Stealth Startup Spy #269
Ex-Hopin CEO returns with new stealth venture, Former Meta and Google exec launches AI chat for teams, & Ex-GIPHY & Snap team builds AI agents to boost conversions
If you want your own startup, your portfolio company, or just a rockstar team to get featured in front of our audience of 25K+ investors, submit it here to be considered.
In this issue of the Stealth Startup Spy, here is what we will uncover:
Serial Founder & Ex-Hopin CEO returns with new stealth venture
Former Meta and Google exec launches AI chat for teams
AI veteran from Calendly, Square, and Uber unveils AI-powered call assistant that modernizes phone calls
Ex-GIPHY & Snap team builds AI agents to boost conversions
Ex-Typeform CEO teams up with YC founder on new stealth 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
Mel Foody - Co-Founder at Ping AI
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 20 weeks ago
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-VP / Head of Data Engineering Instagram & Threads at Meta, ex-Director, Business Intelligence & Analytics at Google
Ping is AI chat for teams. Ask, decide, and do - with your whole team there.
HQ: United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 2
Co-Founder: Peter Griggs (Ex-Director of Product at Deepgram - Connect via email)
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 6 months
Jinsong Tan - Founder & CEO at Guardianly
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode in StealthStartupSpy#255
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of AI at Calendly, ex-VP of Machine Learning at Upstart, ex-Head of Machine Learning, Risk at Square, ex-Director of Machine Learning at PathAI, ex-Head of Data Science & Machine Learning at Lime, ex-Machine Learning Engineer at Uber
Guardianly is an AI powered call assistant that modernizes phone calls and makes them pleasant to use again.
HQ: United States - Remote
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
Yuchen Wu - Co-founder & CEO at MAI Agents
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 41 weeks ago
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-VP of Engineering at Instacart, ex-Principal Engineer & Director of Engineering at Google, ex-Research Assistant at Northwestern University
MAI is pioneering autonomous growth agents that bring advanced data science and machine learning to every business.
HQ: United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 3
Co-Founder: Jian Wang (Ex-Senior Director of Engineering at Instacart) - Connect via Email
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Ash Pirnia - Co-Founder & CEO at Orange Fennec
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Software Development Manager at Amazon Web Services (AWS), ex-Software Development Manager at Amazon
Orange Fennec is an AI-powered parenting co-pilot for raising great kids.
HQ: Australia
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Sean Quigley - Founder at Surface AI
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Former FAANG
Prior Experience: Ex-VP, Product Engineering at GIPHY, ex-Staff Software Engineer at Meta, ex-Data Engineer at Shutterstock
Surface AI is an AI agent-based platform for conversion rate optimization.
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 2
Co-Founder: Ari Spool (Ex-PM at Snap and GIPHY) - Connect via email
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 7 months
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Badri Rajasekar - Building in Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-CEO at Hopin, ex-CEO at Jamm (acquired by Hopin), ex-Sr VP of Engineering at Vonage, ex-CTO at Telefonica, ex-Microsoft
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
Chase Huntzinger - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Founder at Piton Ventures, ex-Strategic Finance - GitHub Copilot & Engineering Investments at GitHub, ex-Cloud and AI Margin Strategy at Microsoft
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Utah, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 months
John Deniston - Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Staff Strategy & Operations Manager (Chief of Staff, Operations) at Cruise, ex-Head of Fleet Operations at Embark Trucks, ex-US Air Force
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Joaquim Lecha - Co-Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-CEO/COO at Typeform, ex-Chief Operating Officer at Social Point
Connect on: LinkedIn
Co-Founders: Daniel Carmona Serrat (Founder at Aldara (YC S22) - featured in SSS#206) and Pol Ruiz Farre (Founding Engineer at Aldara (YC S22))
HQ: London Area, United Kingdom
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 6 months
Amy Bearman - Founder at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Engineering Manager, Ads and Engineering Manager, GenAI at Meta, ex-Engineering Manager at Mythic
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Redwood City, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 4 months
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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.