A 14-year-old Australian entrepreneur has drawn attention in global startup circles after candidly sharing his journey of building multiple ventures, navigating rejection from Y Combinator, and confronting the challenges of being taken seriously at such a young age, according to Business Insider.
Alby Churven, who lives in Wollongong, Australia, is the founder of Clovr and has been experimenting with startups since he was just 12. His earliest attempt, an e-commerce grip socks brand called Alpha Grips, failed — but it sparked a deeper interest in business and technology, according to the report.
Like many young founders, Churven said his early exposure came through social media, where e-commerce, drop-shipping and crypto content dominate. While he acknowledged that much of it promotes unrealistic “get rich quick” ideas, he said it still plays a role in pushing teenagers toward entrepreneurship.
Social media, code camps and building in public
Churven’s next idea was a startup called Finkel, which he applied to Y Combinator with. He cold-emailed Australian founder Frank Greeff, who advised him to start building publicly on social media, a move that significantly shaped his journey.
He began sharing his work online, particularly on X, where startup culture is highly visible. His Y Combinator application video, which he later learned did not follow the usual format, unexpectedly went viral.
“I didn’t actually read the instructions when I did it, but I guess that’s what made it pretty viral.”
However, his growing online presence comes at a time when Australia is introducing a social media ban for users under 16 — a policy he believes could limit similar opportunities for young creators and founders.
Age as an advantage and a barrier
Churven believes that starting young offers one major advantage: time. With fewer financial pressures, he says teenagers can focus on learning and experimentation rather than immediate success.
“My age is a wow factor, but it also limits legitimacy.”
While his age often sparks curiosity and opens doors to conversations, he admits it also creates barriers, especially when it comes to funding. All of his projects are bootstrapped, largely because raising capital as a minor is extremely difficult.
He said he has reached stages where funding would help but remains cautious about giving up equity too early. Instead, he sees grants and accelerator programmes as better options for young founders.
Churven recently travelled to the US, where he has been meeting startup founders and investors, using his age as a way to stand out and build connections. Though he was rejected by Y Combinator after securing an interview for Clovr, he sees the experience as part of a longer game.
“I’ve heard you have to get in the system early, so when I’m older and I apply, I’ll already be in the system and have experience with how the process works.”
For now, his focus remains on building, learning and experimenting, without the pressure of immediate returns.
“I have time on my hands, and I enjoy it.”