Stealth Startup Spy #198
Ex-Tenable GM tackles cyber threats with AI-powered defense platform (raised $30M), Arcus founder (acq by Mastercard) builds API-driven payment infrastructure, & Stanford MBA launches stealth venture
🚨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:
Arcus Co-Founder (YCS13 acquired by Mastercard) builds API-driven infrastructure for payments
Ex-Tenable GM tackles cyber threats with AI-powered defense platform (raised $30M)
Former Twitter & Google product leader, with a startup exit (Chatgrid, acquired by Medallia) builds in stealth mode
Stanford MBA and ex-CTO of venture-backed startups (Cometa, Space AG, Tullpi) launches new stealth venture
Ex-Sony and Qualcomm leader brings AI to mental health professionals in new startup
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
David Garcia - Co-Founder at Miriel
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 7 months ago
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Special Projects Lead at Airbnb, ex-SVP of Research and Development at REX, ex-Senior Engineering Manager at Lyft, ex-Sr Engineering Manager at Facebook, ex-Software Engineer at Google
Connect on: LinkedIn
Miriel seamlessly integrates AI into existing products within minutes.
HQ: San Francisco Bay Area, United States
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 3
Co-founders: Andrew Barkett (ex-Meta, Google, NVIDIA) , Josh Paulson (ex-RStudio)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 9 months
Inigo Rumayor Belausteguigoitia - Founder & CEO at Monato
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 4 months ago
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Co-Founder and former co-CEO at Arcus (YCS13, backed by Ignia, Citi Ventures, Softbank, Initialized Capital, Andreessen Horowitz, Kapor Capital) - acquired by Mastercard in 2021
Connect on: LinkedIn
Monato is building the infrastructure that allows companies to automate payments, deposits, transfers, credit needs and BI through a single API.
HQ: Mexico
Industry: Financial Services
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 12 months
Kash Sukhija - Co-Founder & CEO at OK Health
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Sr. Director, Technology at Sony Interactive Entertainment, ex-Solution Architect at Qualcomm, ex-Research Assistant at UC San Diego, ex-Software Engineer at Nucleus Software
Connect on: LinkedIn
OK Health is an AI copilot for mental health professionals.
HQ: San Diego, California, United States
Industry: Mental Health Care | Team Size: 3
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Jose Fernandez - Co-Founder & CEO at EasyComp
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-VP of Revenue Operations at Intapp, ex-Head of Sales Operations and Sales Development at Segment, ex-VP Sales Operations at MongoDB, ex-Head of Global Sales Development at Google
Connect on: LinkedIn
EasyComp is a streamlined compensation management platform for sales finance and revenue operations teams.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Piyush Sharrma - Co-founder & CEO at Tuskira
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Prior Exit
Prior Experience: Ex-GM/VP Cloud Security products at Tenable ($TENB), ex-CEO & Cofounder at Accurics (Acquired by Tenable), ex-Sr. Director of Engineering at Symantec
Connect on: LinkedIn
Tuskira is a preemptive cyber defense & response platform powered by agentic AI.
HQ: United States
Industry: Computer and Network Security | Team Size: 20
Latest Funding: $28.5M Series A Round on 12/4/2024 | Total Funding: $30M
Key Investors: Intel Capital, SYN Ventures, Techsphere Ventures,Sorenson Capital, Wipro Ventures, Rain Capital
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
Ariel Slepyan - Co-Founder at Stealth
Developing scalable tactile sensors for next generation e-skins.
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: PhD Student at The Johns Hopkins University, ex-Lead Hardware Engineer at CurveAssure Spine, ex-Researcher at Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology (SINAPSE)
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 12 months
Stephanie Liu Cossart - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Product Manager at Duolingo, ex-Product Manager at Unity Technologies, Stanford MBA
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 8 months
Reece Fiebich - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Software Engineering Manager at Relativity Space, ex-Hardware Test Engineer at Loon, ex-Hardware Test Engineer at X, the moonshot factory
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 year 3 months
Adolfo Valdivieso - Co-Founder & CTO at Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Stanford MBA, ex-CTO at Cometa (backed by Kaszek, Homebrew, 500 Startups and Reach Capital), ex-CTO/Head of AI at Space AG (backed by Thrive, Yield Lab and Angel Ventures)
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Palo Alto, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 6 months
Herman Yang - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University, Prior Exit
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Product, Enterprise + New Initiatives at Moloco, ex-Head of Product, Conversations at Medallia, ex-CEO & Co-founder at Chatgrid (Acquired by Medallia), ex-Head of Product, Twitter Exchange at Twitter, ex-Google, Harvard MBA
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 8 months
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.