America Destroys Its Advantage
April 29, 2025
For decades American Universities have been the envy of the World. With the brightest minds and the best facilities, these globally recognized institutions acted as a magnet for talent everywhere.
Meet Arya Kakodkar and Imaad Bukhari, the co-founders of OmniPlane and recipients of the Sterling Road Grant. They’re building a stylus pen that works on any surface for AR and VR headsets, a tool designed to make writing and drawing possible on any surface.
“At OmniPlane, we’re building a stylus pen that works on any surface and integrates seamlessly with AR and VR headsets. Right now, there’s no easy way to write or draw in these environments — we’re changing that.” — Imaad
“We were looking for funding and found a lot of university-based options. But Sterling Road stood out because it was open to anyone building a startup at Oxford. We applied, and Ash was super helpful throughout the process. That grant came right when we needed it.” — Arya
“That was the beginning of OmniPlane. Applying for the grant made us sit down and really define what we were building, what we wanted to achieve, and what our long-term goals were. It was eye-opening.” — Arya
As for their first meeting with Ash?
“We were nervous. It was the first time we had to pitch ourselves as founders. But it turned out to be a great experience.” — Arya
“When we first started, we had a vision of how things would go. Then we quickly realized… we had no idea what we were doing. Ash’s mentorship gave us a structure to move forward. The bi-weekly sessions keep us on track and help us refine our long-term vision.” — Imaad
“We’re engineers, so we focused entirely on the product. Ash pushed us to think about go-to-market strategy and who’s actually going to buy this. That changed everything.” — Arya
“At that point, we were broke. That thousand pounds helped us file our first patent application, finalize designs, and advance our research. More importantly, having someone believe in us early on gave us the confidence to keep going.” — Imaad
“Ash is genuinely empathetic. He understands the struggles of early-stage founders. For us, as students trying to decide whether to go all-in, he hasn’t been a source of stress — he’s been a source of relief.” — Imaad
“That was the first time we thought, ‘Okay, maybe we can actually do this.’ The second Ash left the call, we just sat there in disbelief. It was a huge moment.” — Arya
The next few months are all about getting a demo-ready prototype and preparing for fundraising. That also means facing a big decision — whether to go full-time.
“Ash is the person we go to when we need advice on big, tough decisions. He’s going to be a pivotal part of our next steps.” — Imaad
“Just apply. It’s not as serious as you think it is. If you have a solid idea, Ash has no reason not to fund you.”
“He genuinely wants to see you succeed — that’s what he’s done for us.” — Arya
“The call with Ash. We’d never spoken to a VC before, so we expected some serious grilling. Instead, it was a 10-minute conversation that felt more like a discussion than a pitch.” — Arya
“We prepped for three days. The call lasted 10 minutes.” — Imaad
“We had some pretty bad ideas early on. Ash would just say, ‘Yeah… don’t do that.’ We needed that bluntness.”
“His business acumen is on another level. We wouldn’t even know how to bring this product to market without his guidance.” — Arya
“A lot of my friends working on startups are jealous that I have access to someone as experienced as Ash. His advice is simple, backed by experience, and always pushes us in the right direction.” — Imaad
“Having someone believe in us from the very start was exactly what we needed at the time.” — Imaad
