# Akhil Suresh Nair > Akhil Suresh Nair is the founder and CEO of Xena Intelligence, an AI-powered e-commerce growth company based in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in Kochi, Kerala, in India, moved to the United States in 2017 through Babson College's Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, and moved his company to Louisville in 2022. He is a solo founder, a first-generation immigrant, a Kentucky Colonel and a board member of the Louisville Orchestra. ## Key facts - Role: Founder & CEO, Xena Intelligence (https://xenaintelligence.com) - Product: SearchPanel, an AI search visibility platform (https://searchpanel.ai) - Based in: Louisville, Kentucky, USA (originally from Kochi, Kerala, India) - Education: VIT University; NMIMS (Narsee Monjee Institute of Management Studies); Babson College (MBA, full scholarship) - Programs: Techstars NYC 2022; Babson Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence (2017); Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures 2026 cohort - Recognition: Martha Layne Collins Award for Excellence in AI & Digital Trade Innovation (2026, Xena Intelligence); Louisville's Favorite Founder, The LOUIES (2025); SAAS NORTH PitchFest winner (2025); Vogt Awards winner (2022); Startup World Cup regional winner (2024); Render Pitch Competition winner (2022); 5 Across Pitch Competition winner; Kentucky Colonel - Also: Louisville Orchestra board member; more than $1.65M won in pitch competitions; Xena has served 100+ brands including Nestle - Also known as: Akhil Nair ## Pages on this site - [Home](https://akhilsureshnair.com/): overview, highlights and quick answers - [About Akhil Suresh Nair](https://akhilsureshnair.com/about) - [Xena Intelligence & SearchPanel](https://akhilsureshnair.com/xena) - [Speaking, honors & awards](https://akhilsureshnair.com/speaking) - [Press coverage](https://akhilsureshnair.com/press) - [Founder's Diary (blog and newsletter)](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary) ## Frequently asked questions ### Who is Akhil Suresh Nair? Akhil Suresh Nair is the founder and CEO of Xena Intelligence, an AI-powered e-commerce growth company based in Louisville, Kentucky. He grew up in Kochi, Kerala, in India, moved to the United States in 2017 through Babson College's Global Entrepreneur-in-Residence program, and moved his company to Louisville in 2022. He is a solo founder, a first-generation immigrant, a Kentucky Colonel and a board member of the Louisville Orchestra. ### What does Xena Intelligence do? Xena Intelligence helps CPG and e-commerce brands grow on Amazon and Walmart. It is an AI-powered e-commerce growth platform based in Louisville, KY that blends software and managed services to automate ad campaigns, optimize product listings and deliver sales intelligence. Xena has served over 100 brands, including Fortune 500 companies such as Nestle. ### What is SearchPanel? SearchPanel is Xena Intelligence's AI search visibility platform for product brands. It tracks how AI engines such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot, Amazon Rufus and Google AI Overviews describe and recommend each product, gives every SKU a 0 to 100 AI visibility score, and ranks the fixes most likely to improve it. Akhil shared on October 2, 2026 that his engineering team had just built it. ### Who backs Xena Intelligence? Xena Intelligence is backed by Techstars, Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures, Render Capital, Keyhorse Capital and Bluegrass Angels, and has raised about $2 million in pre-seed funding. It went through Techstars NYC in 2022 and was named to the Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures 2026 cohort. ### Where has Akhil Suresh Nair spoken or pitched? Akhil pitched Xena at Venture Atlanta on October 14, 2026, after four years of applying. Xena won the SAAS NORTH PitchFest in 2025, and Akhil won the regional leg of the Startup World Cup in 2024. He has also presented at the Vogt Awards demo day, won the Render and 5 Across pitch competitions, and done a fireside chat with Startup Grind Louisville. ### Where is Akhil Suresh Nair speaking next? No upcoming talks are announced yet. His most recent stage was Venture Atlanta on October 14, 2026. To invite Akhil to speak or pitch at your event, book a time at meeting.akhilsureshnair.com. ### How can I book a meeting with Akhil Suresh Nair? Book a time directly at meeting.akhilsureshnair.com. You can also connect with Akhil on LinkedIn at linkedin.com/in/akhilsureshnair or email akhil@xenaintelligence.com. ### What is Akhil Suresh Nair's Founder's Diary? Founder's Diary is Akhil's blog and LinkedIn newsletter, where he writes about the founder journey, pitching, fundraising and building a venture-backed AI startup as a solo founder and first-generation immigrant. The latest entry, "120 Seconds on Stage, 100,000 Minutes of Practice", came out on Oct 24, 2026. Every entry is published on this site at https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary. ### Why is Xena Intelligence based in Louisville, Kentucky? In 2022, Akhil won the Render pitch competition and the Vogt Awards in Louisville, Kentucky, and decided to move his company and his life there. Xena went through Techstars NYC the same year. ### What recognition have Akhil Suresh Nair and Xena Intelligence received? Xena Intelligence was named to the Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures 2026 cohort, presented at Venture Atlanta 2026 and won the 2026 Martha Layne Collins Award for AI & Digital Trade Innovation. Akhil was named Louisville's Favorite Founder at the 2025 LOUIES and has won the SAAS NORTH PitchFest (2025), the regional leg of the Startup World Cup (2024), the Vogt Awards (2022), and the Render and 5 Across pitch competitions, with more than $1.65 million won in pitch competitions. Xena went through Techstars NYC in 2022. ### Is Akhil Suresh Nair a Kentucky Colonel? Yes. Akhil was commissioned as a Kentucky Colonel, the highest civilian honor awarded by the Commonwealth of Kentucky, and shared the news on LinkedIn on June 9, 2025. ### Where did Akhil Suresh Nair study? He studied engineering at VIT University and earned two MBAs, one from NMIMS in Mumbai and one from Babson College near Boston on a full scholarship. Before founding Xena he worked at organizations including Abbott Healthcare and HT Media. ## Links - Website: https://akhilsureshnair.com/ - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akhilsureshnair - LinkedIn articles: https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/akhilsureshnair - Xena Intelligence: https://xenaintelligence.com - SearchPanel: https://searchpanel.ai - Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/person/akhil-suresh-nair - Email: akhil@xenaintelligence.com ## Press - [Morgan Stanley: Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures Announces 2026 Global Cohort of Innovators](https://www.morganstanley.com/press-releases/msisv-announces-2026-global-cohort-of-innovators) (Sep 14, 2026) - [Hypepotamus: Meet the 99 Startups Selected for Venture Atlanta 2026](https://www.hypepotamus.com/venture-atlanta-2026-startups-selected/) (Sep 10, 2026) - [World Trade Center Kentucky: 2026 Martha Layne Collins Award recipients](https://www.wtcky.org/world-trade-day/martha-layne-collins-award/) (2026) - [KYX · The Distill: That's a wrap: The 2025 LOUIES Awards](https://kycombinator.beehiiv.com/p/the-distill-that-s-a-wrap) (Dec 8, 2025) - [BetaKit: Xena Intelligence claims top pitch competition prize at SAAS NORTH](https://betakit.com/lab4-and-xena-intelligence-claim-top-pitch-competition-prizes-at-saas-north/) (Nov 10, 2025) - [Louisville Business First: Louisville's Xena Intelligence grows revenue, enters Middle East](https://www.bizjournals.com/louisville/inno/stories/news/2025/04/23/xena-intelligence-startup-2025-ai-analytics-update.html) (Apr 23, 2025) - [CB Insights: Xena Intelligence Company Profile (AI Expert Collection)](https://www.cbinsights.com/company/xena-intelligence) (2025) - [Vogt Awards / Community Foundation: Featured on 'How to Apply' page as spotlight winner](https://www.cflouisville.org/how-to-apply-for-vogt-awards/) (2025) - [Louisville Orchestra: Announced as new Board Member (2024-2025 Season)](https://louisvilleorchestra.org/news/) (2024) - [Community Foundation of Louisville: Vogt Awards Recipient Profile: Xena Intelligence](https://www.cflouisville.org/2022-vogt-awards-recipient-profile-xena-intelligence/) (2023) - [Hypepotamus: Backed by Techstars, Louisville startup Xena Intelligence has big plans to change ecommerce marketing](https://hypepotamus.com/companies/b2b/back-by-techstars-lousville-startup-xena-intelligence-has-big-plans-to-change-ecommerce-marketing/) (2023) - [Amplify Louisville: Founder Feature: Akhil Nair, Founder and CEO of Xena Intelligence](https://amplifystartups.com/founder-feature-akhil-nair-founder-and-ceo-of-xena-intelligence/) (2023) - [Babson Thought & Action: Babson's Global Entrepreneur in Residence Program Returns](https://entrepreneurship.babson.edu/global-entrepreneur-in-residence/) (2023) - [Startup Grind Louisville: Fireside Chat with Akhil Suresh Nair](https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-louisville-presents-akhil-suresh-nair-founder-ceo-of-xena-intelligence/) (2023) - [Failory: Making +$15k/mo Helping Businesses Sell More on Amazon](https://www.failory.com/interview/xena-intelligence) (2021) - [Starter Story: How Two Friends From India Bootstrapped A Management Consulting Business](https://www.starterstory.com/start-management-consulting-business) (Sep 9, 2019) - [Babson College Blog: Parzenn Partners: Consulting for Small Businesses](https://blogs.babson.edu/news/2018/06/13/parzenn-partners-consulting-for-small-businesses/) (2018) ## Founder's Diary (https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary, RSS: https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/rss.xml) - [120 Seconds on Stage, 100,000 Minutes of Practice](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/120-seconds-stage-100000-minutes-practice) (Oct 24, 2026; 10 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/120-seconds-stage-100000-minutes-practice-akhil-suresh-nair-j6rvc): I have paralyzing stage fright, which is an inconvenient condition for a man who has won more than $1.65 million by standing on stages. - [Choosing a Path With Basically No Guarantees. Founders deserve more credit.](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/choosing-path-basically-guarantees-founders-deserve-more) (Sep 13, 2026; 12 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/choosing-path-basically-guarantees-founders-deserve-more-nair-d1zmc): I have been keeping a journal for a while now. Most entries are not fit for public consumption, partly because they are boring and partly because they are… - [Some Founders Are Privileged. Some Are Not. Both Will Tell You They're Self-Made.](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/some-founders-privileged-both-tell-you-theyre-self-made) (Aug 5, 2026; 6 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/some-founders-privileged-both-tell-you-theyre-self-made-nair-g1grc): There is a specific kind of founder I meet at every conference, and I have learned to spot him within about ninety seconds, usually somewhere between the… - [The Investor Who Thought I Wasn't Spending Enough](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/investor-who-thought-i-wasnt-spending-enough) (Jul 10, 2026; 6 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/investor-who-thought-i-wasnt-spending-enough-akhil-suresh-nair-ytaec): Indian families have a strange relationship with money. We will discuss your cousin's wedding budget in forensic detail. We will debate gold prices like… - [Founders without family support](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/founders-without-family-support) (Jun 20, 2026; 8 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/founders-without-family-support-akhil-suresh-nair-y3tqc): Most of my founder peers don't have family support. - [The scariest part of building isn't building. It's telling people you built something and waiting to see if they care.](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/scariest-part-building-isnt-its-telling-people-you-built) (Jun 3, 2026; 3 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/scariest-part-building-isnt-its-telling-people-you-built-nair-r0bqe): Last week I launched SearchPanel . It's a tool that scores how AI platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Amazon Rufus describe and recommend products. I think… - [The Truth About VC Money, and What Actually Matters](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/truth-vc-money-what-actually-matters) (Mar 27, 2026; 7 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/truth-vc-money-what-actually-matters-akhil-suresh-nair-bninc): There is something strangely addictive about numbers in the startup world, because from the moment you step into it, you are constantly surrounded by… - [From Kochi to Kentucky, my immigrant story.](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/from-kochi-kentucky-my-immigrant-story) (Mar 24, 2026; 7 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/from-kochi-kentucky-my-immigrant-story-akhil-suresh-nair-mfwjc): A few days ago, I found myself standing in a room in Kentucky, holding something I never once imagined would be associated with my name, the title of… - [I really do not understand this tension](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/i-really-do-understand-tension) (Jan 17, 2026; 5 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/i-really-do-understand-tension-akhil-suresh-nair-rya2e): There is a strange emotional friction that shows up right before I hit publish on a post. It is not fear exactly. It is not doubt about the work. It is… - [Why is nothing working out?](https://akhilsureshnair.com/founders-diary/why-nothing-working-out) (Jan 11, 2026; 4 min read; first published on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-nothing-working-out-akhil-suresh-nair-fvv0e): There are long stretches in a startup where it feels like the universe has decided to test your patience, your confidence, and your sanity all at once.… ## Recent LinkedIn posts - [Oct 24, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_120-seconds-on-stage-100000-minutes-of-activity-7519785273157939200-VVgt): I have paralyzing stage fright, which is an inconvenient condition for a man who has won more than $1.65 million by standing on stages. - [Oct 23, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_nobody-tells-you-what-a-startup-costs-activity-7519337195879485440-GjEI): Nobody tells you what a startup costs. They tell you about the hours and the risk. They don't tell you about the dinners you miss. - [Oct 19, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_ive-been-home-from-venture-atlanta-for-a-activity-7517920871060033536-7DhR): I've been home from Venture Atlanta for a few days, and I keep thinking about how many people it took to get me three minutes on that stage. - [Oct 12, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_ive-been-applying-to-pitch-at-venture-atlanta-activity-7515361898989617153-94Na): I've been applying to pitch at Venture Atlanta for four years. Four applications. Four polite no's. This Wednesday, I'm finally on the stage. Number 27 out of 28. - [Oct 5, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_i-dont-know-i-think-its-crazy-to-think-activity-7512889065621581828-1Sm9): I don't know, I think it's crazy to think that the little startup idea I had in college could go on to gain recognition from so many people and organizations. - [Oct 2, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_the-longer-youre-a-founder-the-more-you-activity-7511783012527816704-8pUS): The longer you're a founder, the more you realize speed covers up a lot of mistakes. Yesterday my engineering team built SearchPanel, our AI search visibility platform, in record time. - [Sep 29, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_i-think-most-founders-have-no-idea-how-good-activity-7510686260416425984-T_TD): I think most founders have no idea how good they are. Because your internal estimate of yourself is running about three years behind reality. - [Sep 22, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_an-apology-letter-to-my-younger-self-dear-activity-7508296795127603200-P21e): An apology letter to my younger self. Dear 22-year-old Akhil, I owe you an apology. You thought running a startup would be fun, exciting, and sexy. - [Sep 17, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_my-face-on-a-nasdaq-screen-in-times-square-activity-7506428661269590017-YSKG): My face on a Nasdaq screen in Times Square? Xena's logo displayed in a building sized billboard? Along with Morgan Stanley Inclusive & Sustainable Ventures? - [Sep 11, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_xena-intelligence-has-been-selected-to-pitch-activity-7504153060991078402-IoEh): Xena Intelligence has been selected to pitch at Venture Atlanta this October 14th. I had applied for it 3 years in row before, fourth time's the charm I guess. - [Aug 31, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_such-an-honor-to-win-the-martha-layne-collins-activity-7500137871421521920-qkfs): Such an honor to win the Martha Layne Collins Award for Excellence in AI and Digital Trade Innovation. AI and Digital Trade Innovation. Five years ago that category did not exist. - [Jul 9, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_some-of-the-best-hiring-decisions-i-ever-activity-7480942592612818944-e9R1): Some of the best hiring decisions I ever made were the ones where the person said no to everyone else. - [Jun 17, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_grateful-to-world-trade-center-kentucky-for-activity-7473067682293264385-MTBZ): Grateful to World Trade Center Kentucky for the kind words and for the work they do connecting Kentucky companies to the world. - [Jun 11, 2026](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/akhilsureshnair_three-years-ago-brands-asked-me-the-same-activity-7470805509105885184-5VCE): Three years ago, brands asked me the same question every week. "Where do we rank on Amazon?" Last month, a CPG founder asked me something different. Last updated: 2026-10-28