For QUEST alum Shivam Agrawal, the pursuit of quality didn’t stop after graduation; it evolved into a company that uses AI to redefine how software is tested and built. Agrawal, a QUEST alumnus from Cohort 31, is the CEO and co-founder of QualGent, an AI startup whose mission is improving software quality through tests built with natural language.
After spending almost five years as a software engineer at Google, he realized he wanted more direct impact, greater autonomy, and control to build the product he believes the world needs: QualGent. The startup makes quality assurance more accessible and simple to app development teams and recently earned the backing of Y-Combinator. A core driving force of both Qualgent and Agrawal’s journeys is the pursuit of quality in software, work, and in life. This is especially apparent in Agrawal’s emphasis on surrounding himself with people he can learn from.
This focus on learning from others started early in his QUEST experience. “When I joined QUEST, I felt like these were the smartest people I’d ever met.” Agrawal describes the defining moments of his time in QUEST as the moments he met the professors, meeting his team for BMGT/ENES 190H (now BMGT/ENED 290H), and gaining valuable advice from mentors. Reaching out to alumni on LinkedIn helped open the door for many opportunities, such as getting into Google out of college. “I had the roadmap right in front of me. That mentorship was very valuable, even after graduating.”
His experiences in QUEST and at Google both shaped how he thought about impact and innovation. After five years at Google, Agrawal came to realize that he was craving more: a stronger impact on the world and control over what he creates and how. So, he became a founder. He pinpoints the problem to be that software quality was going down, especially in an age where AI-generated code is more prevalent. QualGent was created to “close the loop” in the process of developing code by applying AI to writing tests for software. “If you think about a lot of AI today, it’s generating stuff: generating text, generating images, generating code. A lot of times, it messes up, and no one’s checking it. But you can actually use AI to verify AI. And that’s what we do.”
Agrawal says QualGent’s software could be applied in many areas, including mobile apps, pharmaceuticals, and robotics. This broad applicability reflects how closely QualGent’s mission aligns with Agrawal’s personal goals: to make a large impact on the world and to have a life’s mission. “Being able to figure that out is very important to me. QualGent is a starting point for that.”
For current QUEST students, Agrawal emphasizes the importance of people: connecting, learning from others, and building together. “I’m running an AI company, but all I do all day is human stuff. I’m just talking to customers, talking to employees, talking to investors. What I realized is that humans are the solution.” He encourages QUEST students to engage not just in academics, but in community and collaboration. “Meet as many people as you can. Talk to them. Learn about their lives. Work with them. Build something with them. Give feedback on other people’s products. Just build this community. Build your own QUEST.”
A huge thank you to Shivam Agrawal for your insights and advice! Check out QualGent at qualgent.ai.