The Columbia University Mafia

Khanak
September 17, 2024
Tech Mafias

In 2024, Columbia University is led by Dr. Katrina Armstrong, who became Interim President in August 2024. A highly respected physician and researcher, Dr. Armstrong is also the CEO of Columbia University Irving Medical Center and executive vice president for Health and Biomedical Sciences. Her background includes groundbreaking research in medical decision-making, cancer prevention, and healthcare disparities, focusing on improving the quality of care and addressing inequities in healthcare, particularly for marginalized communities.

Under her leadership, Columbia continues its legacy as one of the world’s top universities, serving tens of thousands of students across disciplines such as law, medicine, business, and the arts. Dr. Armstrong’s focus on innovation and community health aligns with Columbia’s global outreach and commitment to fostering future leaders. Her contributions as a scientist and medical leader have further strengthened Columbia's role in advancing both academic and practical knowledge​.

Katrina Armstrong, MD: Leading with Empathy
Dr. Katrina Armstrong

The Columbia University Mafia

The Columbia University Mafia has founded 3,232 companies and raised $93B.

PS: Are you a Columbia University Mafia member interested in bringing your community together to invest in innovative ventures (and enjoy potential profits and other perks along the way)? Or perhaps you're part of another dynamic group that could be a fantastic source of startup investments?

😉 Then sign up to our waitlist

List of all the amazing companies covered

  • Compass
  • Pinterest
  • Thumbtack
  • BuzzFeed
  • AvantStay
  • Personio
  • Zymergen
  • Odyssey Therapeutics
  • Knotel
  • FogPharma
  • Scorpion Therapeutics
  • Human Longevity
  • Sumo Logic
  • Tempo
  • LifeMine Therapeutics
  • Lyndra Therapeutics
  • Jnana Therapeutics
  • BrightFarms
  • Odeko
  • Botrista Technology
  • Premise Data
  • Kolltan Pharmaceuticals
  • Chief
  • Opsware
  • Entrepreneur First
  • Albert
  • Newsela
  • Zest AI
  • Alkeus Pharmaceuticals
  • Noah Medical
  • Turbonomic
  • Codecademy
  • Amity
  • EOC Pharma Group
  • Artsy
  • Small Door
  • Ossio
  • DUST Identity
  • Passport
  • Zeera
  • MicroVention Terumo
  • Qlaris Bio
  • Inari Medical
  • FiftyThree
  • Craft.co
  • Beeswax
  • Topography Health
  • Above Average
  • Operator
  • GroupMe
  • Fundera
  • Daylife
  • Pebble
  • Timehop

Compass

Founder: Robert Reffkin

Columbia University:  Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics-Philosophy and History

1997 - 1999

Capital Raised: $1.5B

Investors: Thrive Capital

Stage: Series G

Compass is a real estate technology company that provides an online platform for buying, renting, and selling real estate assets.

Pinterest

Founder: Evan Sharp

Columbia University: Architecture

2007 - 2009

Capital Raised: $1.5B

Investors: Bessemer Venture Partners

Stage: Post-IPO Equity

Pinterest is a visual bookmarking tool for saving and discovering creative ideas.

Thumbtack

Founder: Marco Zappacosta

Columbia University: 2003 - 2007

Capital Raised: $773.2M

Investors: Sequoia Capital

Stage: Debt Financing

Thumbtack is a home services website connecting users with local service providers.

BuzzFeed

Founder: John S. Johnson

Columbia University: Master's degree, Research Methodology and Quantitative Methods

2011 - 2013

Capital Raised: $696.3M

Investors: Founder Collective

Stage: Post-IPO Equity

BuzzFeed is a cross-platform digital media company delivering news and entertainment content to a global audience.

AvantStay

Founder: Reuben Doetsch

Columbia University: Bachelor of Science (BS), Computer Science & Philosophy

2007 - 2011

Capital Raised: $686M

Investors: Bullpen Capital

Stage: Private Equity

AvantStay is a technology-first hospitality brand for experiential group travel.

Personio

Founder: Hanno Renner

Columbia University: Visiting Graduate Student, Entrepreneurship and Sustainability Management

2014 - 2015

Capital Raised: $724.3M

Investors: Index Ventures

Stage: Series E

Personio is the all-in-one HR software that upgrades your people operations for now and the future

Zymergen

Founder: Zach Serber

Columbia University: BA, Biophysics

1992 - 1996

Capital Raised: $974.1M

Investors: True Ventures

Stage: Series D

Zymergen is a biotechnology company that specializes in machine learning, big data, and artificial intelligence.

Odyssey Therapeutics

Founder: Gary D. Glick

Columbia University: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Organic Chemistry

1983 - 1988

Capital Raised: $487M

Investors: General Catalyst

Stage: Series C

Odyssey Therapeutics creates precision immunomodulators and oncology medicines for patients with cancer and inflammatory diseases.

Knotel

Founder: Amol Sarva

Columbia University: B.A., Economics, Philosophy

1994 - 1998

Capital Raised: $560M

Investors: Global Founders Capital

Stage: Series C

Knotel is a flexible workspace platform that matches, tailors and manages space for customers.

FogPharma

Founder: Greg Verdine

Columbia University: PhD, Chemistry

1981 - 1986

Capital Raised: $530.3M

Investors: General Catalyst

Stage: Series E

FogPharma is a biopharmaceutical firm that develops precision medicines for the vast majority of therapeutic targets.

Scorpion Therapeutics

Founder: Gary D. Glick

Columbia University: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Organic Chemistry

1983 - 1988

Capital Raised: $420M

Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners

Stage: Series C

Scorpion Therapeutics is a clinical-stage oncology company that specializes in precision medicine for cancer patients.

Human Longevity

Founder: Robert Hariri

Columbia University: A.B., Biological Anthropology

1976 - 1980

Capital Raised: $369.8M

Investors: Threshold

Stage: Series B

Human Longevity is a genomic-based, health intelligence company empowering proactive healthcare and enabling a life better lived.

Sumo Logic

Founder: Kumar Saurabh

Columbia University: MS, Computer Science

2000 - 2001

Capital Raised: $340M

Investors: Sequoia Capital

Stage: Series G

Sumo Logic is a provider of cloud-based machine data analytics that enables reliable and secure cloud-native applications.

Tempo

Founder: Joshua Augustin

Columbia University: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Computer Science

2013 - 2015

Capital Raised: $298.8M

Investors: General Catalyst

Stage: Series C

Tempo is a home fitness platform, combining equipment, training guidance, and social motivation with 3D sensors and artificial intelligence.

LifeMine Therapeutics

Founder: Greg Verdine

Columbia University: PhD, Chemistry

1981 - 1986

Capital Raised: $295M

Investors: Fidelity

Stage: Series C

LifeMine Therapeutics combines genomics with AI and synthetic biology to discover and develop a pipeline of novel medicines.

Lyndra Therapeutics

Founder: Andrew Bellinger

Columbia University: Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Biochemistry, Biophysics and Molecular Biology

2002 - 2009

Capital Raised: $284.6M

Investors: Polaris Partners

Stage: Series E

Lyndra Therepeutics creates therapies for long-term drug release in an oral dose form.

Jnana Therapeutics

Founder: Joel Barrish

Columbia University: PhD, MPhil, MA, Organic Chemistry

1979 - 1982

Capital Raised: $207M

Investors: Bain Capital Life Sciences

Stage: Series C

Jnana Therapeutics develops innovative therapies using a chemoproteomics drug discovery platform.

BrightFarms

Founder: Ted Caplow

Columbia University: Ph.D., Environmental Engineering

2001 - 2004

Capital Raised: $212.9M

Investors: Cox Enterprises

Stage: Series E

BrightFarms is an indoor farming company that specializes in providing locally grown packaged salads.

Odeko

Founder: Dane Atkinson

Columbia University: 1991 - 1993

Capital Raised: $227M

Investors: Y Combinator

Stage: Series E

Odeko develops a business-grade software platform for small enterprises.

Botrista Technology

Founder: Paul Chen

Columbia University: MS, Electrical Engineering

Sep 2002 - Dec 2003

Capital Raised: $125.8M

Investors: Happiness Capital

Stage: Series C

Our automated Robot Barista increase beverage incidents and overall profit for F&B operators

Premise Data

Founder: David Soloff

Columbia University: BA, MELAC

Sep 1987 - May 1991

Capital Raised: $146M

Investors: Bowery Capital

Stage: Series E

Premise is a data and analytics platform powered by a global network of on-the-ground contributors, data science, and machine learning.

Kolltan Pharmaceuticals

Founder: Arthur Altschul

Columbia University: Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.), Computer Science

Sep 1982 - Jun 1989

Capital Raised: $146M

Investors: KLP Enterprises

Stage: Series D

Kolltan Pharmaceuticals develops new-generation monoclonal antibody oncology therapeutics.

Chief

Founder: Attica Alexis Jaques

Columbia University: Masters, Strategic Communication

Aug 2012 - Jun 2014

Capital Raised: $140M

Investors: BoxGroup

Stage: Series B

Chief is a private membership network focused on connecting and supporting women executive leaders.

Opsware

Founder: Ben Horowitz

Columbia University: BA, Computer Science

1984 - 1988

Capital Raised: $186M

Investors: Benchmark

Stage: Series B

Opsware offers products for server and network device provisioning, configuration and management, specifically for enterprise customers.

Entrepreneur First

Founder: Uzay Macar

Columbia University: Bachelor of Science, Computer Science (Major), Applied Mathematics (Minor)

Capital Raised: $180.4M

Investors: Sequoia Capital

Stage: Series C

Entrepreneur First brings ambitious founders together to build globally important technology companies.

Albert

Founder: Andrzej Baraniak, Yinon Ravid

Columbia University: Bachelor's Degree, Economics, Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Economics and Computer Science

2001 - 2005

Capital Raised: $175.6M

Investors: General Atlantic

Stage: Series C

Albert is a financial technology company aiming to democratize money management by making financial advice accessible and affordable.

Newsela

Founder: Matthew Gross

Columbia University: BA, Music

1990 - 1994

Capital Raised: $172.2M

Investors: Kleiner Perkins

Stage: Series D

Newsela is an Ed-tech startup that takes content from trusted providers and turns it into learning materials.

Zest AI

Founder: Shawn Budde

Columbia University: B.A., Computer Science

1985 - 1987

Capital Raised: $157.7M

Investors: Insight Partners

Stage: Series F

Zest AI is a financial service company that makes software for credit underwriting.

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals

Founder: Ilyas Washington, Jennifer Petter

Columbia University: Post Doctoral, Photo and Natural Products Chemistry, Bioorganic Chemistry

2007

Capital Raised: $150.1M

Investors: Bain Capital Life Sciences

Stage: Series B

Alkeus Pharmaceuticals is a Boston-based startup focused on treatments for serious ophthalmic conditions.

Noah Medical

Founder: Jian Zhang

Columbia University: PhD, Medical Robotics

2006 - 2010

MPhil, Mechanical Engineering

2006 - 2008

Capital Raised: $150M

Investors: Sequoia Capital China

Stage: Series B

Noah Medical develops medical robotics using its next-generation robotic platform for patient diagnosis and treatment.

Turbonomic

Founder: Danilo Florissi

Columbia University: Ph.D, Computer Science

1989 - 1995

Capital Raised: $149.5M

Investors: Bain Capital Ventures

Stage: Venture - Series Unknow

Turbonomic develops tools that optimize application performance, compliance, and cost in real-time.

Codecademy

Founder: Ryan Bubinski, Zach Sims

Columbia University: Biophysics, Computer Science, B.A., Political Science

Capital Raised: $87.5M

Investors: Union Square Ventures

Stage: Series D

Codecademy provides an online learning platform that teaches employable digital skills.

Amity

Founder: Korawad Chearavan

Columbia University: 2013 - 2015

Capital Raised: $88.7M

Investors: Insight Capital

Stage: Series C

Amity powers in-app social experiences, helping developers to easily add pre-built social features to any app with a few lines of code.

EOC Pharma Group

Founder: Xiaoming Zou

Columbia University: Ph.D., Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics

1993 - 1999

Capital Raised: $103M

Investors: Sequoia Capital

Stage: Series C

EOC Pharma is an integrated biopharmaceutical company that is focused on the manufacturing, development and commercialization of innovative global oncology products in China.

Artsy

Founder: Sebastian Cwilich

Columbia University: BA, Double major in Mathematics and Spanish Lang & Lit.

Capital Raised: $100.9M

Investors: Thrive Capital

Stage: Series D

Artsy is the largest online art marketplace with more than 1 million artworks by over 100,000 artists.

Small Door

Founder: Josh Guttman

Columbia University: Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.)

Capital Raised: $63.5M

Investors: Lerer Hippeau

Stage: Series B

Small Door is a membership-based veterinary service that offers surgery, wellness, and preventative care.

Ossio

Founder: Orahn Preiss-Bloom

Columbia University: Bachelor's Degree, Biomedical/Medical Engineering

2000 - 2004

Capital Raised: $60.5M

Investors: OCV

Stage: Series C

OSSIO is an orthopedic fixation company committed to transforming the orthopedic experience for patients, physicians, and payors.

DUST Identity

Founder: Jonathan Hodges, Ophir Gaathon

Columbia University: BS, Applied Physics, Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), Applied Physics

1998 - 2002

Capital Raised: $52.3M

Investors: Kleiner Perkins

Stage: Series B

DUST Identity is a proprietary technology which utilizes nanodiamonds to create an unclonable identity layer on any object.

Passport

Founder: Aaron Schwartz

Columbia University: B.A, History; Hispanic Studies (Minor)

2000 - 2004

Capital Raised: $54M

Investors: FJ Labs

Stage: Series B

Passport is an international shipping carrier for eCommerce companies and their 3PLs.

Zeera

Founder: Ariela Safira

Columbia University: Master's degree, Clinical Psychology

Capital Raised: $53M

Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners

Stage: Series B

Zeera is a mental healthcare company that provides a digital platform and in-person experience for mental health patients.

MicroVention Terumo

Founder: Bob Rosenbluth

Columbia University: B.S., Chemical Engineering

1962 - 1966

Capital Raised: $51.6M

Investors: DeNovo Ventures

Stage: Series D

MicroVention Terumo develops catheter-based neuroendovascular technologies for cerebral aneurysms and other neurovascular diseases.

Qlaris Bio

Founder: Barbara Wirostko

Columbia University: Doctor of Medicine (M.D.), Medicine

1987 - 1991

Capital Raised: $49M

Investors: Canaan Partners

Stage: Series B

Qlaris Bio focuses on developing first-in-class therapies for serious and debilitating ophthalmic diseases.

Inari Medical

Founder: Bob Rosenbluth

Columbia University: B.S., Chemical Engineering

1962 - 1966

Capital Raised: $44.1M

Investors: Versant Ventures

Stage: Series C

Inari Medical is a medical device company that develops devices for the interventional treatment of cardiovascular diseases.

FiftyThree

Founder: Georg Petschnigg

Columbia University: BS, Computer Engineering, Economics

1996 - 2000

Capital Raised: $45.1M

Investors: Thrive Capital

Stage: Series B

FiftyThree is a provider of collaborative presentation tool used to build the essential tools for future creators.

Craft.co

Founder: Ilya Levtov

Columbia University: BA, English

1996 - 2000

Capital Raised: $42M

Investors: Greycroft

Stage: Series B

Helping supply chain and procurement professionals discover, evaluate, and monitor suppliers to create stronger supply chain resilience.

Beeswax

Founder: Ari Paparo

Columbia University: MBA

Sep 1997 - Jun 1999

Capital Raised: $28.3M

Investors: RRE Ventures

Stage: Series B

Beeswax offers Bidder-as-a-Service solution that is scalable, customizable, cloud-based programmatic bidding platform.

Topography Health

Founder: Andrew Kirchner

Columbia University: B.A.

2005 - 2009

Capital Raised: $27.5M

Investors: Bain Capital Venture

Stage: Series A

Topography Health encourages physicians in private practice to participate in clinical trials in order to advance medical research.

Above Average

Founder: David Birnbaum

Columbia University: BA, Economics

1995 - 1997

Capital Raised: $25.8M

Investors: Advance Venture Partners

Stage: Series B

Above Average is a multi-disciplinary entertainment company that creates original, premium programming for networks, brands, and fans.

perator

Founder: Robin Chan

Columbia University: B.A., Economics

1995 - 1999

Capital Raised: $25M

Investors: Greylock

Stage: Series B

Operator is an online shop powered by a community of experts that offers a range of products from fashionable items and RTWs to home decors.

GroupMe

Founder: Jared Hecht

Columbia University: BA

2005 - 2009

Capital Raised: $11.5M

Investors: First Round Capital

Stage: Series B

GroupMe is a group mobile messaging service for finding, planning and purchasing group activities.

Fundera

Founder: Jared Hecht

Columbia University: BA

2005 - 2009

Capital Raised: $18.9M

Investors: First Round Capital

Stage: Series B

Fundera is a marketplace for small business financial solutions.

Pebble

Founder: Bingrui Yang

Columbia University: Electrical Engineering

Capital Raised: $13.6M

Investors: Lightspeed Venture Partners

Stage: Series A

Pebble is a electric vehicle manufacturing startup.

Timehop

Founder: Benny Wong, Jonathan Wegener

Columbia University: BS, Computer Science, BA, Neuroscience, Sociology, Marketing

2003 - 2007

Capital Raised: $14.1M

Investors: Shasta Ventures

Stage: Series B

Timehop offers Nimbus, a mobile, and in-app header bidding solution.

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