How This Freelancer Dev Built a Fast-Growing Tech Biz

From a side hustle to a nearly seven-figure tech business, Daren Tan, Founder and CEO of ALPHV, shares his journey from freelancing in 2017 to leading a fast-growing company. ALPHV, incorporated in 2023, now operates across four key pillars: software development (Alpha Tech), corporate training (Alpha Academy), developer relations (Developer Kaki), and tech job placement (Alpha Recruit).

Daren’s entrepreneurial journey began during his master’s studies in data science, freelancing to sharpen his skills while identifying a growing demand for software developers among startups. This led to the creation of Developer Kaki, an organic 54,000-strong developer community that has become a valuable asset for talent sourcing and industry collaborations with companies like Akamai, F5 Group, and Nvidia.

In this episode of Open For Business, we explore the ALPHV ecosystem, the business models powering its growth, and the financial roadmap ahead. With plans to expand AI-driven training, scale its job portal, and double its revenue in 2025, Daren shares his insights on bootstrapping a tech company, building thriving online communities, and navigating the evolving digital economy.

Presenter: Roshan Kanesan

Producer: Kishan Sivaswamy

Ai-powered upskilling developer relations Ai-driven education tech recruitment fintech automation healthtech solutions tech job software development corporate training digital transformation digital economy