Daniel Kobran

Spotlight on the one and only Daniel Kobran, the dude’s legit one of the real deal in AI and infrastructure. He’s that guy who jumped into the deep end early and crushed it. So, here’s the scoop: he’s a YC W15 alum, which already says a lot. That’s the legit startup bootcamp where only the best get through.

He started out at the University of Michigan, where he met his co-founder Dillon Erb, these two clicked over architecture and digital computation, which sounds kinda nerdy but actually turned into something huge. They both geeked out on tech and built Paperspace, one of the first GPU cloud platforms out there. Think of it like supercharged cloud computing, but designed for AI and heavy-duty graphics work. That was the big change, and it got acquired by DigitalOcean in 2023, which is a huge win.

But Daniel’s story isn’t just about building cool tech. It’s about that entrepreneurial drive, the itch to create something that actually moves the needle. After Paperspace, he didn’t just chill; he kept investing and advising. Dude’s backed startups like Runway ML, Etched, Nomic, all deep tech, all the future. He’s also out here building a stealth AI company now, so you know he’s still hungry and pushing boundaries.

His background with Autonomous Technologies Group and BASE Beijing shows he’s not just local, he’s thinking global, always on the lookout for the future trend in AI and infrastructure. And his mentors? Garry Tan, Alexis Ohanian, Justin Kan, all the heavy hitters. That tells you he’s well-connected, but more importantly, he’s got that hustle and vision to keep innovating.

Bottom line: Daniel is that rare founder who’s not only built something huge but keeps investing and mentoring the next wave of tech geniuses. He’s driven by a real passion for AI, infrastructure, and making shit that matters. The guy’s all about pushing the envelope, never settling, and building stuff that’s gonna shape the future. No cap, this dude’s gonna be on the front lines of tech for a long time.