Brian Shin
InvestorFounderAdvisor at Defy Partners · Investor at VitalStage Ventures · Founder at Searchable AI
San Francisco, California
Writes $500K – $2M checks · typically $1M
FoundedSearchable AI
Find your path to Brian
735 people in our graph share verified history with Brian — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Alexis AbramsunlockedBrian: together at General Catalyst (2018–2021)
×9Brian: together at General Catalyst
Brian: together at Goldman Sachs
Brian: together at Together AI
About
Brian Shin is Managing Partner of VitalStage Ventures AI-Native Fund and co-founder of Joinable Labs, Inc. With over 25 years in technology entrepreneurship, he has completed five exits as a co-founder, co-authored two AI patents, and served as head of AI for an $8 billion public software company. His investment experience includes early positions in HubSpot, Drift, Kayak, and other infrastructure and AI/ML companies, as well as institutional roles at In-Q-Tel and PSG/Providence Equity Partners.
Founder at Searchable AI
Intro paths
→
In turn, Brian can intro founders to Searchable AI's investors below.
Searchable AI's investors · 1
Experience
- VitalStage VenturesManaging Partnercurrent2023 — presentSan Francisco, CA
- Joinable Labs, Inc.Co-Foundercurrent2024 — present
- Project PrometheusInvestorcurrent2026 — present
- ReplitInvestorcurrent2026 — present
- Together AIInvestorcurrent2026 — present
- AntarisInvestorcurrent2026 — present
- Hexo LabsInvestorcurrent2026 — present
- GroqInvestorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Plex ResearchInvestorcurrent2024 — presentCambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- Deepnight (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- ego (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Octolane AI (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Toma (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Duckie (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- TensorFuse (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- CodeAnt AI (YC W24)Investorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Not DiamondInvestorcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- Patented.aiInvestorcurrent2023 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- GaiaNet.AIAdvisorcurrent2024 — presentSingapore
- defy.vcAdvisorcurrent2021 — presentWoodside, California, United States
- TVisionAdvisory Boardcurrent2020 — presentNew York, New York, United States
- General Catalyst PartnersLimited Partnercurrent2007 — presentCambridge, MA
- BeamableMember of The Board of Directors2021 — 2025
- SmartsheetSr. Director, Product Management; Leader of AI Strategy and Product2023San Francisco, California, United States
- searchable.aiCo-Founder2019 — 2023San Francisco, California
- AREVOMember of The Board of Directors2020 — 2022San Francisco Bay Area
- Providence Equity PartnersManaging Director2018 — 2019Providence, Rhode Island Area
- In-Q-TelPartner, Investments2017 — 2018Greater Boston
- NextView VenturesEntrepreneur Advisor2010 — 2018Boston, MA
- Visible Measures (Nasdaq: ATY)Founder & CEO2005 — 2017
- Sirtris Pharma (Nasdaq: SIRT)Consultant to the CEO2004 — 2006
- Goldman Sachs & Co. (NYSE: GS)Summer Associate, Investment Management Division2005
- Infraweb, Inc.Co-founder & President2000 — 2004
- Medsite, Inc. (now WebMD)Vice President, Technology1998 — 2000
- Creative Aspects, Inc.Co-founder, VP Product1998 — 1999Cambridge, MA
- Allaire CorporationWeb Developer and Tech Support1997 — 1998
.png)
Skills & more
StartupsCapital RaisingProduct StrategyArtificial Intelligence (AI)Start-ups95Entrepreneurship54Analytics22Mobile Devices5Online Advertising5Product Management15Digital Media4E-commerce9
+12 more
Business DevelopmentWeb VideoBusiness StrategyDigital StrategyDigital MarketingProduct DevelopmentSEMMarketing StrategySaaSEnterprise SoftwareStrategyManagementFrom Brian's professional profile.
Colleagues at Defy Partners
Network10
Adam GrosserScout
Chairman and Managing Partner at UP Partners
Alice BentinckScout
Cofounder and CEO at Entrepreneur First
Aubrie PaganoScout
General Partner, Managing Member at Corigin Ventures
David BrownScout
Founder at Impellent Ventures
Diane HessanScout
Special Advisor at Data Point Capital
Giuseppe StutoScout
Co-Founder, Managing Partner at 186 Ventures
Kulveer TaggarScout
Investor
Salil DeshpandeScout
General Partner at Uncorrelated Ventures
Tom BlomfieldScout
Monzo and GoCardless co-founder; Y Combinator partner on leave and Anthropic compute-team member.
Ally Warson
Partner at UP Partners
Investors connected to Brian in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Brian Shin?
- Brian Shin is Managing Partner of VitalStage Ventures AI-Native Fund and co-founder of Joinable Labs, Inc. With over 25 years in technology entrepreneurship, he has completed five exits as a co-founder, co-authored two AI patents, and served as head of AI for an $8 billion public software company. His investment experience includes early positions in HubSpot, Drift, Kayak, and other infrastructure and AI/ML companies, as well as institutional roles at In-Q-Tel and PSG/Providence Equity Partners.
- Where does Brian Shin work?
- Brian Shin is Founder of Searchable AI and Advisor at Defy Partners.
- What check size does Brian Shin write?
- Brian Shin typically writes checks of $500K – $2M.
- What companies did Brian Shin found?
- Brian Shin founded Searchable AI.
- Where did Brian Shin go to school?
- Brian Shin studied at MIT Sloan School of Management (MBA, Biomedical Enterprise Program); Harvard-MIT Health Sciences and Technology (S.M. (on leave), Biomedical Enterprise Program); Tufts University (Bachelor's degree, Biology).
Founder mafias
Goldman Sachs mafia527
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Fred EhrsamTraderFounded Nudge +1Matt HuangSummer AnalystFounded Paradigm +1David VélezAnalystFounded Nubank +1Tarek MansourEquity Derivatives AnalystFounded KalshiColin WebbSummer AnalystFounded Saucepricing +1Jeppe RindomSummer InternshipFounded Pleo
+ 520 more
MIT Sloan School of Management mafia327
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Hemant TanejaS.M.Founded Hippocratic AIBrad FeldS.M.Founded TechstarsGleb ChuvpiloFinancial Technology Option (FTO)Founded Thor Directed Energy +6Natan LinderExecutive Education.Founded Tulip Interfaces +2AjayM.B.A.Founded Timescale +2David AuerbachMBAFounded Circular Impact +2
+ 320 more
Tufts University mafia103
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Andrew FeinbergBachelor of Arts (B.A.)Founded Brightcove +1Win ThanapisitikulBachelor of Science (BS)Founded Lazada +1Spencer GerrolHuman FactorsFounded Sparkneuro +1Max SafaiMSFounded M8 Systems +1Mark PiperBachelor of Science (BS)Founded Lish +1Jon LevinsonBachelor of Arts (BA)Founded Clarahomecare +1
+ 96 more
General Catalyst mafia28
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Hemant TanejaInvestment TeamFounded Hippocratic AIJeremy AllaireEntrepreneur in ResidenceFounded Brightcove +2Thomas EblingXIRFounded Pillar +1Yuri SagalovManaging DirectorFounded AeroFS +1David ColtonVC Finance Co-opFounded AlgoUniversityAustin McChordVenture PartnerFounded Datto
+ 21 more
Same school
Also attended MIT Sloan School of Management774
Doug LeonePartner at Sequoia Capital; former Global Managing PartnerHemant TanejaCEO & Managing Director of General CatalystBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and TechstarsChris MorrisProcess Specialist, Exit Readiness at Mayfair Equity PartnersBirgitteInvestor at InvestinorOlaInvestor at Investinor
+ 768 more
Also attended Tufts University306
Roger KrakoffGeneral Partner at Monta Vista CapitalMatt GersonInvestor at RevolutionAlex MorganInvestor at Khosla VenturesNiko CiminelliInvestor at Khosla VenturesClay BergerInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Kathryn ReddyPrincipal at .406 Ventures
+ 300 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Project Prometheus12
Boris RevsinManaging Director at Tribe Capital FirstlookKingsley AdvaniPartner at ChainFund CapitalDamien SoghoianVenture Partner at Foresite LabsCristian BodnarFounder at SilurianBoris RevsinManaging Director at Tribe CapitalBoris RevsinGeneral Partner at Tribe Capital AI
+ 6 more
