The Asana Mafia

By
khanak
Published
October 10, 2024

Asana was founded in 2008 by Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein, both of whom were former engineers at Facebook. They were motivated to create a tool that would solve the inefficiencies they faced in managing projectsβ€”spending too much time on "work about work" like meetings and emails instead of actual tasks. The duo developed Asana as an internal tool to streamline workflows and improve team collaboration.

Seeing its potential, Moskovitz and Rosenstein left Facebook to fully dedicate themselves to Asana. In 2011, they launched the platform publicly, starting with a free version that quickly gained popularity among businesses looking to enhance productivity. Over time, Asana introduced premium plans, custom integrations through an API, and features designed to replace traditional email communications, making it a comprehensive project management tool.

The name "Asana," inspired by a yoga pose, symbolizes the company's goal of helping teams stay centered and productive. Through continuous innovation, Asana has added new functionalities and redesigned its user interface based on feedback, solidifying its status as a leading platform in the project management space.

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Asana cofounders Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein
Dustin Moskovitz and Justin Rosenstein

The Asana Mafia

The Asana Mafia has founded 17 companies and raised $248M.

PS: Are you an Asana Tech 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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List of all the amazing companies covered

  • Apollo GraphQL
  • Aloft
  • Orb
  • Supermove
  • Thistle
  • Destiny (D/XYZ)
  • Lumina
  • Tyba
  • Superpowered
  • Ditto
  • Vapi
  • Pelm
  • Upstream
  • Line.Build
  • Quad
  • Cococlectic
  • Vibely
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    Apollo GraphQL

    Founder: Geoff Schmidt

    Asana Role: Software Engineer

    Capital Raised: $152M

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Series D

    Apollo helps engineering teams build unified graphs to accelerate application development and deliver better, more cohesive experiences.

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    Aloft

    Founder: Yongxing Deng

    Asana Role: Software Engineering Intern

    Capital Raised: $25M

    Investors: Fifth Wall

    Stage: Series A

    Aloft is a real estate valuation technology company.

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    Orb

    Founder: Alvaro Morales, Kshitij Grover

    Asana Role: Engineering Manager, Software Engineer

    Capital Raised: $19.1M

    Investors: Menlo Ventures

    Stage: Series A

    Orb is the modern pricing platform purpose-built for flexible pricing models.

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    Supermove

    Founder: Mark Miyashita

    Asana Role: Software Engineer Intern - iOS / Mobile

    Capital Raised: $18M

    Investors: Founders Fund

    Stage: Series A

    Supermove is a web-based software designed to help moving and storage companies.

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    Thistle

    Founder: Johnny Hwin

    Asana Role: Consultant

    Capital Raised: $17M

    Investors: GroundForce Capital

    Stage: Series B

    Thistle is a food and juice company that delivers fully-prepared, plant-forward meals to the doorsteps of its customers.

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    Destiny (D/XYZ)

    Founder: Samvit Ramadurgam

    Asana Role: Engineering

    Capital Raised: $5M

    Investors: Streamlined Ventures

    Stage: Seed

    D/XYZ aims to democratize the private market. By making investment accessible, it empowers everyone to own a piece of the future.

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    Lumina

    Founder: Louis de Vallière

    Asana Role: Product Designer

    Capital Raised: $4M

    Investors: Bain Capital Ventures

    Stage: Seed

    The operating system for digital assets. Lumina is trusted by leading investment funds, enterprises, and professionals who demand an institutional-grade solution.

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    Tyba

    Founder: Tyler Nisonoff

    Asana Role: Software Engineer

    Capital Raised: $2.3M

    Investors: Wireframe Ventures

    Stage: Seed

    Tyba is a modeling platform for developing, financing, and operating solar and storage projects.

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    Superpowered

    Founder: Jordan Dearsley

    Asana Role: Software Engineer

    Capital Raised: $2.1M

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Seed

    Superpowered is a calendar app for the Mac menu bar. Be notified about events and join Zoom meetings without having to go to your calendar.

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    Ditto

    Founder: Jolena Ma

    Asana Role: Product Management Intern

    Capital Raised: $1.7M

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Seed

    Ditto allows teams to collaborate on a consistent and effective copy.

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    Vapi

    Founder: Jordan Dearsley

    Asana Role: Software Engineer

    Capital Raised: $125K

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Pre-Seed

    Vapi provides artificial intelligence services for group meetings.

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    Pelm

    Founder: Edmund Tian

    Asana Role: Full Stack Engineer

    Capital Raised: $500K

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Pre-Seed

    Pelm provides digital infrastructure to develop API for accessing and managing user's energy data.

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    Upstream

    Founder: Louis Lecat

    Asana Role: Product Management

    Capital Raised: $500K

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Pre-Seed

    Upstream is a collaborative email client with channels and task-tracking, offering context and transparency for efficient team decisions.

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    Line.Build

    Founder: Stephanie Vasquez

    Asana Role: Product Management Lead, Payments Platform & Internal Tools

    Capital Raised: $500K

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Pre-Seed

    Line empowers contractors with tools that make building decarbonization projects affordable for their customers and boosts conversion rates.

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    Quad

    Founder: Mark Miyashita

    Asana Role: Software Engineer Intern - iOS / Mobile

    Capital Raised: β€”

    Investors: Y Combinator

    Stage: Seed

    Quad organizes your assignments and brings your classmates together so you can get things done.

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    Cococlectic

    Founder: Doreen Leong

    Asana Role: Channel Partner Manager, NAMER - Services & SI's

    Capital Raised: β€”

    Investors: β€”

    Stage: β€”

    Cococlectic is a small-batch bean-to-bar chocolate-of-the-month subscription club that offers subscription services for chocolates.

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    Vibely

    Founder: Teri Yu, Theresa Lee

    Asana Role: Product Manager, Growth & Monetization Program Lead

    Capital Raised: β€”

    Investors: Afore Capital

    Stage: Seed

    Vibely empowers creators to lead vibrant communities, with intimate events, vibrant discussions, shared resources, and exciting challenges.

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