Founded by Bruno Rožman, Mario Maks Maslić, and Ante Čerkez, Sonder AI is building an AI-powered networking and matchmaking platform designed to help students and young professionals set goals, find the right opportunities, and move forward faster. The startup joined BIRD Incubator’s pre-incubation program in 2024 and continued into the 2024/25 incubation program, where they turned their concept into a tangible product. With a demo version of the app already available, we sat down with the founders to talk about creating AI twins for smarter networking, learning to focus on what matters most, and what’s next for Sonder AI on the global stage.
Who are you, what’s the name and age of your startup, and what problem are you solving?
We’re a team of three close friends behind Sonder AI. We’re building an AI-powered networking and matchmaking platform that helps you set goals, discover the right people and opportunities, and make progress faster.
The problem: students and young professionals spend too much time on aimless applications and lack a professional networking tool designed specifically for them and their evolving needs.
Our solution: Sonder AI studies your profile and creates your “AI twin,” which learns from your interests, skills, and goals. It then suggests concrete next steps and connects you with relevant people and opportunities—so you spend less time scrolling and more time advancing.
How did you first connect with BIRD Incubator, and what made you decide to join the program?
To be honest, we had no idea where to start with our idea. That’s when we saw an ad for BIRD Incubator. We came to BIRD for structure, mentorship, and a community that truly understands the early AI stage. BIRD combines access to experts in the field, constant feedback, and a test-in-the-wild mindset. That’s exactly what we needed to turn our vision into a tangible demo and real user signals.
Every startup faces challenges—what’s been your toughest obstacle so far, and how did you overcome it?
Our hardest challenge was balancing the “big picture” with building a minimal product. We had an unusual start, wanting our product to solve every problem we could imagine. Soon we realized that adding features is easy—cutting them is hard.
We drew a line: anything that doesn’t shorten the path to a meaningful connection or the user’s next step is out of version one. We now validate every decision through user conversations and quick demo experiments.
What’s one resource, connection, or experience at BIRD Incubator that truly made a difference in your startup’s growth?
It’s hard to pinpoint just one, but mentor “reality checks” and the alumni network stand out. One go-to-market session shifted us from a showcase mindset to guided actions. Instead of just profiles and a feed, we now nudge users to take the next right step toward their goals and where they want to be.
Investors and partners are often curious—what makes your business model stand out, and who are your target customers?
Our primary users are students and young talents (B2C). Secondarily, we target companies (B2B) that want early access to talent currently not engaged on existing professional networking platforms—which younger generations often find unappealing.
We start freemium for users, with premium upgrades (advanced recommendations, evaluations). But our main focus is B2B offerings: hiring solutions, candidate discovery, and qualification.
What’s different: we focus on the whole person—your AI twin, not just a CV. And for B2B, we favor pay-for-outcomes, where value is tied to real actions like qualified conversations.
Let’s talk about the future—where do you see your startup in five years, what goals are you most excited to achieve, and how can people already start trying out your app and join the tester community today?
- 3–12 months: Ship on App Store and Google Play, and expand across the EU and US with a student focus and first B2B partners.
- 3 years: Millions of users; becoming the default “goal-to-opportunity” path.
- 5 years: The global standard for smarter progress—from learning and internships to hiring and founding teams.
You can already become a tester by signing up on our demo with your email. You’ll then receive a feedback form to share your experience.
To wrap up, what’s one piece of advice or wisdom from your journey that you believe every founder should know?
The only real progress killer is stopping. As long as you stay persistent, you’ll find a way. And don’t be afraid to pivot—pivoting doesn’t equal failure.
