From Tripure to Velox: Matt Liou’s Vision for Impactful Innovation
How one student entrepreneur transformed lessons from AI travel into a developing car community platform.
Matt Liou, a senior in the College of Engineering studying computer science, is driven by entrepreneurship as a way to build products that matter. Realizing that typical 9-to-5 roles can often constrain innovation, Liou embraced the challenge of launching his own ventures, noting that it is “often easier to make meaningful contributions when you are building your own product.”
Tripure: Learning the Lessons of Early Startup Challenges and Market Insights
One of his first ventures, Tripure, was an AI-powered travel planner designed to generate personalized itineraries and adapt in real-time to changing conditions. Although Tripure did not gain lasting traction, the experience highlighted how important it is to thoroughly understand the market and anticipate user behavior.
Velox: Building a Community-Driven iOS Platform for Car Enthusiasts
Inspired by the lessons from Tripure, Liou turned his attention to the next big project, Velox, a developing IOS app designed to bring the car enthusiast community together. The name, derived from the Latin word for “swift,” reflects the energy and camaraderie of the car community, offering a platform where enthusiasts can feel connected and at home.
This platform allows users to host events, form clubs and connect with other like-minded members. Users can also share their cars and achievements, and find nearby activities that help build meaningful connections. The app is “essentially a more dynamic version of Facebook Events, tailored for car enthusiasts, allowing members to engage with the community in real time.”
Bridging Gaps and Fostering Connection: The Greater Impact of Velox
Velox builds on the community-driven success of apps like Strava and Discord, offering a platform where newcomers can find guidance and connect with experienced members, while long-time participants can showcase their cars, share achievements and organize events. By bridging gaps in experience and knowledge, the app creates opportunities for mentorship, collaboration and shared growth across the community.
Growing Through VenturePack and LaunchPad
Liou credits programs like VenturePack Challenge and LaunchPad for refining his entrepreneurial approach. “VenturePack really taught me the ins and outs of building a startup, from developing a business summary to engaging with investors,” he says. Competing in VenturePack Challenge helped Liou put his ideas to the test and learn from real-world feedback. This semester, LaunchPad offered mentorship, structured roundtable discussions to maintain accountability and a collaborative community of entrepreneurs, providing guidance on scaling ideas and expanding his professional network.
Applying Innovation in the Corporate World: Summer Internship at Apple
In addition to his entrepreneurial ventures, Liou interned at Apple over the summer, where he approached open-ended projects with an entrepreneurial mindset. He designed solutions to real user challenges and developed a prototype that was presented to the CTO of Apple, earning positive feedback. Reflecting on this experience, he says, “I love picking up my phone and saying, ‘Hey, I built this!’
The Road Ahead
Looking ahead, he plans to continue developing Velox, with the goal of eventually launching it on the App Store and expanding its reach within the car community. Whether contributing to a larger company that supports entrepreneurial initiatives or a smaller, more flexible environment, Liou remains focused on building products that make a tangible impact.
