Stealth Startup Spy #208
Ex-OpenAI researcher secures $40M from a16z for AI voice startup, Serial founder and investor behind Pacvue’s $400M exit launches AI for youth sports, & Ex-Anheuser exec applies AI to sponsorships
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In this issue of the Stealth Startup Spy, here is what we will uncover:
Serial founder and investor behind Pacvue’s $400M exit launches AI-driven platform for youth sports analytics
Ex-AssemblyAI & DocuSign revenue leader embarks on stealth venture
Ex-Anheuser-Busch exec uses AI to revolutionize sponsorship execution in sports and entertainment
Former Verkada & Amazon AGI product leader builds AI agents for software migrations
Ex-OpenAI & Meta researcher raises $40 million in funding from Andreessen Horowitz for AI voice 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
Kevin Keranen - Founder & CEO at Athlete.ai
FounderDNA: Serial Founder
Prior Experience: Early Investor/Advisor in Pacvue $400 M sale, Ex-CEO at ZANOMA.com, Ex-CEO at K2Click, Inc.
Athlete.ai leverages cutting-edge AI to transform youth sports analytics and content creation, providing tools for athletes, parents, and coaches to showcase talent and drive engagement.
HQ: Bend, Oregon / Remote
Industry: Consumer Software Team Size: 15
Key Team Members: Matt Steffe (Ex-Partner Blue Star Innovations, Ex-Senior VP of StackSports), Alec Kinsky (Owner at The Circuit Hoops, Ex-Business Development NBC-Sport Engine, Ex-Director at ShotQuality)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 13 months
Hannah Sorkin - Founder & CEO at PlayMaker
FounderDNA: Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Director, Sales Intelligence at Anheuser-Bush, Ex-Budweiser and Bud Light Sports Partnerships & Marketing at Anheuser-Busch, Princeton University Alum
PlayMaker unlocks the power of AI to increase automation, collaboration, and visibility within live sports & entertainment sponsorships. For both brands and rights holders, they provide unique solutions to help maximize partnership execution.
HQ: New York, New York
Industry: AI / B2B SaaS | Team Size: 3
Key Team Members: Sameer Mehra (Ex-Senior Software Engineer at Slang.ai, Ex Senior Software Engineer at LinkedIn, Harvard Computer Science Major)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 5 months
Traction Under Stealth:
Exited stealth this month with pilot customers. More than $1M in their pipeline (mainly inbound), planning to raise at the end of Q1 2025.
Alexis Conneau - Co-Founder & CEO at WaveForms AI
FounderDNA: Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Member of Technical Staff at OpenAI, ex-Research Scientist at Meta, ex-Research Scientist at Google
Connect on: LinkedIn
WaveForms AI is an Audio LLM research and product company aiming to solve the Speech Turing Test and create Emotional General Intelligence.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 5
Latest Funding: $40M Seed Round on 12/10/2024
Key Investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Techsphere Ventures
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 5 months
Albert Malikov - Founder & CEO at Stacks
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode in StealthStartSpy#124
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Product, Europe at Plaid, ex-Product, Uber Money at Uber, ex-Co-Founder & CPO at inShopper (acquired by Mail.Ru Group), ex-McKinsey
Connect on: LinkedIn
Stacks is a platform that automates the monthly financial close, enabling finance teams to get accurate insights with a single click.
HQ: Amsterdam, North Holland, Netherlands
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 10
Key Investors: General Catalyst, EQT, S16VC
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Ethan Arpi - Co-Founder at Recess
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Director, Product and Business Strategy, Instagram Shopping at Meta, ex-Lead, Product and Growth Marketing, Instagram Advertising at Instagram
Connect on: LinkedIn
Recess is a parenting app that helps parents connect, get advice, and buy or sell used baby gear within their local community.
HQ: New York, United States
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 year 4 months
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Matt Willis - Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Revenue Officer at AssemblyAI, ex-Group VP at DocuSign
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Seattle, Washington, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 8 months
Prasen Shelar - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Product, Spot Connect & Spot Platform Services at NetApp, ex-Senior Product Manager at Palo Alto Networks
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 month
Gui Santa Rosa - Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of International Product Growth, LATAM & Europe at Meta, ex-Co-Founder at Compass Tecnologia, ex-Solutions Architect at MicroStrategy
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Lora Winters - Founder at Stealth AI Startup
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Analytics at Free2move, ex-Sr. Analytics and Product Operations Manager, DACH at Uber
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: France
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 months
Pushpak Pujari - Founder at Stealth AI Startup
Building AI agents for software migrations
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Director of Product Management - Security Cameras and AI at Verkada, ex-Head of Product at Amazon AGI, Wharton MBA
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 month
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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.