Core Insights - Christine Zhang, a 19-year-old Chinese-American, has dropped out of Harvard to start a company named Veil, which has successfully raised $1 million in seed funding [2][16]. - Veil is an intelligent optimization platform designed specifically for e-commerce sellers, helping them make their product descriptions more understandable to AI, thereby increasing visibility in AI search results [6][14]. Company Overview - Veil focuses on optimizing e-commerce product listings to enhance AI visibility through techniques like Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) [8][34]. - The platform analyzes product details and provides actionable solutions, such as adding structured FAQs, keyword placement, and structured data to improve AI recognition [9][10][12]. - After implementing Veil's optimization strategies, clients have reported an average AI visibility increase of approximately 67% within 1 to 2 weeks [14][16]. Market Trends - The rise of AI as a new traffic source is evident, with AI referrals to top websites increasing by 357% year-over-year, indicating a shift in how consumers interact with e-commerce [22][23]. - Traditional search engine optimization (SEO) is evolving into GEO, focusing on increasing the likelihood of being referenced by AI rather than just improving webpage rankings [34][36]. Entrepreneurial Landscape - The trend of young entrepreneurs dropping out of college to pursue startups is becoming more common, particularly in the AI sector, driven by the rapid pace of technological advancement and the fear of missing out on opportunities [76][80]. - The opportunity cost of attending college is perceived to be high, as young entrepreneurs weigh the potential financial gains of starting a business against the value of a college education [80][82]. Team Background - Veil was co-founded by Christine Zhang and Julia Hudson, who started the company from their university dormitory [44][76]. - Christine has a strong academic background, having developed a public health application during high school and co-founding a youth council that secured public funding [52][55].