Stealth Startup Spy #285
Ex-Palantir exec builds AI for real-time biodefense - backed by OpenAI, Spotify and Google alums raise $6.6M to automate marketing with multi-agent AI, & Ex-BlackRock VP of AI goes stealth
🚀 We just launched a new newsletter — Company Launch Tracker.
We’re tracking company launches as they happen and surfacing the most interesting new founders and startups (yes, all outside of this stealth activity too). If you want to stay ahead of the curve, this is where you’ll find them first.
Right now we’ve got 5 subscribers: my wife, my mom, and that high school buddy who won’t stop pitching me his app. Be smart like them and get in early 👇
In this issue of the Stealth Startup Spy, here is what we will uncover:
Palantir’s former Head of Life Sciences builds AI for real-time biodefense, backed by OpenAI, Lux, and Founders Fund
Stanford PhD and DeepMind alum builds autonomous platform to identify and fix vulnerabilities instantly
BlackRock’s former VP of AI and ex-Microsoft ML lead starts a stealth venture
Spotify and Google veterans raise $6.6M from Lightspeed to automate marketing agencies with multi-agent AI
Ex-Lockheed Martin program lead and NASA advisor goes stealth
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
Kathleen McMahon - Co-Founder & CEO at Valthos
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 43 weeks ago
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Life Sciences at Palantir Technologies, ex-Equity Research Analyst at Goldman Sachs
Valthos is developing frontier AI systems that identify biological threats and design medical countermeasures in real time.
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 7
Latest Funding: $30M Undisclosed Round on 10/24/2025
Key Investor: OpenAI Startup Fund, Lux Capital, Founders Fund
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 12 months
Stanislav Fort - Founder & Chief Scientist at AISLE
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 46 weeks ago
FounderDNA: Former FAANG, Masters Degree, Doctorate Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Stanford AI/ML PhD, ex-Google Brain, DeepMind, Anthropic, ex-Stability AI LLM lead, Stanford MS & Cambridge BA+MSci
AISLE enables organizations of all sizes to autonomously identify and remediate critical vulnerabilities with unmatched speed and precision
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Computer and Network Security | Team Size: 23
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 10 months
Mo Elkhidir - Co-Founder at Epiminds
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-Tech Lead - Blob Storage at Spotify, ex-Senior Software Engineer at Kry, ex-Senior Software Engineer at Livi UK
Co-Founder: Elias Malm (Ex-Strategic Agency Manager | Sweden at Google) - connect via email
Epiminds uses multi-agent artificial intelligence to automate the daily work of marketing agencies - analyzing performance data, generating reports, and optimizing campaigns across Google, Meta, TikTok, and other ad networks.
HQ: Sweden
Industry: Software Development | Team Size: 4
Latest Funding: $6.6M Seed Round on 10/14/2025
Key Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners, EWOR, Entourage
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 6 months
Varunram Ganesh - Founder at Lapis Labs
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Head of Growth at Warp, ex-Growth Lead at Deskera, ex-Research Engineer at MIT Media Lab
Lapis (YCF25) is building the fastest and most accurate AI search analytics platform.
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 2
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Eleanor Morgan - Co-Founder & CEO at Liftoff
🔎Featured Founder under stealth mode 115 weeks ago
FounderDNA: Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Chief Product Officer at InVision, ex-CEO at Casper, ex-Senior Location Director at IDEO, ex-Product Designer at Volkswagen
Liftoff is a hiring and networking platform that connects great people to opportunities based on what they’re interested in doing next, with the support of their network.
HQ: New York, New York, United States
Industry: Technology, Information and Internet | Team Size: 12
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 28 months
🕵️♂️Key Talent Going Under Stealth
Illuminating clues left behind by world class talent and influential innovators who just went into stealth mode
Branka Jokanovic - Co-Founder at Stealth Mode
FounderDNA: Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Former FAANG, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Global Automotive Solutions Architect at Amazon, ex-Project Lead at Aptiv, ex-Radar Algorithm Development Engineer at Delphi
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 months
Sen Lin - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Top 10 University, Prior Exit
Prior Experience: Ex-Director of Integrated Photonics at Aurora, ex-Co-Founder, CTO at OURS Technology (acquired by Aurora), ex-Hardware Engineer at Ayar Labs, ex-Technical Consultant at Xilinx
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 3 months
Fyodor Minakov - Co-Founder at Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-VP of AI at BlackRock, ex-Interim Head of Machine Learning at Howie, ex-ML Lead at Avoma, ex-Microsoft
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: New York, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 1 month
Eddie Aronovich - Co-Founder & CTO at Stealth
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree
Prior Experience: Ex-VP of Artificial Intelligence at Knostic, ex-CTO & co-founder at Indolex, ex-Head of Analytics (AI) - Autonomous Driving at General Motors
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: Israel
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 9 months
Steven Shepard - Co-Founder & CEO at Stealth Startup
FounderDNA: Serial Founder, Technical Founder, Doctorate Degree, Masters Degree, Top 10 University
Prior Experience: Ex-Senior Program Manager for Lunar Fission Surface Power and Directed Energy at Lockheed Martin; ex-Industry Advisor to NASA, US Space Force, and Pentagon
Connect on: LinkedIn
HQ: San Francisco, California, United States
Time Spent in Stealth Mode: 2 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.