Stealth Startup Spy #187
Ex-Microsoft VP of AI launches stealth AI venture, Ex-Head of Security at Meta unveils autonomous security platform, & Harvard MBA/ex-McKinsey builds AI-driven BankTech startup
🚨Here’s the deal🚨This email has gotten too big. Exciting, but with more people following it, the edge diminishes. I’ve thought long and hard about what to do to preserve the value in the signals. I’m not sure about the final direction yet, but in the meantime I’ve been sending an email 48 hours earlier to a select group of paid subscribers. The feedback has been pretty positive so I’m going to open up the list for another 100 spots. To get signals early, Apply here!
In this issue of the Stealth Startup Spy, here is what we will uncover:
Former Head of Security Partners at Meta and ex-Chief Scientist at FireEye launch an autonomous security platform to transform security operations
Microsoft’s VP of AI, with 15 years at the company, departs to launch a new stealth AI venture
Former AI researchers from MediaTek Research unveil a company that supercharges your AI stack with real-time prompt compression APIs
Harvard MBA and ex-McKinsey consultant builds a stealth startup focused on AI and BankTech
AI-powered platform that accelerates access to preventative healthcare goes live
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
Seth Summersett - Co-Founder & CEO at Embed Security
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode in StealthStartSpy#141
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Security Partners at Meta, ex-Chief Scientist, VP at FireEye, ex-Principal Security Researcher at Awake Security, ex-Global Network Exploitation and Vulnerability Analyst at National Security Agency
Connect on: LinkedIn
Embed unlocks the power of AI for your security operations.
HQ: United States
Industry: Computer and Network Security | Team Size: 10
Co-founder: Jeffrey Johns (Ex-Director of Data Science & Engineering at Google, featured in SSS#143) , David Klock (ex-Google, ex-Microsoft)
Latest Funding: $6M Seed Round on 11/7/2024 from Paladin Capital Group
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 11 months
Vasu Nagendra - Co-Founder & CEO at Alertwise
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Product Officer at TrustArc and Critical Start, ex-Systems Engineering Manager at RSA The Security Division of EMC
Connect on: LinkedIn
Alertwise is a next-gen SOAR platform that accelerates alert resolution and strengthens your organization's security posture.
HQ: Texas, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 16 months
Federica Freddi - Co-Founder & CTO at Sqwish
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Artificial Intelligence Researcher at MediaTek Research, ex-Data Engineering Intern at ARM, ex-Software Engineering Intern at Bending Spoons
Connect on: LinkedIn
Sqwish is building the efficiency layer for AI with a real-time prompt compression API.
HQ: United Kingdom
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 2
Co-Founder: Ushnish Sengupta (Ex-Senior Artificial Intelligence Researcher at MediaTek Research)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
Sanjit Juneja - Founder & CEO at Darwin
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder
Prior Experience: Ex-AI Researcher at The University of Texas at Austin, ex-Machine Learning Engineer at AKASA
Connect on: LinkedIn
Darwin aims to make interactive media more accessible, engaging, & shareable.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Media Production | Team Size: 3
Latest Funding: Undisclosed Pre-Seed Round on 10/31/2024 from A16Z GAMES Speedrun
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
Christopher Ballesteros - Co-founder & CEO at Zeteo
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Commercial Officer at KangarooHealth, ex-Head of Corporate Development and Sales Enablement at OM, ex-Senior Associate at General Catalyst Partners
Connect on: LinkedIn
Zeteo Health is an early stage, highly personalized, AI-powered platform built to accelerate access to care and activate difficult-to-engage member populations.
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Industry: Health and Human Services | Team Size: 5
Key Investor: Benchstrength Venture Capital (General Catalyst spinout)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 6 months
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Mike Meaney - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Learning Engineering at Multiverse, ex-Research Lead at Meta, ex-Innovation Fellow and Product Manager at Arizona State University
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Menlo Park, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Sophie Jewsbury - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: MBA Fellow at Citi Ventures, ex-McKinsey, ex-Morgan Stanley, Harvard MBA
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 5 months
Ben Goswami - Co-Founder at Stealth AI Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Director of Engineering - Data and ML at Heyday, ex-Sr. Director, Data Engineering, AI/ML at Change Healthcare, ex-Data Engineering Manager at Meta, ex-Google
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Mateo, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 8 months
Robert Hasslen - Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Sr. Manager ADAS/AD Controller HW Design at Lucid Motors, ex-Sr. HW Manager at Uber, ex-Director, HW Engineering at Samsung Electronics, ex-Sr. Engineering Manager at NVIDIA
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Menlo Park, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 19 months
Luis Vargas - Founder & CTO at Stealth AI Startup
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Doctorate Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-VP of AI at Microsoft (15 years tenure at the company)
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 month
Stay Stealthy,
Drake
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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 shine a light on the hidden world of stealth startups.