founders

Today, Spinacle’s flagship product, Myve, represents years of learnings from their earlier ventures. Myve is an AI-powered pre-CRM and founder operating system that helps early-stage entrepreneurs go from idea to their first customers. It acts as a conversational AI sales architect that builds personalized go-to-market systems — from offer positioning to ICP, outreach, pricing, and growth playbooks — even when founders have zero data.

Santhosh, as COO, ensures Myve’s operations, partnerships, and go-to-market flow are tightly aligned. He focuses on translating vision into systems — building the bridges between technical innovation and business execution. Meanwhile, Nishaalu, as CEO, leads the product vision, research direction, and AI systems architecture. He’s the thinker, often deep into model fine-tuning and prompt engineering, while Santhosh is the doer — driving people, processes, and partnerships.

Together, they complement each other’s strengths perfectly: Nishaalu is calm, analytical, and introverted; Santhosh is energetic, communicative, and action-oriented. This balance has kept Spinacle stable through pivots, experiments, and years of bootstrapped growth.

Building Beyond the Product

Both founders see Spinacle not just as a company but as a learning engine — a platform where ideas grow into infrastructure. Myve is not merely a startup product; it’s a blueprint for building scalable intelligence systems. As AI tools flood the market, most remain fragmented and non-scalable. Santhosh and Nishaalu are building the underlying AI infrastructure layer that connects a founder’s journey — from idea, data, and build — to sustainable revenue.

Their approach mirrors how early Y Combinator founders supported one another. They believe founders build better when surrounded by other builders. Through Spinacle, they’re creating that same support system — one where technology, mentorship, and collaboration merge.

Leadership and Culture

As COO, Santhosh’s leadership philosophy is rooted in clarity and consistency. He manages teams with focus and simplicity, ensuring every task ties back to the product mission. He handles external communications, partnerships, and the human side of execution — making sure Spinacle’s growing network stays aligned.

As CEO, Nishaalu’s role is deeply technical and strategic. He defines product direction, AI model design, and long-term architecture. He’s also a strong believer in deep work — balancing research with practicality. His structured thinking complements Santhosh’s execution-driven nature.

Their partnership reflects a rare balance — one that has sustained through failures, rebrands, and reinventions.

Vision for the Future

Looking ahead, both founders share a bold vision: to make Spinacle the AI backbone for founders and later use that success to create real-world impact in rural India. Santhosh’s long-term dream is to transform Esalapuram into a model self-sustained ecosystem — with job-generating factories, tech hubs, and educational programs. Nishaalu envisions building India’s next-gen AI systems that are homegrown, scalable, and globally respected.

Together, they represent a unique blend of ambition and groundedness — blending local values with global thinking. Their journey is a story of believing in patience over hype, consistency over chaos, and learning over luck.

The Spinacle Ethos

Spinacle stands as a reflection of their shared philosophy — build patiently, learn deeply, and impact meaningfully. What started as a small college startup now represents one of the most promising AI-driven ventures built by young Indian founders. Every pivot, every rejection, and every lesson has only made them sharper.

In their own words — “We don’t just want to build companies. We want to build systems that last.”

Santhosh Kumar Ethiraj and Nishaalu Selvakumar are not just co-founders — they are two sides of the same vision, shaping Spinacle into a story of learning, resilience, and purpose-driven innovation.