Barney Pell
InvestorFounderFounding Fellow at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) · Founder at Moon Express
San Francisco, California
Writes $1M – $15M checks · typically $6M
FoundedMoon Express
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Ask Lorenzo Thione to introduce you to Barney
You →Lorenzo · together at Powerset (2006–2008) →Barney
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About
Barney Pell is Chief Strategist, Chief Scientist, and Head of AI at Magic, a virtual assistant company. He is a Venture Partner at Radical Ventures, an Industry Advisor for EQT, and manages World Changing Ventures, his own investment fund and syndicate, with over 200 investments to date. Over three decades, Pell has held founder, executive, and advisory roles across numerous technology ventures, including Powerset (acquired by Microsoft), Moon Express, and LocoMobi, and served as an early advisor to LinkedIn and Figure Eight; he previously led AI research at NASA, including work on autonomous systems for space missions and the Mars Exploration Rovers, and holds a PhD in General Game Playing from Stanford University.
Founder at Moon Express
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Moon Express's investors · 2
Co-founders at Moon Express

Experience
- MagicChief Strategist, Chief Scientist and Head of AIcurrent2023 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Radical VenturesVenture Partnercurrent2019 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- EQT Ventures & GrowthIndustial Advisorcurrent2023 — present
- DeVry UniversityMember, President's Advisory Council on Technology & the Economycurrent2022 — present
- Decision TheoryFoundercurrent2002 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Creative Destruction LabFounding Fellowcurrent2015 — presentGreater Toronto Area, Canada
- Stanford University Graduate School of BusinessLecturercurrent2019 — presentStanford, California, United States
- UCSF Health HubBoard Membercurrent2018 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- Ionomr Innovations Inc.Member Board Of Directors2017 — 2020Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
- Ecoation Innovative Solutions Inc (EIS).Member Board Of Directors2017 — 2020Greater Vancouver Metropolitan Area
- Figure EightChairman of the Scientific Advisory Board2016 — 2019San Francisco Bay Area
- Moon ExpressFounder, Vice Chairman and Chief Strategy Officer2010 — 2019Mountain View, CA
- LocoMobiCo-Founder, Chairman & Chief Strategy Officer2014 — 2019San Francisco Bay Area
- Pharma SurveyorAdvisor2006 — 2018Redwood City, California, United States
- Singularity UniversityAssociate Founder and Trustee2009 — 2017Mountain View, California, United States
- PortalariumAdvisor2011 — 2014
- QuickPay CorporationChairman and CEO2011 — 2014San Francisco Bay Area
- Speak With MeAdvisor2005 — 2012
- MicrosoftPartner Architect and Development Manager2008 — 2011San Francisco Bay Area
- Machine Intelligence Research InstituteAdvisor2007 — 2010
- MovityInvestor/Advisor2010
- AppJet, Inc.Investor/Advisor2009 — 2010
- LinkedInAdvisor2004 — 2009
- PowersetFounder and CEO2005 — 2008
- MayfieldEntrepreneur In Residence2005
- NASA Ames Research CenterArea Manager, Collaboration and Assistant Systems2002 — 2005
- Whizbang! LabsVice President, Strategy and Business Development2000 — 2002
- StockMaster.comChief Strategist and Vice President, Business Development1998 — 2000
- NASA Ames Research CenterSenior Computer Scientist and Principal Investigator1993 — 1998
- University of CambridgePhD Student and Instructor1989 — 1993
- SRI InternationalVisiting Research Scientist1987 — 1989
- Stanford UniversityStudent, Teaching Assistant and Instructor1986 — 1989
Skills & more
+12 more
Product ManagementRoboticsStart-upsE-commerceMergers & AcquisitionsSoftware DevelopmentStrategic PartnershipsSocial NetworkingArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningBusiness DevelopmentStrategic PlanningFrom Barney's professional profile.
Investments
Per curated public sources.
Colleagues at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)
Network10
Investors connected to Barney in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Barney Pell?
- Barney Pell is Chief Strategist, Chief Scientist, and Head of AI at Magic, a virtual assistant company. He is a Venture Partner at Radical Ventures, an Industry Advisor for EQT, and manages World Changing Ventures, his own investment fund and syndicate, with over 200 investments to date. Over three decades, Pell has held founder, executive, and advisory roles across numerous technology ventures, including Powerset (acquired by Microsoft), Moon Express, and LocoMobi, and served as an early advisor to LinkedIn and Figure Eight; he previously led AI research at NASA, including work on autonomous systems for space missions and the Mars Exploration Rovers, and holds a PhD in General Game Playing from Stanford University.
- Where does Barney Pell work?
- Barney Pell is Founder of Moon Express and Founding Fellow at Creative Destruction Lab (CDL).
- What check size does Barney Pell write?
- Barney Pell typically writes checks of $1M – $15M.
- What companies did Barney Pell found?
- Barney Pell founded Moon Express.
- What companies has Barney Pell invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Avro Life Science, Correlia Biosystems, Fridge, InnoVein, Movity, PartnerStack, Pursuit, Revolve Surgical, Validere.
- Where did Barney Pell go to school?
- Barney Pell studied at University of Cambridge (Ph.D., Computer science); Stanford University (B.S., Symbolic Systems); James Monroe High School (High School Diploma).
Founder mafias
Stanford University mafia2,240
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Microsoft mafia1,474
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
University of Cambridge mafia706
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
LinkedIn mafia195
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Creative Destruction Lab mafia91
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended University of Cambridge1,682
+ 1,676 more
Also attended Stanford University2,000
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at EQT Ventures & Growth44
+ 38 more
Also worked at Stanford University Graduate School of Business285
+ 279 more
Also worked at Microsoft2,000
+ 1,994 more














































































