Andrew Liu

Buckle up for the great process of Andrew Liu-this guy’s the real deal in the startup world. So, he’s a W23 YC alum, which already says a lot, right? That’s some serious firepower. He’s the co-founder of 1stCollab, the kinda company that’s about to shake up influencer marketing with AI. Basically, they built tools that help brands and creators connect smarter and faster. No bullshit, it’s the future of how brands find their vibe on social.

But here’s where it gets interesting-Andrew didn’t just jump into startups outta nowhere. He’s got a solid engineering background from UC Berkeley, where he crushed it in Electrical Engineering and CS. The dude’s been deep in the tech trenches since way back, doing internships at Pinterest, then climbing the ranks there as a Software Engineer and Tech Lead. He’s worked on home feed recommendations at Pinterest, so he gets how to make algorithms that actually work in the real world. That’s some advanced stuff, especially when you think about how influencer marketing runs on discovery and relevance.

Before all that, he was a Research Assistant and a Graduate Student Instructor at Berkeley-so he’s always been curious, always been grinding to learn more. His experience at Coupang as Tech Lead and Staff Engineer? That’s legit big league. Coupang’s massive, and leading tech there means he’s seen what scales and what doesn’t. All these gigs? They built his hustle and his brain for solving complex problems-making tech work at scale, and understanding how people connect with content.

Now he’s jumping into the startup scene again with 1stCollab, using everything he’s learned from discovery algorithms and the creator economy. He’s not just building another app; he’s trying to fix a real problem-making influencer-brand collabs way more fast and smart. And with YC backing him, plus other investors, he’s got the firepower to actually make this thing blow up.

What does this all say about him? The guy’s driven by the desire to innovate, to build tools that actually make a difference. He’s not here to bullshit around. He’s been in the trenches, seen what works at scale, and now he’s leveraging all that to enable creators and brands to connect better. That’s some advanced founder energy. He’s the kind of dude who’s not just chasing the hype but truly trying to change the game.

In short-Andrew Liu is a tech wizard with a killer track record, a deep understanding of algorithms, and a mission to make influencer marketing smarter. He’s the guy you want in your corner if you care about the future of social, tech, and how brands and creators can crush it together. No cap, he’s one to watch.