Indian-Origin Entrepreneur Builds a New Country for Founders

Indian-origin entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan has grabbed media limelight, for undertaking a step, hardly anybody can envision. With his acumen and far-sightedness, he has transformed a private island near Singapore into a unique startup haven called ‘The Network School’ – which can by itself be termed as a country space for startup founders and fitness enthusiasts.

This private sanctuary has been designed as a retreat for global tech talent, the island offers residential programs, along with shared accommodations, meals, gym membership, club access, Wi-fi, Starlink and talks from leading figures and experts.

His ultimate goal of establishing and setting up a world class “Network State,” – a decentralized, digital-first nation for technologists and innovators has seen its successful fulfilment, The Indian American entrepreneur Balaji Srinivasan has taken a significant step towards realizing his vision when he acquired a private island near Singapore. Mr. Srinivasan, co-founder of Counsyl Inc. and former CTO of Coinbase, outlined this innovative concept in his book “The Network State,”, which centrally revolves around building online communities united by common and shared values, which would eventually acquire physical territory and seek global recognition as a separate sovereign entity.

One of the tech entrepreneurs currently enrolled in the program, shared a virtual tour of the island, describing it as “an oasis for gym rats and startup founders.” Students begin their day with gym sessions and take classes in a diverse range of subjects – Artificial Intelligence (AI), technology, business and others.

The Network School

Mr. Srinivasan’s Network School was launched in September 2024 with an underlying purpose to revitalize democracy for the internet era and pursue truth, health, and wealth by levelling up the attendees in three core domains – personally, physically, and professionally.

The three-month residential program brings together aspiring startup founders and fitness enthusiasts under one umbrella on a private island near Singapore. At this state-of-the-art equipped school, participants engage in activities like:

Physical Fitness: Gym sessions to promote holistic growth
Cutting-Edge Topics: Classes on artificial intelligence, blockchain, supply-chain logistics, and entrepreneurship.
Innovation and Entrepreneurship: Encouraging personal, physical, and professional development

The first edition of the quarter-length program has received over 4000 applications from over 80 countries for just 128 spots. Aspiring attendees worked across fields like AI, Robotics, Genomics, Technology, Coding and more.

The founder, Balaji Srinivasan plans to expand this concept globally, with future hubs devised for Dubai, Tokyo, Miami for now. He also plans to onboard ‘dark talent’ – which comprises of remote workers, creators, personal trainers, digital nomads and technologists.

Who is Balaji S. Srinivasan?

Balaji S. Srinivasan is an American entrepreneur, investor, and author known for his work in technology and cryptocurrency. Born to physician parents from Tamil Nadu, India, he grew up in New York, United States. Mr. Srinivasan co-founded Counsyl, a genetic testing company acquired by Myriad Genetics for a whopping US $375 million in 2018, and 21 Inc. (later Earn.com), a Bitcoin-related startup acquired by Coinbase, where he served as the CTO (Chief Technical Officer) from 2018 to 2019.

He has also been a general partner at Andreessen Horowitz from 2013 to 2018 and co-founded Teleport (acquired by Topia) and Coin Centre. He’s currently an active investor in numerous tech and crypto ventures, including Bitcoin, Ethereum, Alchemy, and OpenSea. He authored the widely popular book – The Network State: How to Start a New Country (2022), advocating for digital communities to form autonomous, tech-driven societies.