The Duke University Mafia
Vincent E. Price has served as the 10th president of Duke University since 2017, bringing a strong background in academia and leadership. Before his tenure at Duke, Price was provost at the University of Pennsylvania, where he also held various academic roles in communication and faculty affairs. A scholar in public opinion and communication, he earned his Ph.D. and M.A. from Stanford University and a B.A. magna cum laude from Santa Clara University.
At Duke, Price has prioritized diversity, equity, and inclusion, introducing impactful initiatives such as full-tuition grants for students from the Carolinas with family incomes under $150,000. His leadership has steered Duke through significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and increasing calls for racial equity. Price has also emphasized community engagement, strengthening partnerships through programs like the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership and expanding the university’s efforts to foster meaningful dialogue on pressing global issues
The Duke University Mafia
The Duke Mafia has founded 41 companies and raised $6B.
PS: Are you a Duke 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?
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List of all the amazing companies covered
- Coinbase
- DraftKings
- Box
- Kriya Therapeutics
- Plaid
- System1
- Farcaster
- Skillz
- Flexe
- Sidecar Health
- Oculis
- Radar
- Tidelift
- Openly
- Levitate
- Unravel Data
- Leanplum
- Abbisko Therapeutics
- Moonware
- Numeric
- Whimsical
- BeMe Health
- Supio
- AmplifyMD
- Informed
- Rezilient Health
- SingleFile Technologies
- HumanFirst
- Hero
- BotBuilt
- Genie
- Decimal
- Ventricle Health
- Revere CRE
- SuperCircle
- Mural
- Rendered.ai
- HeadRace
- TipLink
- Legends
- Infinity AI
- Navattic
- Ubiquitous Influencer Marketing
- Plannery
- Agentio
- Schematic
- Cash Flow Portal
- PinPoint Analytics
- Scheduler AI
- Repool
- Unwrap.ai
- Cohere
- Assort Health
Coinbase
Founder: Fred Ehrsam
Duke University: B.S., Computer Science, Economics
Capital Raised: $1.9B
Investors: Union Square Ventures
Stage: Post-IPO Debt
Coinbase is a cryptocurrency exchange and cryptocurrency wallet platform that allows users to buy, sell, and store various cryptocurrencies.
DraftKings
Founder: Jason Robins
Duke University: BS, Economics, Computer Science, Mathematics
Sep 1999 - May 2003
Capital Raised: $1B
Investors: Redpoint
Stage: Post-IPO Equity
DraftKings provides online daily and weekly fantasy sports contests for cash prizes in major sports.
Box
Founder: Dylan Smith
Duke University: B.S., Economics
2003 - 2008
Capital Raised: $1.5B
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Post-IPO Debt
Box is an online file sharing and cloud content management service offering unlimited storage, custom branding, and administrative controls.
Kriya Therapeutics
Founder: Roger Jeffs
Duke University: BA, Chemistry
1980 - 1984
Capital Raised: $600.5M
Investors: Patient Square Capital
Stage: Series C
Kriya Therapeutics is a biopharmaceutical company that develops gene therapies for ophthalmology, neurology, and metabolic diseases.
Plaid
Founder: Zachary Perret
Duke University: BS, Chemistry, Biology
Capital Raised: $734.3M
Investors: Index Ventures
Stage: Series D
Plaid provides companies with the tools and access needed for the development of a digitally-enabled financial system.
System1
Founder: Michael Blend
Duke University: AB, Mathematics, Philosophy
1985 - 1989
Capital Raised: $920M
Investors: BofA Securities
Stage: Post-IPO Debt
System1 fuses technology and science to identify & unlock consumer intent.
Farcaster
Founder: Dan Romero
Duke University: —
Capital Raised: $180M
Investors: Union Square Ventures
Stage: Series A
Farcaster is a social network that helps coders, fitness enthusiasts, and meme makers find people based on their interests.
Skillz
Founder: Casey Chafkin
Duke University: B.S., Economics
Capital Raised: $287.3M
Investors: Fidelity
Stage: Post-IPO Equity
Skillz is a marketplace platform for competition-based mobile games.
Flexe
Founder: Karl Siebrecht
Duke University: BA, Economics
1986 - 1990
Capital Raised: $263M
Investors: Tiger Global Management
Stage: Series D
Flexe delivers omnichannel logistics programs for eCommerce fulfillment, retail distribution, same-day delivery, and network capacity.
Sidecar Health
Founder: Patrick Quigley
Duke University: B.S.E., Mechanical Engineering and Material Science
Capital Raised: $328M
Investors: Drive Capital
Stage: Series D
Sidecar Health is an InsurTech company that offers a health insurance platform and medical coverage to businesses.
Oculis
Founder: Einar Stefansson
Duke University: PhD, Physiology, Ophthalmology
1979 - 1982
Capital Raised: $284.6M
Investors: Tekla Capital Management
Stage: Post-IPO Equity
Oculis is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical development company focusing on ophthalmic drugs and novel drug delivery.
Radar
Founder: Nick Patrick
Duke University: BS, Computer Science
2005 - 2009
Capital Raised: $85.5M
Investors: Accel
Stage: Series C
Radar is a location data infrastructure platform that helps growth and product teams to build location-aware app experiences.
Tidelift
Founder: Luis Villa
Duke University: BA, Political Science
1996 - 2001
Capital Raised: $73.5M
Investors: General Catalyst
Stage: Series C
Tidelift is a single source for proactively managed open source components and professional assurances around those components.
Openly
Founder: Ty Harris
Duke University: A.B., Economics
1992 - 1996
Capital Raised: $237.9M
Investors: Gradient
Stage: Series D
Openly is an insurance company that offers home insurance, life, and auto insurance services.
Levitate
Founder: Jesse Lipson
Duke University: BA, Philosophy
1996 - 2000
Capital Raised: $55M
Investors: Bull City Venture Partners
Stage: Series D
Levitate develops a relationship marketing platform that provides communication tools and an AI dashboard.
Unravel Data
Founder: Kunal Agarwal
Duke University: MBA, Entrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial Studies
2011 - 2012
Capital Raised: $107.2M
Investors: Menlo Ventures
Stage: Series D
Unravel develops a DataOps observability platform that helps data-driven organizations maximize business value from data.
Leanplum
Founder: Andrew First
Duke University: BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science
2006 - 2010
Capital Raised: $131.2M
Investors: Norwest Venture Partners
Stage: Series D
Leanplum is a mobile marketing platform that delivers meaningful engagement across messaging and the in-app experience.
Abbisko Therapeutics
Founder: Zhui Chen
Duke University: Ph.D, Biochem
1997 - 2003
Capital Raised: $263M
Investors: The Carlyle Group
Stage: Series D
Abbisko Therapeutics is a drug company dedicated to innovative drug research and development.
Moonware
Founder: Javier Vidal
Duke University: BS Mechanical Engineering
2016 - 2020
Capital Raised: $9.5M
Investors: Third Prime
Stage: Seed
Moonware is building the ecosystem to automate ground operations for the passenger, cargo, defense and advanced air mobility sectors.
Numeric
Founder: Parker Gilbert
Duke University: Bachelor of Arts (B.A.), Public Policy, Economics
Capital Raised: $38M
Investors: Menlo Ventures
Stage: Series A
Companies rely on Numeric to ensure their financial data is accurate, automate the month-end close, and generate real-time insights.
Whimsical
Founder: Steve Schoeffel
Duke University: B.A., English, Visual Arts, Film
2005 - 2010
Capital Raised: $30M
Investors: Accel
Stage: Series A
Whimsical is a software company that develops tools for workplace collaboration.
BeMe Health
Founder: Mandeep Dhillon
Duke University: BA, Economics
Sep 1988 - May 1992
Capital Raised: $27.2M
Investors: Polaris Partners
Stage: Seed
Be Me Health is a mobile platform that focuses on the mental health and emotional well-being of teens.
Supio
Founder: Jerry Zhou
Duke University: Bachelor of Science (BS)
2005 - 2009
Capital Raised: $25M
Investors: Sapphire Ventures
Stage: Series A
Supio is an accurate and dependable AI that assists attorneys in finding crucial information.
AmplifyMD
Founder: Anand Nathan
Duke University: B.S.E., Electrical and Biomedical Engineering
1998 - 2002
B.S., Economics
1998 - 2002
Capital Raised: $23M
Investors: Greylock
Stage: Series A
AmplifyMD is a telemedicine platform connecting medical institutions with specialist doctors.
Informed
Founder: Justin Wickett
Duke University: Computer Science
Capital Raised: $20M
Investors: Nyca Partners
Stage: Series A
Informed is a developer of a consumer auto financing platform designed to collect and analyze loan documents.
Rezilient Health
Founder: Jeff Gamble
Duke University: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Biomedical Engineering
Capital Raised: $14.7M
Investors: GOVO Venture Partners
Stage: Series A
Rezilient Health is a healthcare company that operates a medical clinic and offers primary care to patients.
SingleFile Technologies
Founder: Sean Flynn
Duke University: BA, Western European and African Studies
Capital Raised: $15.1M
Investors: Foundry Group
Stage: Seed
SingleFile Technologies is a companies and law firms fill out reports, manage filings, maintain internal records and remain in good standing.
HumanFirst
Founder: Andrea (Andy) Coravos
Duke University: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Economics
Capital Raised: $14.9M
Investors: Threshold
Stage: Series A
HumanFirst accelerates the adoption of patient-centered clinical trials using precision digital measures (e.g., digital biomarkers and eCOA)
Hero
Founder: Kal Vepuri
Duke University: BSE, Electrical Engineering, Computer Science & Economics
Capital Raised: $12M
Investors: BoxGroup
Stage: Series A
Hero is the first and only in-home medication manager that intuitively sorts and dispenses medication; has audible and digital reminders; automates refills; and provides real-time as well as historical adherence data at your fingertips.
BotBuilt
Founder: Barrett Ames
Duke University: Doctor of Philosophy - PhD, Artificial Intelligence and Robotics
Aug 2015 - Oct 2022
Capital Raised: $12.5M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Seed
BotBuilt is a software company that develops robotic systems and artificial intelligence solutions to simplify home construction.
Genie
Founder: Dan Ariely
Duke University: PHD, Business Administration
1995 - 1998
Capital Raised: $10M
Investors: Carl Marks
Stage: Series A
Genie Enterprise is a israeli foodtech firm ,invented an automated computer-controlled cooking device.
Decimal
Founder: Matt Tait
Duke University: BA, History, Political Science, Economics
2002 - 2005
Capital Raised: $9.2M
Investors: Arthur Ventures
Stage: Seed
Decimal is a technology platform for the accounting operations of small-and-medium-sized businesses.
Ventricle Health
Founder: Dan Bensimhon
Duke University: Bachelor's Degree, American Literature
1985 - 1989
Capital Raised: $8M
Investors: RA Capital Management
Stage: Seed
Ventricle Health offers evidence-based therapy, remote patient monitoring, patient education, and advocacy services for cardiac care.
Revere CRE
Founder: Fred Krom
Duke University: 2003 - 2007
Capital Raised: $7M
Investors: RET Ventures
Stage: Seed
Revere CRE is a networking and deal financing platform for commercial real estate professionals in North America.
SuperCircle
Founder: Chloe Marie Songer
Duke University: Bachelor of Arts, Major: International Comparative Studies of East Asia, Minor: Economics and Chinese Language
2010 - 2014
Capital Raised: $7M
Investors: Radicle Impact
Stage: Seed
SuperCircle develops a tech platform and reverse logistics system that powers circularity for retail brands.
Mural
Founder: Sinclair Toffa
Duke University: Computer Science B.S.
Aug 2014 - May 2018
Capital Raised: $5.6M
Investors: Leblon Capital
Stage: Seed
Instant global payments & invoicing. Eliminate delays and fees. Pay vendors and contractors with stablecoin-based payments.
Rendered.ai
Founder: Nathan Kundtz
Duke University: PhD, Physics
2004 - 2009
M.S., Electrical Engineering
2004 - 2008
Capital Raised: $6M
Investors: Space Capital
Stage: Seed
Rendered.ai is the PaaS for generating physics-based Synthetic Data for visible and non-visible computer vision AI/ML applications.
HeadRace
Founder: Amos Barreto
Duke University: B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering and Computer Science
Capital Raised: $6M
Investors: Greylock
Stage: Seed
Recruiting Democratized - The largest searchable network of boutique recruiters to save time & money on your next hire.
TipLink
Founder: Aashiq Dheeraj
Duke University: Bachelor's Degree, Mathematics
2010 - 2014
Capital Raised: $6M
Investors: Sequoia Capital
Stage: Seed
TipLink is a lightweight wallet that helps send digital assets by sending an URL.
Legends
Founder: Sonny Caberwal
Duke University: B.A., International Business & Globalization
1997 - 2001
Capital Raised: $6M
Investors: Floodgate
Stage: Seed
Legends is an application platform that offers confidence training and motivational exercises.
Infinity AI
Founder: Andrew Weitz, Lina Colucci, Sidney Primas
Duke University: Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), Electrical and Computer Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Neuroscience (minor)
2008 - 2012
Capital Raised: $5.5M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Seed
Infinity AI is a technology startup that builds AI models faster with synthetic data.
Navattic
Founder: Randy Frank
Duke University: MS, Engineering Management
Capital Raised: $5.4M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Seed
Navattic helps marketing and sales teams instantly create interactive product demos.
Ubiquitous Influencer Marketing
Founder: Brandon Gambucci
Duke University: Master's Degree, Business Administration and Management, General
2014 - 2015
Capital Raised: $5M
Investors: Uncork Capital
Stage: Seed
Ubiquitous unlocks influencer marketing for the biggest brands in the world with a heavy focus on TikTok.
Plannery
Founder: Andrew First
Duke University: BS, Electrical and Computer Engineering, Computer Science
2006 - 2010
Capital Raised: $4.3M
Investors: NextView Ventures
Stage: Seed
Financia platform custom built for healthcare professionals to automate their journey from being in debt to building wealth
Agentio
Founder: Arthur Leopold
Duke University: BA, Political Science & Markets and Management
Capital Raised: $4.3M
Investors: Craft Ventures
Stage: Seed
Agentio is the first ad platform for creator content. We're automating how brands buy the most performant and authentic ad unit.
Schematic
Founder: Jasdeep Garcha
Duke University: BSE, Biomedical Engineering, electrical and Computer Engineering
Capital Raised: $4.8M
Investors: MHS Capital
Stage: Seed
Schematic is a B2B SaaS platform designed to simplify pricing and packaging for software companies.
Cash Flow Portal
Founder: Perry Zheng
Duke University: B.S., Economics (B.S.) and Computer Science (B.A.)
2006 - 2010
Capital Raised: $4.5M
Investors: Y Combinator
Stage: Seed
Cash Flow Portal is a real-estate syndication software that accelerates capital raising.
PinPoint Analytics
Founder: Mark Zurada
Duke University: BA, Anthropology, philosophy, some Engineering
Capital Raised: $3.9M
Investors: HG Ventures
Stage: Seed
PinPoint Analytics is an AI-powered construction analytics platform helping local municipalities and GCs estimate construction projects.
Scheduler AI
Founder: Maddie Bell, Mike Bell
Duke University: BA, Major: Public Policy, Minor: Economics Certificate: Markets and Management
2007 - 2011
Capital Raised: $3.8M
Investors: Drive Capital
Stage: Seed
Scheduler AI's patented, Chat AI Scheduling™ technology streamlines scheduling by integrating directly into popular messaging applications.
Repool
Founder: Justin Carrao
Duke University: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Computer Science
2012 - 2016
Bachelor's degree, Computer Science
2012 - 2016
Capital Raised: $3.7M
Investors: Global Founders Capital
Stage: Seed
Modern hedge fund software and services for fund managers and LPs
Unwrap.ai
Founder: Ryan Millner
Duke University: Bachelor of Science in Engineering (BSE), Mechanical Engineering
2009 - 2013
Capital Raised: $3.2M
Investors: —
Stage: Seed
Unwrap AI develops an AI-powered natural language processor platform to help companies analyze user feedback.
Cohere
Founder: Jason Wang, Yunyu Lin
Duke University: Bachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science; Philosophy, Politics & Economics
Capital Raised: $3.3M
Investors: Initialized Capital
Stage: Seed
Cohere is a technology company that develops customer support and onboarding software for businesses.
Assort Health
Founder: Jeffery Liu
Duke University: Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Computer Science and Economics
Capital Raised: $3.5M
Investors: Quiet Capital
Stage: Seed
Assort Health helps to improve patient and staff interactions by automating calls.
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