Stealth Startup Spy #200
Berkeley AI researcher launches secure voice AI for fintech (YCW25), Retool alum builds AI email assistant, & Ex-Google tech lead (17 years) embarks on a 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:
Ex-Berkeley AI Researcher & YCW25 founder builds secure voice AI for fintech
Ex-Mammoth Biosciences Chief Business Officer launches stealth mode biotech startup
Former FAANG employee embarks on stealth venture after 17 years at Google
Retool alum and Stanford AI researcher creates powerful AI email assistant
Ex-100 Thieves product leader and former Bessemer VC builds something new in stealth mode
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
Saner Cakir - Co-Founder & CEO at Trace
FounderDNA: Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Researcher at Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research
Connect on: LinkedIn
Trace (YCW25) is building secure and reliable voice AI customer support agents for banking, insurance, fintech, and more.
HQ: United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 3
Co-founders: Yash Vardhan Pansari (Berkeley CS + Math; ex. Optiver, Goldman Sachs) , Kayla Lee (ex. Jane Street, Google, BAIR)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 12 months
Erin Zhao - Co-Founder at Uplegal AI
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Founder & CEO at OutWeGo, ex-Product Manager at Cognizant, ex-EY
Connect on: LinkedIn
Uplegal AI automates legal tasks, streamlines workflows, and improves accuracy.
HQ: Palo Alto, California, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 1
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 5 months
Joep van den Bogaert - Co-Founder at Rewize
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Data Scientist at bol.com, ex-Data Scientist at ABN AMRO
Connect on: LinkedIn
Rewize is building a product that optimizes and automates inventory for e-commerce businesses.
HQ: United Kingdom
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Paul Warren - Founder & CEO at Margins
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Previously founded an AI consultancy ($1.5m+ lifetime revenue) and cofounded a crypto startup ($15m+ raised)
Connect on: LinkedIn
Margins is a book tracking and discovery app.
HQ: United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Media | Team Size: 3
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 year 11 months
James Liu - Co-founder & CTO at Serif
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University, Prior Exit
Prior Experience: Ex-Software Engineer at Retool, ex-Co-Founder at include.ai (acquired by Retool), ex-Researcher at Stanford Vision Lab, ex-Uber
Connect on: LinkedIn
Serif is building a powerful AI email assistant.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 3
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 year 1 month
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Brandon Saw - Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Director of Product at 100 Thieves, ex-New Products at AngelList, ex-Analyst at Bessemer Venture Partners
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Los Angeles, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Matthias Scheidegger - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Uber Tech Lead at Google (17 years)
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Switzerland
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Rohit Misra - Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-VP, Artificial Intelligence at Citi India, ex-Senior Software Engineer - ML at Intuit, ex-Senior Software Engineer - ML at Swiggy
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Gurugram, Haryana, India
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 year 1 month
Peter Nell - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth Mode Biotech
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Business Officer, Head of Therapeutics Strategy at Mammoth Biosciences, ex-SVP, Head Corporate Strategy & Business Development, Co-founder at Casebia Therapeutics, ex-Director at Bayer HealthCare
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 months
Vinay Ahuja - Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Director Of Engineering at SeekOut, ex-Principal Group Engineering Leader at Microsoft
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 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.