Health
17 Lesser-Known Brands You Should Add To Your Wardrobe
Every man experiences a lack of sartorial inspiration from time to time. Keeping outfits interesting and wardrobes well stocked is no easy feat, and even the best-dressed gentlemen out there can occasionally find themselves stuck in a style rut.
The trick is to keep things fresh. One way this can be achieved is by getting some new designers on your menswear radar. We’re talking the lesser-known, the direct-to-consumer, the up-and-coming and the independent. Labels that can inject a dose of something new and exciting into a stagnating wardrobe.
Here we count down some of our favourite brands that you may not already know. Including who they are, what they do best and why they’re worth introducing to your rotation.
L’Estrange
The majority of dress codes are pretty firmly established. This considered, attempting to redefine one is no small undertaking. Nevertheless, that’s exactly what British label L’Estrange has been doing with its unique take on the term ‘smart casual’. And to marvellous effect.
The brand was born in 2013, out of a desire to create the perfect hoodie. A garment with all the best qualities of a traditional hooded sweatshirt, but infused with tailoring DNA. Quite literally a smart/casual hybrid.
The results speak for themselves. And now L’Estrange has expanded to include a full range of neo-smart-casual staples, including trousers, shirting and T-shirts.
Shop now at L’Estrange
Stiksen
When you think of luxury items, baseball caps probably aren’t the first things that come to mind. Swedish label Stiksen is on a mission to change that.
Sticking to its motherland’s trademark minimalist approach to design, the headwear brand makes upscale caps that are crafted with high-end materials and are free from heavy branding or logos.
The idea is to turn the humble ball cap into something premium and somewhat smart that can be worn for all occasions – a tailored jacket to the dad cap’s slouchy overshirt.
Shop now at Stiksen
Aurelien
We all love that effortlessly stylish Mediterranean aesthetic (you know, the one where the clothes cost loads of money), which is exactly what Aurélien delivers, minus the eye-watering price tags.
The direct-to-consumer brand works with the best European makers to bring you high-end garments at so-called ‘elegant prices’. And while this certainly doesn’t mean they’re cheap, they’re still a lot more affordable than the majority of ‘quiet luxury’ brands.
If you’re into labels like Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli but don’t fancy taking out a second mortgage in the name of fashion, shopping with these guys is an excellent alternative.
Shop now at Aurelien
Cariuma
Meet the first-ever skate shoe brand to be B-Corp certified. Cariuma is committed to two things: creating functional yet stylish footwear, and doing so with the lowest possible environmental impact.
The brand does this by using a combination of organic, recycled and regenerative materials, and by ensuring its shoes are built to last well and outlive trends. Shoes such as the best-selling Ibi Slip-On creates three times fewer emissions than the industry average for a pair of shoes. It also features a sugarcane outsole, cork insole and is completely machine washable.
Shop now at Cariuma
Johann Wolff
Can you get glasses cheap? Yes. Do they tend to look good? Not really. Thankfully, Johann Wolff is an antidote to this all-too-common affordable eyewear conundrum, offering up stylish frames at a fraction of what they cost elsewhere.
What’s more, the brand offers a lifetime warranty on all of its specs. They’re so confident in the quality of these glasses that they will replace broken pairs free of charge… forever!
Shop now at Johann Wolff
Kleman
You can’t go wrong with a bit of French workwear, and that’s what Kleman is all about. Since the 1980s, this functional brand has been producing handmade footwear for several public organisations — the French national railway, fire departments and police forces to name a few — but also for a loyal civilian customer base who rate the Kleman’s shoes for not just for their quality, but also their style.
Expect classic styles like Derbies, loafers and sandals, and the star of the show, the Padror shoe. It’s a proper French moc-toe work shoe, handmade in France using traditional techniques.
Shop now at Kleman
Neem London
Founded by menswear industry veteran Nick Reed, Neem was designed to be ‘an antidote to fast fashion’. It achieves this by producing high-quality garments, transparently produced using recycled materials, and by ensuring all of its products are built to stand the test of time.
The range consists of simple, easy-to-wear pieces in subtle, neutral shades that work well together. We’re particularly fond of the four-pocket flannel overshirts.
Shop now at Neem London
Steele & Borough
What’s the point in pouring so much effort into your outfit only to ruin it by slinging a battered old gym bag over your shoulder before you head out the door? Your choice of bag is every bit as important as any other element of your look, so it pays to get a good one.
The trouble is, smart luggage tends to be expensive… unless you know where to shop that is. We’d recommend Steele & Borough: a relative newcomer to the arena, but one that is offering up some fantastic options at seriously reasonable prices.
Shop now at Steele & Borough
Wax London
Simple, well-made, casual pieces, all lovingly designed in the UK. That’s the name of the game at Wax London. Founded by three friends in 2015, this young brand is heavily inspired by London life, creating elevated everyday pieces that can be called upon day in, day out.
The overshirts, in particular, are rather special, such as the Whiting overshirt, which has a heavyweight construction, relaxed fit, and is available in a plethora of colour options – some eye-catching, some subtle.
Shop now at Wax London
JAK
Portuguese brand JAK specialises in well-made, reasonably priced sneakers with an emphasis on understated versatility. This means the shoes are often fairly minimalist, with simple designs and little to no visible branding. As a result, JAK’s shoes can be worn with pretty much anything, making them a valuable addition to your shoe rack.
OK, they’re not exactly dirt cheap, but when you put them next to comparable brands in terms of quality and aesthetics the value aspect is plain to see.
Shop now at JAK
Asket
The first and most important step in building something beautiful is to lay a solid foundation. This is true not just in architecture, but also your wardrobe. A reliable sartorial arsenal depends heavily on the selection of basics that form its backbone. If these are up to scratch, everything else will fall into place. If not, well, you’re in trouble.
Thankfully, Stockholm-based brand Asket is all about the essentials. Since 2015, the Scandinavian label has been on a mission to kit men out with the fundamental tools they need to build the perfect capsule wardrobe.
The idea behind the brand is to create timeless basics to last forever, not just a season. Team that with high-end craftsmanship and focus on sustainability and you get one of the slickest purveyors of stylish staples you’re ever likely to come across.
Shop now at ASKET
Carl Friedrik
Swedish brothers Niklas and Mattis Oppermann founded Carl Friedrik in 2012 after they grew frustrated with the lack of well-designed, high-quality leather goods that they wanted to use themselves or to give as gifts for friends.
Luckily for the rest of us, they soon put this right. Carl Friedrik’s stylish luggage is slick, well made and versatile. Crafted from the highest quality Italian leather by genuine artisans, the range encompasses weekenders, backpacks, tote bags, briefcases and even suitcases. Basically, everything you need to get your gear from point A to point B in as good-looking a manner as possible.
Shop now at Carl Friedrik
Arket
Swedish lifestyle store Arket burst onto the scene in August 2017 to unprecedented success. The offspring of H&M, this minimalist high-street mecca offers a breath of fresh air from the hustle and bustle, serving up stylish trinkets, good coffee and, of course, excellent attire.
Here you’ll find clothes that are well made, squeaky clean and just oozing Scandinavian cool. Keep your eyes peeled for their overshirts and tailoring, but where Arket really excels is with its knitwear. Think fine-gauge, merino wool and just the right amount of restraint.
Shop now at Arket
A Day’s March
It may have been temporarily eclipsed by garish colours, over-the-top detail and bulky silhouettes in mainstream menswear, but make no mistake – minimalism is here to stay. And leading the resistance is Swedish independent label A Day’s March.
With several brick-and-mortar shops already established on its home turf, and one in London’s Soho district now too, A Day’s March’s signature brand of stripped-back simplicity has quickly made them a favourite here at Ape.
Expect well-made wardrobe staples with slim cuts and pared-back branding as standard. For a quick snapshot of what the label is all about, look to its military-inspired overshirts. They’re clean, versatile, timeless and a prime example of what the Stockholm-based brand does so well.
Shop now at A Day’s March
King & Tuckfield
Founded by Londoner Stacey Wood in 2016, King & Tuckfield is a relatively young label that’s already making waves. Since day one, the menswear industry has been abuzz with talk of made-in-England selvedge denim and cuts so clean, contemporary and cool they would give Acne Studios and A.P.C. a run for their money.
These are classic, simple clothes with big personality. Elegant garments that somehow manage to be both subtle and statement-making at the same time.
The label has friends in high places, too. Male model and dapper man-about-town Richard Biedul is a fan, having recently launched a co-branded collection. But for King & Tuckfield, this is only the beginning.
Shop now at King & Tuckfield
SIRPLUS
A market stall selling boxer shorts made from shirting offcuts may not sound like a great jumping-off point for a stylish menswear label, but it certainly worked for SIRPLUS.
Since as early as 2010, the company has been a regular fixture of London’s Portobello Market. And what began as such a simple concept has over time morphed into a full-scale fashion brand.
Perhaps it’d be unfair to label it as “fashion”, though. Because the label’s output isn’t driven by trends, but timeless style that’ll keep looking good and remain relevant season after season, year after year. From simple, plain tees to casual shirts – it’s all exemplary stuff crafted to the highest standards. Look out for the trademark Nehru jackets, too.
Shop now at SIRPLUS
ETQ.
With the relaxing of dress codes across the board in menswear, sneakers have found a new audience. These sporty staples have graduated from track and field to legitimately being worn with tailoring. Still, it wouldn’t have been possible if it weren’t for the brands that made it their mission to smarten them up.
One such label is ETQ., a Dutch brand specialising in the sort of luxurious sneakers capable of complementing almost any clothing combination you could care to imagine. It’s all thanks to a simple design, high-quality materials and artisan craftsmanship. These are the type of kicks that’ll become your go-to – something you can wear for anything from a job interview to a date night with great results every time.
Shop now at ETQ.
Atalaye
Arguably one of the classiest beach destinations on the face of the earth, Biarritz is cool, chilled out and full of character. It’s also home to Atalaye: a young brand making some of the finest resortwear we’ve ever had the good fortune to see.
Atalaye’s swimming shorts are a perfect visual metaphor for their Basque-country hometown. They’re stylish, laid back, luxurious and bursting with personality. This is premium swimwear that justifies its price tag, making the ideal accompaniment to anything from a polo shirt and espadrilles to simply a bare, bronzed torso.
Eastern-inspired prints are a common theme, so look out for eye-catching designs and lively colours.
Shop now at Atalaye
The post 17 Lesser-Known Brands You Should Add To Your Wardrobe appeared first on Ape to Gentleman.
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By: Paddy Maddison
Title: 17 Lesser-Known Brands You Should Add To Your Wardrobe
Sourced From: www.apetogentleman.com/less-known-fashion-brands/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=less-known-fashion-brands
Published Date: Fri, 08 Dec 2023 10:00:04 +0000
I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!
I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.
The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.
I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.
If you want to know anything else, ask!
Health
Meet the Palantir Mafia, who have collectively raised more than $6 billion for their own startups
Shreya Murthy, Gary Lin , Alex Katz
Shreya Murthy, Gary Lin, Alex Katz
- Some former Palantir employees have left the software company to build their own startups.
- BI identified 30 founders building in the AI, legaltech, consumer, and healthcare spaces.
- The Palantir Mafia includes Partiful, Ironclad, Joe Lonsdale, Anduril, Garry Tan, and more.
Move over, PayPal: there's a new tech mafia in town.
Meet the Palantir Mafia: from Y Combinator's Garry Tan, to Joe Lonsdale, to the founders of ElevenLabs, IronClad, and Partiful, the big data software company has produced a slew of former employees who now run startups and investment funds of their own.
More than a decade ago, PayPal set the standard for producing a formidable group of alumni who now run their own companies, including Elon Musk, David Sacks, Reid Hoffman, Max Levchin, and Peter Thiel — who later co-founder Palantir.
Now, Facebook and Oracle each have their own mafias and more recent tech companies like Square, OpenAI, and Instacart have mafias, too.
Palantir's original clients were federal agencies, and one of its core product offerings, "Gotham," assists in locating targets on battlefields. While some former Palantir employees are leveraging their experience to found defense tech startups, others are building companies in healthcare, consumer, AI, and enterprise.
Palantir mafia companies have been backed by top VC firms including a16z, Sequoia, Redpoint, and Accel, as well as the prestigious startup accelerator Y Combinator.
In total, the startups identified by BI have collectively raised more than $6 billion in VC funding, according to PitchBook data as well as founders themselves. More than half of that funding — $3.8 billion — went to one place: Anduril, the defense-tech startup founded by three Palantir alums.
Take a look at BI's list of 30 Palantir Mafia members who are now startup founders. We put Y Combinator's Garry Tan at the top of the list and then listed everyone else in descending order based on how much VC funding their startup has raised.
Y Combinator
Role at Palantir: Lead engineer, designer
Garry Tan needs no introduction: a longtime fixture of the tech community, he founded the early-stage VC firm Initialized Capital in 2012 and was its managing partner through the end of 2022 (he's still a board member and advisor). His investments, which include Coinbase, Instacart, Patreon, Flexport, Rippling, and more have created more than $200 billion in market value in nine years, according to his LinkedIn profile.
Today, Tan is the president and CEO of storied startup accelerator Y Combinator.
Tan worked at Palantir for two years: in 2005, he joined the company as employee number 10 and co-founded the first version of Palantir's financial analysis product. He also designed the company's current logo.
Anduril
Total funding: $3.8 billion, according to the company
Notable investors: Founders Fund, Sands Capital, General Catalyst, Andreessen Horowitz, 8VC, Lux Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Elad Gil, Human Capital
Total employees: 4,000+, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Trae Stephens, Forward Deployed Engineer (5.5 years); Matt Grimm, Forward Deployed Engineer (6 years 8 months); Brian Schimpf, Director of Engineering (9 years 7 months) (all according to their LinkedIn profiles)
Former Palantir employees Trae Stephens, Matt Grimm, and Brian Schimpf cofounded Anduril in 2017 alongside Palmer Luckey and Joe Chen to bring advanced autonomous systems to the military. Like Palantir, Anduril has attracted some of Silicon Valley's most prolific defense investors. Peter Thiel's Founders Fund (where Stephens is now a partner), an early investor in Palantir, seeded Anduril. Anduril last raised $1.5 billion at a $14 billion valuation in August 2024.
"Anduril's founding was motivated by a belief that the U.S. technology community should play a central role in both the development of weapons and supporting capabilities for US and allied militaries," Stephens wrote in a Medium post in 2022, underscoring the company's mission.
Brian Ach/Getty Images
Total funding: $495 million, according to PitchBook
Notable investors: 8VC, Valor Equity Partners, Peter Thiel, Thrive Capital
Total employees: 1,118, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Founder
Joe Lonsdale cofounded Palantir, a data and defense tech company, in 2004 with current CEO Alex Karp, Silicon Valley magnate Peter Thiel, current president Stephen Cohen, and Nathan Gettings.
"Our success relied on boldness and talent and a unique approach to mapping customers' data and processes and encoding it in our solutions," Lonsdale wrote about Palantir in a blog post from October 2024.
Lonsdale left Palantir in 2009 and founded Addepar, a software platform for investment portfolios.
Addepar has raised nearly half a billion dollars from the likes of Valor Equity Partners, Thrive Capital, Peter Thiel, and Lonsdale's venture capital firm, 8VC.
Ironclad
Total funding: $333 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Sequoia, Accel, YC Continuity, Franklin Templeton
Total employees: 516, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Software engineer
Cai Wangwilt is the co-founder and chief architect of Ironclad, the hot contract management software company that automates the contracting process for legal teams. Wangwilt founded the company in 2014 after spending three years as a software engineer at Palantir, where, among other projects, he built the successor to the company's original desktop client.
Given his background in developing tech at Palantir, Wangwilt recommends that aspiring founders reconsider what's possible in terms of delivering products to customers.
"AI is allowing us all to move exponentially faster with more precision," he said. "If there's something you're targeting, say, five years from now, ask yourself: 'is this something we might be able to do today?' You'll be surprised with your answer."
ElevenLabs
Total funding: $281 million, according to the company
Notable investors: a16z, ICONIQ Capital
Total employees: 150, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Deployment strategist
Mati Staniszewski spent nearly four years at Palantir, working as a deployment strategist from 2018 to 2022. Now, he's the co-founder of buzzy AI startup ElevenLabs, which is building audio models that generate realistic speech and sound effects in multiple languages. He said that when he worked at Palantir, he was given a high level of autonomy and ownership from day one, which made him effective at quickly solving problems.
"That shaped how we built ElevenLabs — lean, empowered teams that move quickly to make things happen," he said.
The startup, which has raised $281 million in total funding from investors like a16z and ICONIQ Capital, closed an $180 million Series C in January.
Peregrine Technologies
Total funding: $252.7 million, according to PitchBook
Notable investors: Founders Fund, XYZ Venture Capital, Village Global, Sequoia Capital, Craft Ventures, according to Pitchbook
Total employees: 190, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Head of U.S. Special Operations Business Unit
Nick Noone spent five years at Palantir, where he led the U.S. Special Operations (SOCOM) Business Unit and was the Business Operations and Strategy team's first hire in 2012. He now leads Peregrine, which makes a decision-support platform for government organizations, like public safety and law enforcement agencies, as well as commercial companies. Peregrine is growing fast—the company has tripled its annual revenues over the past three years, according to a press release.
The startup, which has raised money from prominent defense tech investors, including Founders Fund and XYZ Venture Capital, raised $190 million in Series C funding in March led by Sequoia Capital. The financing valued the company at $2.5 billion and will enable it to recruit more software engineers, the press release said.
Sourcegraph
Total funding: $235 million with a $2.6 billion valuation, according to the company
Notable investors: Andreessen Horowitz, Sequoia, Craft, Redpoint, Felicis, Goldcrest
Total employees: 200, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Slack was a forward-deployed engineer, and Liu was a software engineer
Quinn Slack and Beyang Liu have spent the last 12 years building Sourcegraph, an AI code search and intelligence tool for software developers. The company, which is valued at more than $2.6 billion, most recently raised a $125 million Series D in 2021 from investors including a16z and Insight Partners. Slack Sourcegraph's CEO, while Liu is CTO.
The pair also overlapped at Palantir: Slack spent 10 months in 2011 and 2012 as a forward-deployed engineer advising banks in the home lending space, while Liu spent two years as a software engineer building software to analyze mortgage datasets and other financial data.
"As a Forward Deployed Engineer at Palantir, I worked directly with top executives at major banks, getting feedback by day and building solutions overnight, Slack said. "That incredibly tight feedback loop taught me how to build products the right way: close to the problem and the customer."
Chapter
Total funding: $111 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Addition, XYZ Venture Capital, Maverick Ventures, Peter Thiel, Narya, Susa Ventures
Total employees: 125, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Deployment Strategist on the US Government team
Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz started as an intern at Palantir and returned full-time as a Deployment Strategist on the US Government team, where he spent nearly six years. The fast-paced environment helped shape his approach to problem-solving: "When I was at Palantir, it was a chaotic environment," Blumenfeld-Gantz told BI. "There was little structure and everything was open to be defined by the teams closest to the problems. It's not quite the same as being in a green field environment, but I learned how to just figure stuff out and get stuff done — because I had to."
After leaving the company in early 2020, Blumenfeld-Gantz cofounded Chapter, a medicare advisory provider that helps seniors choose the right health coverage. Chapter closed a $50 million Series C led by XYZ Venture Capital in May 2024.
Sequoia
Total funding: $110 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Sequoia, Charles Schwab, Kravis, Y Combinator, SV Angel
Total employees: Unknown
Role at Palantir: Forward-deployed engineer
After spending a year as a forward-deployed engineer at Palantir, Tarek Mansour completed stints as an AI researcher at MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and as a macro trader at Citadel before turning to startups. In 2021, he co-founded Kalshi, a fintech platform that lets users trade on the outcome of any event, like whether or not a bill will pass through Congress.
Two Chairs
Total funding: $103 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Amplo, Goldcrest Capital, Fifth Down Capital, Maveron
Total employees: 750 million, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Deployment lead and enterprise lead
Alex Katz is currently the founder and CEO of mental healthcare startup Two Chairs, which matches clients to therapists. Since launching in 2016, the startup has raised $103 million, most recently in a $72 million debt and equity Series C in April 2024 led by Amplo and Fifth Down Capital.
Prior to building a healthtech startup, Katz spent two years at Palantir, where he was first a deployment lead, and then an enterprise lead — and he said that the entrepreneurial talent at the company during that time was "off the charts."
"It's no surprise to me that Palantir has turned out to be such an incredible generator of founder talent," he said. "It was an environment that gave enormous opportunity to people often quite early in their career — certainly much earlier than any more traditional environment I'd worked in."
Decagon
Total funding: $100 million, according to the company
Notable investors: A16z, Accel, Bain Capital Ventures, Elad Gil, A*, Bond Capital, Acme Capital
Total employees: 60
Role at Palantir: Deployment Strategist
Ashwin Sreenivas worked as a Deployment Strategist at Palantir for a year before pivoting to startups. In 2019, he cofounded Helia, a computer vision platform acquired by data labeling company Scale AI for an undisclosed amount in 2020.
Sreenivas' latest startup, Decagon, makes AI support agents that autonomously handle customer inquiries across chat, email, and voice calls. The startup has raised $100 million to date, and Bain Capital Ventures led its $65 million Series B in October 2024, which quadrupled Decagon's valuation, according to the company's blog. Elad Gil, A*, Accel, Bond Capital, and Acme Capital also participated in the fundraise.
Hex
Total funding: $100 million, according to the company
Notable investors: A16z, Sequoia, Redpoint, Amplify, Snowflake
Total employees: 120, according to the company
Role at Palantir: McCardel was a forward deployed engineer; Colgrove was a software engineer, software engineering team lead, and software engineering group lead; and Takahashi was an intern and forward deployed engineer.
As a forward deployed engineer at Palantir, Barry McCardel spent more than four and a half years at the company, from 2014 to 2018, before eventually becoming a startup founder in 2019. His company, Hex, provides collaborative data analytics for enterprises, and it last raised $28 million in Series B funding in 2023 from a16z, Amplify, and Snowflake.
McCardel, who is Hex's CEO, co-founded the startup alongside two other Palantir alums: CTO Caitlin Colgrove built one of Palantir's first modern web applications at Palantir, and chief architect Glen Takahashi was an intern before becoming a full-time forward deployed engineer from 2014-2018.
For McCardel, building a successful startup requires a deep understanding of users and the ability to rapidly iterate on a great product for them.
"I can't imagine a better training ground for this than being a forward-deployed role at Palantir — even if we didn't realize it at the time," he said.
Cape
Total funding: $61.4 million, according to the company
Notable investors: A*, ex/ante, Point72 Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, XYZ Venture Capital
Total employees: 55, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Head of National Security
John Doyle spent nearly nine years leading national security at Palantir, where he experienced the company's "flat and high-ownership culture" and saw "tons of room for creative people with big ideas to build," he told BI.
His work with national security customers shaped his vision for Cape, the private and secure mobile carrier he founded in 2022.
"That work crystallized for me that many of those same threats also apply to everyday citizens, which is what made me want to build a mobile solution for the average consumer that doesn't come at the expense of being productized or compromised," he said of his time at Palantir.
Cape last raised $61 million in funding rounds led by A* and Andreessen Horowitz in August 2024, according to a press release.
Anduin
Total funding: $49 million, according to the company
Notable investors: 8VC, GC1 Ventures, Asymmetric Capital
Total employees: 130, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Forward Deployed Engineer
Eliot Hodges worked as a Forward Deployed Engineer at Palantir for over two years. At the company, he focused on "fraud workflows" for "big box retailers" and monitoring and compliance within the federal government, according to his LinkedIn.
Hodges' time at Palantir was pivotal to launching his career: two of his last three jobs since leaving the defense tech company were all a result of Palantir connections, he said. "Palantir taught me how a small group of mission-driven people can solve some of the world's hardest challenges for government and commercial organizations alike," Hodges said.
Anduin, founded in 2014, makes tools for private market investors. Its platform simplifies the subscription process for limited partners, reducing administrative work. The startup has raised money from prominent investors, including 8VC, the venture firm started by Palantir cofounder Joe Lonsdale. Hodges joined Anduin as its CEO in 2020.
Hodges has carried over a key lesson from Palantir while building Anduin—and advises aspiring founders to do the same: "Build deeply technical teams and find promisingly unsexy problems to solve."
Little Otter
Total funding: $35 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Charles River Ventures, Pivotal Ventures, BoxGroup, Torch Capital, 8VC, Palantir Alumni Group
Total employees: 175
Role at Palantir: Forward Deployed Product Lead
Rebecca Egger spent over two years as a Forward Deployed Product Lead at Palantir before transitioning to a role as a product and program lead at the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative. In 2020, she cofounded Little Otter, an online counseling and therapy service focused on serving families and children, alongside her mother, Dr. Helen Egger.
In February, Little Otter secured $9.5 million in strategic funding in February from investors, including Charles River Ventures and Pivotal Ventures. The funding will help the startup scale its operations using AI and expand its services to families covered by Medicaid and commercial insurance plans, according to a company blog post.
Shreya Murthy, Joy Tao
Total funding: $27 million, according to PitchBook
Notable investors: a16z, according to PitchBook
Total employees: 27, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Tao was a product engineer, and Murthy was an enterprise lead and business operations and strategy lead
Joy Tao and Shreya Murthy are currently running Partiful, an app for inviting friends and connections to IRL events. The pair founded the startup in 2020. Since then, it has become a go-to organizing tool for group gatherings, and at the end of 2022, Partiful raised a Series A funding round from a16z.
Tao and Murthy both worked at Palantir from 2014 to 2018. Tao was a product engineer, while Murthy held multiple positions: enterprise lead, deployment lead, and business operations and strategy team lead.
Alex Ince-Cushman
Total funding: $20 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Prelude Ventures, Zero Infinity Partners
Total employees: 20, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Head of Product Operations
Alex Ince-Cushman worked as Palantir's Head of Product Operations for nearly four years after over six years at the consulting firm McKinsey & Company. After Palantir, Ince-Cushman spent almost two years as chief technology officer at Just Energy, a retail energy provider in the US and Canada.
He founded Branch Energy in late 2020. This vertically integrated power provider helps customers lower their energy bills and carbon footprints by providing access to clean energy. In August 2024, the startup raised just under $11 million in a round led by climate tech venture firm Prelude Ventures.
Explo
Total funding: $15 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Craft, Felicis, and Y Combinator
Total employees: 25, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Forward deployed engineer, enterprise tech lead
In 2019, Gary Lin co-founded Explo, which allows companies to quickly build customer-facing dashboards and reporting. The company was a member of YC's Winter 2020 batch and has since raised $14 million in VC funding, most recently through its $12 million Series A in August 2022, which was led by Craft Ventures.
Prior to starting Explo, Lin spent more than two years at Palantir, first as a forward-deployed engineer working with the Department of Defense and later commercial clients and then as an enterprise tech lead for the Department of Defense.
"Being an engineer on the frontlines via forward deployed engineering gave me a glimpse into what it was like to embed closely with customers, make difficult, multi-dimensional tradeoffs, and close pilots," he said.
Angela McNeal, Mayada Gonimah
Total funding: $6 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Greycroft, Index Ventures
Total employees: 14, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Angela McNeal: Head of AI/ML Product, Foundry Modeling; Mayada Gonimah: Head of AI/ML Engineering, Foundry
At Palantir, McNeal and Gonimah led the Foundry Modeling team, where they worked on AI and machine learning projects. Drawing on that experience, they left the company in 2023 and cofounded ThreadAI, a composable infrastructure platform that allows companies to make, implement, and manage AI-powered workflows.
For aspiring founders looking to break out of their current company and start something new, Gonimah emphasizes the importance of building a resilient team: "There are a lot of tourists, so make sure you have a deep bench to build a durable company that isn't at risk of being eliminated by the next shiny thing," she told BI.
Thread AI raised a seed round led by Index Ventures, with participation from Greycroft and a handful of angel investors, in 2024.
Mural Pay
Total funding: $5.6 million, according to PitchBook
Notable investors: Alleycorp, according to PitchBook
Total employees: 13, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Forward deployed engineer, technical lead
Blurb: Mural Pay facilitates cross-border payments between the U.S., Europe, Latam, and Africa. While he's now based in New York, Toffa spent just under three years working at Palantir in London, first as a forward-deployed engineer and then as a technical lead.
Steve Heitkamp
Total funding: $5 million, according to the company
Notable investors: Broad Creek Capital and Daybreak Capital Partners, according to PitchBook
Total employees: 20, according to the company
Role at Palantir: Lead in US Government Practice
Founded in 2020, Hence makes AI software that helps companies identify and tackle geopolitical, legal, and AI risks. The London-based startup's backend is powered by Palantir Foundry, the defense tech company's data integration and analytics platform.
Hence's cofounder, Steve Heitkamp, told Business Insider that he spent over seven years at Palantir leading its US government practice. Here's one of the lessons he learned at Palantir: "Don't be sorry for what you are not," he wrote to BI. Instead, embrace what makes you unique and use your superpowers to be the best version of you. This is how you create transformative value."
Wondercraft
Total funding: $3.5 million, according to PitchBook
Notable investors: Will Ventures, according to PitchBook
Total employees: 8, according to PitchBook
Role at Palantir: Nikolaou was a deployment strategist, project lead, forward-deployed engineer, and technical lead, while Rizk was a forward-deployed software engineer.
Blurb: Palantir in London in 2018, and by 2023, the pair teamed up to build Wondercraft, an AI audio editor that creates ads, podcasts, and other spoken content in multiple languages through typing. The startup, which was a member of Y Combinator's summer 2022 cohort, raised a $3 million seed funding round in January from Will Ventures, YC, and fellow Palantir Mafia and AI audio startup Eleven Labs.
——————————————-
By: [email protected] (Samantha Stokes,Julia Hornstein)
Title: Meet the Palantir Mafia, who have collectively raised more than $6 billion for their own startups
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/palantir-mafia-former-employees-startups-anduril-2025-3
Published Date: Mon, 17 Mar 2025 09:00:02 +0000
I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!
I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.
The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.
I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.
If you want to know anything else, ask!
Health
Spruce up your space for spring by decluttering
The author (not pictured) found that decluttering helped ease symptoms of anxiety and OCD.
Getty Images
- This post originally appeared in the BI Today newsletter.
- You can sign up for Business Insider's daily newsletter here.
Happy Saturday! Feeling too busy to work out? One 37-year-old mom lost 100 pounds by using this three-step strategy. Sounds simple enough!
On the agenda:
- Young people with colon cancer share the early signs that doctors misdiagnosed.
- A new luxury development in Manhattan is offering amenities — for a steep price tag.
- We tested out the new hottest water bottle to see if it's worth the hype.
- Patricia Arquette has a message for anyone looking for "Severance" spoilers.
But first: Ready, set, spring clean.
If this was forwarded to you, sign up here. Download Business Insider's app here.
This week's dispatch
Getty Images
It's time to sweep into spring
Do you feel it? I'm talking about the warmer weather, the sun shining just a little bit longer, and the winter blues going away. We're enjoying the first signs of spring, and it feels reaaaally good.
With spring also comes a chance to renew your personal space. Not to give you too much homework, but it's time to spring clean.
Thankfully, BI's Life team has been all over the decluttering trend — and has spoken to many professionals and families who make this seemingly uphill task quite easy.
If you want to get started this weekend, declutter expert Sonia Weiser has three tips:
- Start with your drawers and closets. You want to tackle anything that's actually used for storage first: bookshelves, medicine cabinets, and even your desk.
- "Divide it by what you want to keep, what you want to donate or give to someone you know, and what you want to trash," Weiser says.
- If you find it hard to let go, ask an impartial friend to help you decide what to keep and what to toss.
For more tips, read Weiser's advice on decluttering with ease.
Colon cancer misdiagnosis
Getty Images; Jenny Chang-Rodriguez/BI
Colon cancer is on the rise, especially among young people. Early symptoms can be mild and resemble other digestive issues like IBS or celiac disease — sometimes leading to misdiagnosis in the early stages.
For doctors, diagnosing young patients is a tricky tightrope to walk. Colonoscopies cost around $2,000 on average, so doctors typically won't urge young people to get them unless they have serious symptoms or a family history of cancer.
$750,000 for a parking spot, anyone?
Renderings of the two-tower development in West Village.
DBOX
New York City real estate is a beast, and $1 million doesn't always get you very far. One new luxury development is proof.
In the West Village, 80 Clarkson's most expensive unit is priced at $63 million. Buyers can pay additional big bucks for all the perks, like a $1 million private wine cellar — and don't forget to budget for a parking spot.
What's the buzz about Bink?
Bink water bottles at Target.
Amanda Krause/Business Insider
Bink is the latest brand to enter the water bottle craze, taking over the spot previously held by Owala and Stanley cups. The silicone-covered glass bottles are all over Instagram and pilates studios.
But beyond the aesthetics, are they worth the hype? BI's Amanda Krause tested one out and found them to be better than her Stanley — but not by much.
Don't expect it to fit your car's cupholder.
No 'Severance' spoilers here
IFC Films, AppleTV+, Warner Bros. Pictures Sunset Boulevard_Corbis/Getty, BI
Fans of the hit HBO show know Patricia Arquette as the guarded Harmony Cobel. But her acting career spans an array of TV and film projects, and she's a voice for equality in Hollywood.
In the latest installment of BI's Role Play series, Arquette wants you to know that she doesn't care if you're on the edge of your seat watching the new season. She thinks you should stay right there.
Plus, the advice she got from Martin Scorsese.
What we're watching this weekend
Paul Abell/Netflix; Chelsea Jia Feng/BI
- "The Electric State": Chris Pratt and "Stranger Things" star Millie Bobby Brown team up for Netflix's new sci-fi adventure movie.
- "Moana 2": The sequel to the beloved 2016 animated movie is now available on Disney+ after breaking Thanksgiving box office records.
- "The Wheel of Time": Prime Video's popular fantasy series is back for season three.
iStock; Rebecca Zisser/BI
What to shop
- Bras you won't hate: What if we told you that you don't have to sacrifice comfort in exchange for supporting a large chest? We've rounded up the best bralettes for large busts that do both, including plus-size-inclusive options.
- Neutral basics with a twist: All the "it" girls have been sporting this brand around NYC, so we put it to the test. After trying out some of the most popular designs, we broke down all the ways they got it right in our Marcella review.
- Sleep Awareness Week: We're near the end of Sleep Week, but it's not too late to score some incredible deals from our favorite brands. Mattresses, pillows, sheets, and pajamas are on sale — peep our roundup of the best Sleep Week deals.
More of this week's top reads:
- I moved my young family to Europe. Our expenses are about the same, but our quality of life is so much better.
- A woman realized she could work out to live longer, not just look better. 3 simple things helped her make exercise a fun, daily habit.
- I spent a night at an all-inclusive resort on an island off the coast of Africa. My private villa cost $900 a night and was worth every penny.
- I traveled first class on Amtrak for the first time. The most luxurious perk wasn't even on the train.
- We're two of America's top real-estate agents. Here's where wealthy people are moving.
- 3 high-protein, high-fiber recipes that boost gut health and aren't ultra-processed — by a doctor who specializes in nutrition.
- A James Bond expert shares the one thing Amazon should focus on to get 007 right — and the one thing it should avoid.
- I make my own sourdough bread to save money on groceries. Here are 5 things I wish I'd known before I started.
- From AI strollers to 'smart socks,' millennials are obsessed with high-tech baby gear.
- A retired Wall Street manager started exercising at 70, lost 35 pounds, and fixed his back pain. Here are his 3 tips for getting fit.
- My only parenting regret is using funny filters on most of my daughter's baby photos.
- How Meghan Trainor spends her 5 to 9 — from couples therapy to nerding out about protein.
The BI Today team: Dan DeFrancesco, deputy editor and anchor, in New York City (on paternity leave). Grace Lett, editor, in New York. Lisa Ryan, executive editor, in New York. Amanda Yen, associate editor, in New York. Elizabeth Casolo, fellow, in Chicago.
——————————————-
By: [email protected] (Joi-Marie McKenzie)
Title: Spruce up your space for spring by decluttering
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/bi-today-spruce-up-your-space-by-decluttering-2025-3
Published Date: Sat, 15 Mar 2025 10:37:01 +0000
I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!
I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.
The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.
I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.
If you want to know anything else, ask!
Health
New York tech workers are flocking to a coffee shop across from OpenAI’s new office. I checked it out to see why.
The author holds a matcha latte and bagged treat outside La Cabra in Manhattan's SoHo neighborhood.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
- The next Blue Bottle has hit New York's tech scene.
- La Cabra's popularity has soared since ChatGPT-maker OpenAI put down roots across the street.
- The Danish coffee chain is famed for its $9 pour-over brews and cardamom buns.
The line to La Cabra stretches onto the sidewalk, a tidy queue of office workers and shoppers sauntering through the warm, muggy embrace of a New York City spring.
Inside, at least twenty patrons hover near the bar like caffeinated moths around a flame, clutching iced matcha lattes and croissants. A barista weaves through the standing-room-only crowd, hoisting a tray of pain suisse aloft.
Welcome to New York's hottest club: the café across from OpenAI's office.
La Cabra, the latest export from Denmark's high-end coffee empire, has inspired a cult following among Manhattan's coffee cognoscenti. Led by founder Esben Piper and head baker Jared Sexton, a Dominique Ansel alum, the sleek, minimalist chain entices crowds with its $9 pour-over brews and cardamom buns worthy of sonnets. Since the ChatGPT-maker moved into SoHo in the fall of last year, the line to get in seems to grow longer each day.
The Puck Building is becoming the red-hot center of Manhattan's tech scene.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
Nestled caddy corner from the Puck Building, La Cabra finds itself in illustrious company. The red-brick structure is owned by Kushner Companies, a real estate developer founded by Charles Kushner, father of Jared Kushner, the son-in-law of President Donald Trump, and Josh Kushner, founder of Thrive Capital. The outdoor gear retailer REI covers 36,000 square feet over three levels. Above it, employees of Thrive and a smattering of its portfolio companies badge into their offices.
Thrive Capital, with nearly $25 billion in assets under management, has a small staff of about 75 people. Plaid also leases the entire sixth floor, while OpenAI occupies 90,000 square feet of office space at its first New York City outpost.
Together, their proximity to La Cabra has turned the Danish coffee roaster into an unofficial think tank for anyone in the mood for a latte with a side of world domination.
La Cabra offers limited seating around the counter, where baristas prepare pour-over brews and matcha lattes.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
Amanda Herson, a tech investor at Founder Collective, says she's been buying coffee and cardamom buns for her office since La Cabra opened on Lafayette Street. She goes in the early morning "when there isn't much of a wait." Tech consultant Jason Liu agrees that mornings tend to have lighter traffic. On frequent trips to New York from San Francisco, he holds office hours at the Puck Building and dashes over to La Cabra for a chocolate croissant and iced espresso with milk.
First Round Capital is a five-minute walk from La Cabra, and partner Hayley Barna goes for the pastries and trendspotting. "Honestly, it's tricky to make it a meeting spot because seating isn't reliable," Barna said.
I went to La Cabra twice and found the line was much shorter on a Thursday morning.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
When I stopped in on a Thursday morning, I took in the scene from a stool at the counter, sipping a cardamom latte from a handleless stoneware cup. With its natural color palette and cabinets inset with panels of rattan, La Cabra feels like a Japanese ryokan meets Ikea. Baristas floated behind the counter wearing the de rigueur Danish uniform of beige shirts with three-quarter sleeves designed by Copenhagen clothier Another Aspect.
The pastry case at La Cabra.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
First, I dug into a $7 ham-and-cheese croissant baked to a medium brown and speckled with sesame seeds and parsley. It had a crisp, caramelized exterior so that when I bit in, a gust of flakes fell like helicopter seeds, which I picked up and popped into my mouth. The beauty of the laminated spiral gave way to a satisfying buttery crunch with a scant portion of ham. I found it skimping on cheese but recognized that more filling would make the interior soggy.
The ham-and-cheese croissant at La Cabra.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
I couldn't resist trying the $6 Swedish cardamom bun I'd read about online. This knotted pastry was delightfully unexpected: chewy and dense like a cinnamon roll, yet airy enough to puff back into shape with each bite. The recipe goes heavy on the cardamom, infusing the pastry with a piney warmth and gentle sweetness.
The cardamom buns are known to sell out, though Piper, La Cabra's founder, says the chain makes deliveries from its East Village bakery three times a day to restock the pastry case. To expand its operations, the company has secured a fourth location in Manhattan, Piper told Business Insider exclusively.
The cardamom bun at La Cabra.
Melia Russell/Business Insider
As I licked my fingers clean of sugar, I scanned the cafe in search of employee badges or logo apparel, hoping for a glimpse of a startup executive in their natural habitat. In New York, unlike San Francisco, it seems that such overt displays of corporate allegiance are not as prevalent. Here, the tech elite and builders blend into the street milieu, swapping hoodies adorned with company logos for more voguish attire.
Feeling the caffeine buzz kick in, I left knowing that I'd return soon — if not for a meeting, then to try the pain suisse.
——————————————-
By: [email protected] (Melia Russell)
Title: New York tech workers are flocking to a coffee shop across from OpenAI’s new office. I checked it out to see why.
Sourced From: www.businessinsider.com/la-cabra-coffee-shop-review-openai-new-york-office-2025-3
Published Date: Wed, 12 Mar 2025 09:00:01 +0000
I’m Jason, and I write for ValleyNewspaper.com!
I love to travel and enjoy doing things outdoors, like hiking or working remotely from quaint little coffee shops.
The best thing about the blog for me is the ability to discuss anything, from personal life to current events.
I enjoy spending time with my Wife, 2 boys, and my Pug, Patty. I love traveling and speaking at social media events.
If you want to know anything else, ask!
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