Stealth Startup Spy #149
Udacity co-founder leads stealth AI/e-commerce startup, Viral influencer launches dating app with ex-Bumble, Hinge, Facebook, Uber team, & Airbnb alum unveils short term rental software
Stealth Startup Spy is a data-driven newsletter for investors, journalists and tech enthusiasts interested in uncovering the next big move for key talent, real-time stealth company launches and technology advancements not in plain sight. We leverage the technology built at Gravity to track billions of data points to help you identify tomorrow's opportunities that are currently hiding in the shadows. These signals include tracking the inflows and outflows of talent who work at “Stealth Startups”, bios and profile changes to “building something new” and monitoring press releases to shine a light on the hidden world of stealth startups.
In this issue of the Stealth Startup Spy, here is what we will uncover:
Cofounder of Udacity and Google X is running a stealth start-up at the intersection of AI and e-commerce.
Host of the Hookup Podcast and viral influencer (40M views) launches dating app with ex-Bumble, Hinge, Facebook, and Uber Team
Harvard alum is building a short term rental software after being at Airbnb for 6 years
Ex-Chief Product Officer at Kustomer (acquired by Meta for approximately $1 Billion) is building in stealth mode
Former Software Engineer at Notion and Pinterest embarks on YCS24 stealth venture
And more…
Now let’s shine the spotlight… 💡💡💡
🕵️♂️Founders Coming Out of Stealth
Real-time updates from founders who debut what they’ve been working on under stealth mode
Heather Hopkins - Co-Founder & CEO at Hulah
FounderDNA: Serial Founder
Prior Experience: Host of the Hookup podcast. Viral Influencer (40M views across platforms)
Hulah - Date Better Guys Endorsed by Other Women. Team is ex Bumble, Hinge, Facebook, and Uber.
HQ: Los Angeles, California, United States
Industry: Consumer | Team Size: 8
Traction Under Stealth: Currently raising seed. Achieved a 338% increase since “Bumble Fumble” (over 265,000 downloads and 222,000 active users), 3x initial ARR projections upon launching subscriptions in May 2024 ($185K ARR), and are currently experiencing 11% MoM growth.
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 12 months
Daniel Portela - Co-Founder & CTO at RetroFix
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode in StealthStartSpy#136
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Founding Engineer at Maura, ex-Undergraduate Researcher at MIT.nano Immersion Lab
Connect on: LinkedIn
RetroFix helps users find and apply for tailored grants and incentives to transform their building's energy use.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Anthony Jacob - CEO & Founder at Nila
FounderDNA: Serial Founder
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Growth, East Africa at Taptap Send, ex-CEO & Co-Founder at Anjara (supported by Eigenspace & Antler Toronto), ex-Pricing Manager at Bus.com (YCW16)
Connect on: LinkedIn
Nila is a global healthcare management platform that helps immigrants care for their families back home.
HQ: London, United Kingdom
Industry: Wellness and Fitness Services | Team Size: 4
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 7 months
Miika Huttunen - Co-Founder at Realm
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Executive Officer/Chief Operating Officer at Slush, ex-Head of New Ventures at ACE Consulting
Connect on: LinkedIn
Realm is a search engine for the workplace reimagined with AI.
HQ: Helsinki, Finland
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 8
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 16 months
Bill Ulammandakh - Co-Founder & CEO at ProhostAI
FounderDNA: Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Staff Data Scientist, Algorithms at Airbnb, ex-Data Scientist at Thumbtack, ex-Data Scientist at Etsy, ex-Analytics at Wayfair
Connect on: LinkedIn
ProhostAI is an AI-powered operating system for Airbnb hosts.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Edward Zhou - Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Technical Founder
Prior Experience: Ex-Staff Software Engineer at Notion, ex-Software Engineer at Pinterest, ex-Software Engineer Intern at SAP
Connect on: LinkedIn
YCS24 stealth founder.
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Sebastian Thrun - CEO at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Doctorate Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Cofounder and ex-Chairman at Udacity, ex-Google VP and founder of Google X
Connect on: LinkedIn
Running a small stealth start-up at the intersection of AI and e-commerce.
HQ: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
Peter Johnson - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Product Officer at Kustomer (acquired by Meta in 2020 for roughly $1 billion)
Connect on: LinkedIn
Co-Founder: Oren Bukspan (Ex-Engineering Manager at Meta)
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Rama Oruganti - Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Product Officer at RealWear ($126M raised), ex-Director, Product Management, Strategy, and GTM - 3D Printing at HP, ex-John Deere
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 months
Peter Goldsborough - Co-Founder & CTO at Stealth
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Engineer, Army C2 at Anduril Industries, ex-Software Engineer (AI Research) at Facebook, ex-Google, ex-Bloomberg LP
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Washington DC-Baltimore Area, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 month
Stay Stealthy,
Drake
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