New York, NY, August 28th, 2025, FinanceWire
New York Tech Media today announced its annual spotlight on leading founders building the next generation of ventures under the radar. In an era when many startups compete for attention with splashy launches, these seasoned entrepreneurs are choosing stealth mode—quietly developing products, refining teams, and shaping industries before stepping into the spotlight.
“This year’s Stealth Founders to Watch list reflects a fundamental shift in ambition,” said Jake Smiths, a New York Tech Media spokesperson. “These are leaders who already have proven exits, deep domain expertise, and the ability to command capital—yet they are deliberately building in silence until the timing is right.”
Highlights from the 2025 Stealth Founders List
- Yossi Barishev – Former senior leader at Fireblocks, now building in identity security and AI.
- Guy Arazi – Cybersecurity veteran and Forbes Technology Council member.
- Aran Komatsuzaki – AI researcher known for GPT-J and scaling law contributions.
- Kah Seng Tay – Engineering leader (Quora, drive.ai, Airtable) pursuing a new AI-focused venture.
- Scott Draves – Generative art pioneer (Electric Sheep, Stability AI) now in stealth at the intersection of art, AI, and systems engineering.
- Iñaki Merino Ruiz – Serial founder with prior exit to Moody’s; latest venture remains undisclosed.
- Sunil James – Co-founder of Scytale (acquired by HPE), instrumental in open-source standards SPIFFE and SPIRE.
- Michael Bramlage – Known for Quidd and Factory accelerator, building quietly in stealth.
- Parmeet Chaddha – Builder across hardware and mobile ventures, pursuing stealth innovation.
- Murtaza Zafer – Veteran of Bell Labs, Samsung, IBM, bridging enterprise infrastructure and AI.
- Noam Salinger – Product leader from Granulate (Intel acquisition), focused on scalable AI-driven products.
- Boyd Christiansen – Co-founder of Palladium and Lovage, operating in semi-stealth M&A.
- Rudmila Rahman – Harvard MBA with leadership at Barclays, OnDeck, and AWS.
- Yusha Hu – Founder of Local Bushel, returning with another community-driven stealth project.
- Jacob E. Hirshman – Former Sullivan & Cromwell and Circle executive, now in stealth fintech.
Why It Matters
The common thread across this year’s list is credibility matched with restraint. These founders—veterans of multimillion-dollar exits and leaders in cybersecurity, AI, finance, and sustainability—are choosing to build first and announce later. Their decision to remain in stealth reflects a growing discipline in the startup ecosystem: prioritizing product-market fit over early publicity.
About New York Tech Media
New York Tech Media is a premier digital news platform dedicated to delivering cutting-edge insights across the technology landscape. From FinTech and AI & Robotics to Cybersecurity and Startups & Leaders, the publication serves as a go-to resource for the latest developments and thought leadership in tech.