# Stealth startup founders: who is building in stealth, and how to find them > What "Founder at Stealth Startup" means, how to work out who a stealth founder is and what they are building, and the founders of startups flagged in stealth, with the round each company announced after. - URL: https://recentfunding.com/blog/stealth-startup-founders/ - Published: 2026-09-29 - Updated: 2026-10-30 - Data snapshot: 2026-10-09 - Tags: stealth, founders, pre-seed - Publisher: Recent Funding (https://recentfunding.com/) "Founder at Stealth Startup" means someone has left their last job to build a company that has not said publicly what it does, usually until its first round is announced. As of October 9, 2026, Recent Funding lists 794 named founders at 378 startups flagged in stealth, and for the 266 companies flagged before their latest round, the median gap from flag to announcement was 71 days. ## What "stealth startup founder" means A stealth founder usually knows exactly what they are building and is keeping it quiet on purpose: - **Before the round.** Many founders announce the company and its pre-seed or seed round together. - **Recruiting from a current employer.** A founder hiring former colleagues often waits until they have left. - **Competition and pivots.** A team still testing ideas may not want a public name tied to one. So "Founder, Stealth Startup" (or "Stealth Mode", "Building something new") is a timing signal, not a secret. Most of these companies announce themselves within months. ## How to find out who a stealth founder is No single source names stealth founders, but several public signals line up: 1. **A new X account that the right people follow.** A company's handle often exists months before its website says anything. When experienced investors and founders follow a new account, it is usually a company, and its founders are among the first accounts it follows. 2. **Accelerator batches.** Programs such as a16z speedrun, Alliance, Entrepreneur First and ERA list companies and founders when a batch is announced, often before they raise. 3. **A domain and a landing page.** A new domain with a one-line page and an email capture is a typical stealth footprint. 4. **LinkedIn titles.** Several people switching to the same stealth company in the same week usually means a founding team. 5. **The funding announcement.** The round names the founders, and they stop being stealth founders. ## Founders flagged before their company announced a round 401 founders at 186 companies flagged in stealth before their latest round was announced. The amount links to the round's source. | Founder | Role | Company | Flagged | Latest round | Announced | Listed at | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Pete Cooling | Founder | [Atum](https://recentfunding.com/companies/atum/) | 2026-09-21 | [$13.5M](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/atum-emerges-from-stealth-with-the-open-payments-network-for-global-money-movement-302886088.html) | 2026-09-22 | — | | Pari Singh | Founder | [Flow Engineering](https://recentfunding.com/companies/flow-engineering/) | 2026-09-16 | [$50M](https://www.flowengineering.com/blog/series-b-memo) | 2026-09-30 | — | | Niv Hoffman | Founder | [AIR](https://recentfunding.com/companies/air/) | 2026-09-01 | [$50M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxNZ3k5UThNQ3IzcUtpZVpocGRaUDZrSkdCb1Znb2J0TThIM1pqcFJOak5zYUlieEN1WVVWUmRFRGlkWXRwbXFBU0czaEplaC1JR1Z4bzVxX0otVFR3NTdXVzBMQkkyR0paanliN2drRDlTSzFfOWh2NDFlTXI3SzloWkNPS2pKcW5QU3dpWmdJNV8?oc=5) | 2026-09-02 | — | | Yair Saban | Founder | [AIR](https://recentfunding.com/companies/air/) | 2026-09-01 | [$50M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMikAFBVV95cUxNZ3k5UThNQ3IzcUtpZVpocGRaUDZrSkdCb1Znb2J0TThIM1pqcFJOak5zYUlieEN1WVVWUmRFRGlkWXRwbXFBU0czaEplaC1JR1Z4bzVxX0otVFR3NTdXVzBMQkkyR0paanliN2drRDlTSzFfOWh2NDFlTXI3SzloWkNPS2pKcW5QU3dpWmdJNV8?oc=5) | 2026-09-02 | — | | Barak Naveh | Founder | [Noetive](https://recentfunding.com/companies/noetive/) | 2026-08-27 | [$41M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMiU0FVX3lxTE1MVlZGQVdqd2N6OGVFZG5DYlBTVVJHanlPN0lsUkxOOVZhSEoxbGhxd2M4c0pVUnlyc1JpTTAzOTBpd2hsMDI4ZEI1dzZLOG9mUW5N?oc=5) | 2026-09-22 | — | | Paul Steven Conyngham | Founder | [Gamgee](https://recentfunding.com/companies/gamgee/) | 2026-08-20 | [$4M](https://x.com/gamgeevetmed/status/2091031610212950040) | 2026-08-27 | [gamgee.io](https://www.gamgee.io/) | | Ivan Chub · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAABcGL3UBof8p4NOAs-vlSoa5o0vV552-jU8) | Founder & CEO | [idler](https://recentfunding.com/companies/idler/) | 2026-08-19 | undisclosed | 2026-08-20 | [foundertrace.com](https://foundertrace.com/companies/idler/) | | Nalu Concepcion · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAAChY9fgBBrhKyVcr1a-TplkscMvcYouL_Ps) | Founder | [idler](https://recentfunding.com/companies/idler/) | 2026-08-19 | undisclosed | 2026-08-20 | [foundertrace.com](https://foundertrace.com/companies/idler/) | | Tony Goss · [LinkedIn](https://www.linkedin.com/in/ACoAACB_-l8Brr8082R7WLgA097PBQvIJi1jvQE) | Co-Founder | [idler](https://recentfunding.com/companies/idler/) | 2026-08-19 | undisclosed | 2026-08-20 | [foundertrace.com](https://foundertrace.com/companies/idler/) | | Huan Ling | Founder | [Veeda AI](https://recentfunding.com/companies/veeda-ai/) | 2026-08-19 | [$90M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOOEtVLXI2M2sxb0tDVFI2N0ZlTS1keWx4R0JSMTZ5dy1Zdm5aQTY1Nkdia19DQ3JSa1lTX0FkSENFUnZtd0ZDSEd5VjJld2NSYjY5aXk5b2hJaHl3NGdFT3lHTnJaTXowR2Z6YUVwVDZlRlp2c21jVkJ2cWR0c05pNmVjQ2F4WDBBM1RQY3ZhMjcxbjBPT0hmSDE3MFNQdktWbnVPSHNjTUpmTEZk?oc=5) | 2026-08-22 | — | | Sanja Fidler | Founder | [Veeda AI](https://recentfunding.com/companies/veeda-ai/) | 2026-08-19 | [$90M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOOEtVLXI2M2sxb0tDVFI2N0ZlTS1keWx4R0JSMTZ5dy1Zdm5aQTY1Nkdia19DQ3JSa1lTX0FkSENFUnZtd0ZDSEd5VjJld2NSYjY5aXk5b2hJaHl3NGdFT3lHTnJaTXowR2Z6YUVwVDZlRlp2c21jVkJ2cWR0c05pNmVjQ2F4WDBBM1RQY3ZhMjcxbjBPT0hmSDE3MFNQdktWbnVPSHNjTUpmTEZk?oc=5) | 2026-08-22 | — | | Zan Gojcic | Founder | [Veeda AI](https://recentfunding.com/companies/veeda-ai/) | 2026-08-19 | [$90M](https://news.google.com/rss/articles/CBMirAFBVV95cUxOOEtVLXI2M2sxb0tDVFI2N0ZlTS1keWx4R0JSMTZ5dy1Zdm5aQTY1Nkdia19DQ3JSa1lTX0FkSENFUnZtd0ZDSEd5VjJld2NSYjY5aXk5b2hJaHl3NGdFT3lHTnJaTXowR2Z6YUVwVDZlRlp2c21jVkJ2cWR0c05pNmVjQ2F4WDBBM1RQY3ZhMjcxbjBPT0hmSDE3MFNQdktWbnVPSHNjTUpmTEZk?oc=5) | 2026-08-22 | — | | Aarav Patel | Founder | [Liquid Compute](https://recentfunding.com/companies/liquid-compute/) | 2026-08-14 | undisclosed | 2026-09-19 | — | | Ronit Jain | CEO and co-founder | [Liquid Compute](https://recentfunding.com/companies/liquid-compute/) | 2026-08-14 | undisclosed | 2026-09-19 | [liquidcompute.com](https://liquidcompute.com/about) | | Advaith Sridhar | Founder | [Discovered Materials](https://recentfunding.com/companies/discovered-materials/) | 2026-08-10 | [$9M](https://news.google.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?oc=5) | 2026-08-14 | [discoveredmaterials.com](https://discoveredmaterials.com/) | | Akash Ramdas | Founder | [Discovered Materials](https://recentfunding.com/companies/discovered-materials/) | 2026-08-10 | [$9M](https://news.google.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?oc=5) | 2026-08-14 | [discoveredmaterials.com](https://discoveredmaterials.com/) | | Michael Wang | Co-founder, CEO | [Prodigy Research (YC S26)](https://recentfunding.com/companies/prodigy-research-yc-s26/) | 2026-08-10 | undisclosed | 2026-09-10 | [prodigy.markets](https://prodigy.markets/) | | Yuhua Wang | Co-founder, CTO | [Prodigy Research (YC S26)](https://recentfunding.com/companies/prodigy-research-yc-s26/) | 2026-08-10 | undisclosed | 2026-09-10 | [prodigy.markets](https://prodigy.markets/) | | Francisco Delgado | Founder | [withgenera](https://recentfunding.com/companies/withgenera/) | 2026-08-10 | undisclosed | 2026-08-11 | — | | Jacob Peake | Founder | [Standard Machines](https://recentfunding.com/companies/standard-machines/) | 2026-08-06 | undisclosed | 2026-08-26 | — | Space was flagged on July 29, 2026 and announced its pre-seed round three weeks later, with its three founders already listed on its accelerator's page. The full, daily-updated list of flagged companies is on [stealth startups](https://recentfunding.com/stealth-startups/), and every founder on record is on [founders](https://recentfunding.com/founders/). ## How long founders stay in stealth The median 71 days is only the visible part; some gaps are much longer. USD.AI was flagged in December 2025 and announced its round in September 2026. Most flag dates come from a third-party stealth-startup tracker, the rest from Recent Funding's own stealth watch; [how Recent Funding sources its data](https://recentfunding.com/blog/how-recent-funding-sources-and-verifies-funding-data/) explains both. ## Get this data from the API A company record carries its flag date (`flagged_at`) next to its latest round, and `/api/v1/founders?q=` searches founders by name, company or title ([API docs](https://recentfunding.com/docs/)): ```sh curl -H "Authorization: Bearer $RF_KEY" "https://recentfunding.com/api/v1/founders?q=primitive%20labs" ``` [What is a stealth startup](https://recentfunding.com/blog/what-is-a-stealth-startup/) covers stealth mode itself, and [recently funded startup founders](https://recentfunding.com/blog/recently-funded-startup-founders/) sorts recent founders into archetypes. ## Related on Recent Funding - [Startup funding data: the last 30 days in charts](https://recentfunding.com/data/) - [Recently funded startups, updated daily](https://recentfunding.com/) - [Money flow: raises, acquisitions and new funds](https://recentfunding.com/money-flow/) - [Pre-seed funding: what it is, how startups raise it, and who raised in 2026](https://recentfunding.com/blog/pre-seed-funding/) - [Seed-stage startups: what the stage means and who raised a seed round recently](https://recentfunding.com/blog/seed-stage-startups/) - [Startup lead generation: recently funded startups as sales leads](https://recentfunding.com/blog/startup-lead-generation/) - [Recent Funding API docs](https://recentfunding.com/docs/): every endpoint behind this post; a [free API key](https://recentfunding.com/dashboard/?from=blog-related) takes just an email