The Databricks Mafia
Databricks turned academic code into a $1.4B data empire. What started as a UC Berkeley research project became the engine behind Apache Spark and a mission to make data and AI simple for every company.
As the platform scaled, so did its people. Now, ex-Databricks operators are launching bold startups of their own, carrying lessons from one of tech’s most influential builders.
From infrastructure to AI tooling, the Databricks Mafia is shaping the next generation of enterprise tech. Here's who they are, what they’re building, and why it matters.
The Databricks Mafia has founded 14 companies and raised $1.4B.
PS: Are you a Databricks 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?
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The Databricks Mafia
A list of companies all within the Databrick Mafia
Presence
Presence is a teletherapy platform that connects schools with licensed clinicians to deliver special education services like speech and occupational therapy remotely.
Founder
Clay Whitehead
Capital Raised
$414.2M
Stage
Private Equity
Investors
Bain Capital Double Impact Fund
Mafia role
Advisor
getPIN.xyz
Perplexity
Perplexity is an AI-powered search engine that delivers real-time, cited answers using LLMs—designed as a factual, conversational alternative to Google.
Founder
Andy Konwinski
Capital Raised
$665M
Stage
Series D
Investors
IVP
Mafia role
Co-Founder, Advisor
getPIN.xyz
MotherDuck
MotherDuck is a serverless data analytics platform built on DuckDB, enabling fast, collaborative querying directly from the browser without heavy infrastructure.
Founder
Ryan Boyd
Capital Raised
$100M
Stage
Series B
Investors
Felicis
Mafia role
Head of Developer Relations
getPIN.xyz
Brightwave
Brightwave is an AI-native email assistant designed for professionals, using LLMs to draft, respond to, and manage high-volume email with accuracy and context.
Founder
Mike Conover
Capital Raised
$21M
Stage
Series A
Investors
Decibel Partners
Mafia role
Staff Software Engineer
getPIN.xyz
Crogl
Crogl is a cybersecurity company that offers a platform for managing risk, compliance, and governance at scale, focused on simplifying security operations.
Founder
Monzy Merza
Capital Raised
$30M
Stage
Series A
Investors
Menlo Ventures
Mafia role
VP, Security GTM
getPIN.xyz
KlearNow
KlearNow is a smart logistics platform that streamlines customs clearance and freight visibility using AI, helping businesses reduce delays and paperwork in global shipping.
Founder
Ulf Sandberg
Capital Raised
$66M
Stage
Series B
Investors
GreatPoint Ventures
Mafia role
VP, Customer Success
getPIN.xyz
AI Squared
AI Squared is a data integration platform that embeds real-time AI insights into existing enterprise tools like CRMs and BI dashboards.
Founder
Benjamin Harvey
Capital Raised
$19.8M
Stage
Series A
Investors
Ansa Capital
Mafia role
Solutions Architect and Data Scientist
getPIN.xyz
Storio Energy
Storio Energy is building next-gen energy storage systems to make renewable energy more reliable and scalable for utilities and grid operators.
Founder
Jean-Yves Stephan
Capital Raised
$5.6M
Stage
Seed
Investors
Lowercarbon Capital
Mafia role
Software Engineer and Tech Lead Manager
getPIN.xyz
BentoML
BentoML is a framework for building, packaging, and deploying machine learning models at scale, designed to streamline the machine learning operations (MLOps) lifecycle.
Founder
Chaoyu Yang
Capital Raised
$9M
Stage
Seed
Investors
DCM Ventures
Mafia role
Software Engineer
getPIN.xyz
Synquote
Synquote is an options trading platform built for institutions, offering smart routing, real-time quotes, and advanced execution tools.
Founder
Ahmed Attia
Capital Raised
$2.8M
Stage
Seed
Investors
Initialized Capital
Mafia role
Software Engineer
getPIN.xyz
Amigo AI
Amigo AI is building AI copilots that help knowledge workers automate repetitive tasks and decisions, starting with customer support and internal ops.
Founder
John Xing
Capital Raised
$6.3M
Stage
Seed
Investors
General Catalyst
Mafia role
Software Engineer
getPIN.xyz
Hathora
Hathora is a cloud platform for multiplayer game developers that handles backend infrastructure like matchmaking, server scaling, and global distribution.
Founder
Siddharth Dhulipalla
Capital Raised
$7.6M
Stage
Seed
Investors
Founders Fund
Mafia role
Engineering Manager
getPIN.xyz
Resourcely
Resourcely is a security automation tool that helps engineering teams set and enforce cloud policies directly in their development workflows.
Founder
Travis McPeak
Capital Raised
$8.3M
Stage
Seed
Investors
Felicis
Mafia role
Head of Product Security
getPIN.xyz
Brevian
Brevian is a data security platform that gives companies real-time visibility into how data is accessed and used, helping teams stay compliant without slowing down innovation.
Founder
Vinay Wagh
Capital Raised
$9M
Stage
Seed
Investors
Felicis
Mafia role
Director Of Product
getPIN.xyz
Workbrew
Workbrew is a platform helping engineering teams stay focused by reducing tool overload. It centralizes updates and workflows across apps like GitHub, Slack, and Jira to keep devs in flow.
Founder
John Britton
Capital Raised
$5M
Stage
Seed
Investors
-
Mafia role
VP, Developer Relations and Advocacy
getPIN.xyz
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