The Leaders Column

Sabba Keynejad is proof that startup success is not always about getting investor approval at the beginning. The entrepreneur was rejected by the world-famous startup accelerator Y Combinator, but instead of quitting, he continued building VEED, a simple online video editing platform that later grew into a multi-million-dollar business.

Today, VEED has become a popular video creation platform used by creators, businesses, and marketing teams worldwide. The company’s journey shows how persistence, customer focus, and the ability to learn from failure can turn rejection into success.

Who Is Sabba Keynejad?

Sabba Keynejad is a British entrepreneur and designer who co-founded VEED with Timur Mamedov in 2018. Before building VEED, Keynejad worked in creative technology and focused on solving problems around design and digital content creation.

The founders noticed that traditional video editing software was often complicated and required technical skills. They wanted to create a browser-based tool that allowed anyone to edit videos easily without expensive software or professional knowledge.

That idea became VEED, an online video editor designed for creators, businesses, and everyday users.

The Y Combinator Rejection Story

In 2019, Sabba Keynejad and the VEED team applied to Y Combinator, one of the world’s most respected startup accelerators.

They reached the interview stage but were eventually rejected. The main concern was that VEED had users but did not yet have enough paying customers or revenue.

Instead of treating the rejection as failure, the founders used it as feedback.

They quickly focused on monetisation and introduced paid features. According to Keynejad’s account, the team worked over a weekend to add payment options and gained their first 20 paying users shortly afterward.

The rejection pushed the company to prove that customers were willing to pay for the product.

From Struggle to Startup Success

The early days of VEED were challenging. The founders had limited resources and focused on building a product customers genuinely wanted.

Rather than depending heavily on external funding, the company initially grew through revenue from its users. Within about a year of introducing paid plans, VEED reached around $1 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

The company later attracted major investor interest, including a $35 million funding round led by Sequoia Capital.

By 2025, VEED was reported to have reached approximately $40 million in annual recurring revenue, marking a major milestone for the startup.

What Made VEED Successful?

Several factors helped VEED grow from a small startup into a global platform:

1. Solving a Real Problem

The founders focused on simplifying video editing. Instead of creating a complicated professional tool, they built something accessible for people who wanted fast and easy video creation.

2. Listening to Customers

The company focused on what users needed most, including features such as subtitles, editing tools, and simple workflows.

3. Learning From Rejection

The Y Combinator rejection became a turning point. Instead of waiting for approval, the founders focused on proving market demand.

4. Building Before Scaling

VEED concentrated on creating a valuable product before aggressively raising money, allowing the company to grow through customer revenue.

Lessons From Sabba Keynejad’s Journey

The story of Sabba Keynejad offers important lessons for entrepreneurs:

• Rejection can provide valuable feedback.
• Paying customers are stronger validation than investor interest.
• A simple solution to a real problem can become a big business.
• Persistence is often the difference between failure and success.

Many startups face rejection, but successful founders use those moments to improve their products and strategy.

VEED’s success shows that a rejected idea is not necessarily a bad idea. With continuous improvement, customer focus, and determination, founders can build successful companies even without early validation from investors.

The biggest lesson from Keynejad’s story is simple: keep building, keep learning, and let customers decide your success.