Ray Li

Ray Li

Y Combinator Logo Batch: W16

Achievements

  • Founded Apollo.io in 2015, now serving over 500, 000 companies
  • Led Apollo.io to 500% YoY growth by 2025
  • Built Apollo.io into a leading AI-powered sales platform disrupting data and sales automation
  • Previously worked as Software Engineer at Square (2014-2015)
  • Held role as News Assistant at LA Times (2011-2012)
  • Harvard graduate in Computer Science and Economics, blending tech and business expertise

No Cap: this is Ray Li

Here’s why you should know about Ray Li. This guy’s a straight-up tech wizard and a total hustler. He’s the Co-Founder and CTO of Apollo.io, one of the hottest AI-powered sales platforms out there right now. Started this thing back in 2015, and man, they’ve crushed it, serving over half a million companies and hitting like 500% growth year over year by 2025. No joke, they’re changing the game when it comes to data and sales automation.

But here’s the thing, Ray’s process is super telling. Before Apollo, he was at Square as a Software Engineer for about a year, just grinding away, building stuff. And before that, he was a News Assistant at the LA Times, which is kinda wild when you think about it, going from media to tech startup boss. That mix of media and tech? That’s where his brain’s at, he’s got this unique blend of understanding how info flows and how to build tools that totally disrupt traditional ways.

And get this, he’s got a Harvard background, with a degree in both Computer Science and Economics. That combo? It’s like the perfect recipe for understanding tech and business at the same time. He’s not just coding for fun, he’s thinking about how to scale, how to grow, how to make an impact on real companies.

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What really jumps out is how he’s been able to turn his diverse experience into something huge. He’s not just a coder, he’s a builder who understands the bigger picture, product-led growth, engineering-driven culture, things that matter in today’s startup world. He’s the type who saw a problem in sales and data, and instead of complaining, jumped in and built Apollo to solve it.

Bottom line? Ray Li isn’t just another CTO. He’s the guy who’s been around the block, knows how to turn tech into value, and is clearly in it for the long haul. His story shows what happens when you combine hustle, smarts, and a bit of media grit, results that are changing how companies grow and sell online. No cap, this guy’s a real deal.

Founder ID: 106974

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