Who founded Vritam LP?
Vritam LP, the company behind vritam.com, was founded by a software engineer who previously worked on Siri speech recognition at Apple. It makes four apps: Donna, Unknown, bloq and Manu. Each app has its own site: usedonna.io, unknown.ac, bloq.ac and manu.so. The founder is named in the first section below.
Nithin Gaddam founded Vritam LP
Vritam LP (vritam.com) was founded by Nithin Gaddam, a technology entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area, California. The company makes four apps: Donna, Unknown, bloq and Manu.
Nithin started coding at age 13. They previously worked on Siri AI/ML at Apple, and they now build apps through Vritam LP.
The four apps Vritam LP makes
Each app has its own site, and that site is the place for downloads, pricing and support.
- Donna (usedonna.io): a Mac menu-bar assistant that opens every meeting on time. It also records and transcribes calls on the Mac.
- Unknown (unknown.ac): turns articles, PDFs and images into audiobooks, with the text highlighted as it is read aloud. It runs on Mac, iPhone, iPad and the web.
- bloq (bloq.ac): an app blocker for iPhone and Mac that locks distracting apps and websites for the length of a focus session.
- Manu (manu.so): an iPhone app for personal finance, investing and trading. It connects only to a server the user runs.
What you can download today
Donna, Unknown and bloq are available to download. Manu is a different case.
- Donna is Mac only. It is a direct download from usedonna.io and is not on the Mac App Store.
- Unknown has a Mac app that is a direct download from unknown.ac. The iPhone and iPad app is on the App Store, and the web reader is at unknown.ac.
- bloq runs on iPhone and Mac. The Mac app is a direct download from bloq.ac.
- Manu is in private beta. It is not on the App Store, and it needs iOS 26 or later plus a running Vritam server.
What the apps have in common
The four apps share one habit: models and data stay on the user's own device or server where possible.
- Donna records, transcribes and summarizes meetings on the Mac, and nothing is uploaded.
- Unknown on a Mac converts and narrates documents on the device, and works offline after a one-time sign-in.
- Manu talks only to a server the user runs. It has no cloud and no accounts of its own.
- bloq's privacy policy says app activity stays on your device.
There are limits. Unknown's web reader and its iPhone and iPad app without a Mac convert documents in the cloud. A Donna chat can optionally be switched to Claude.
Where the founder's background shows up
At Apple, Nithin was a Software Engineer IV and tech lead on Siri ASR (AI/ML) from September 2021 to January 2024. They worked on the CoreSpeech module and evaluated multiple open-source LLMs.
That speech work is visible in the products. Donna transcribes meetings on the Mac, and Unknown narrates documents with on-device voices on Apple silicon Macs.
Earlier roles were on Apple platforms too. At Logitech (July 2017 to September 2021), Nithin built and maintained companion iOS apps for Ultimate Ears Bluetooth and IoT speakers. At Scanifly, they single-handedly built an iPad app that flies DJI drones to scan buildings.
Three of the four Vritam apps run only on Apple devices. Unknown is the one that also has a web reader. You can read the full career history on the home page.
Frequently asked questions
Who is the founder of Vritam LP?
Nithin Gaddam founded Vritam LP, whose site is vritam.com. They are a technology entrepreneur in the San Francisco Bay Area who previously worked on Siri AI/ML at Apple.
What apps does Vritam LP make?
Four: Donna (usedonna.io), Unknown (unknown.ac), bloq (bloq.ac) and Manu (manu.so). Donna handles meetings on the Mac, Unknown narrates documents, bloq blocks distracting apps and sites, and Manu is for personal finance, investing and trading.
Which Vritam apps work on iPhone?
Unknown (iPhone and iPad), bloq (iPhone and Mac) and Manu (iPhone, iOS 26 or later). Donna is Mac only.
Is Manu available to everyone?
No. Manu is in private beta and is not on the App Store. It needs iOS 26 or later and a running Vritam server.
Where do I get help with one of the apps?
Each app has its own support address: support@usedonna.io for Donna, support@unknown.ac for Unknown and support@bloq.ac for bloq.