Daniel Gwak
InvestorChief Investment Officer at In-Q-Tel · Managing Partner at Point72 Ventures · Board director at EliseAI · Board director at Shield AI
United States
Writes $250K – $50M checks · typically $7M
Find your path to Daniel
1,264 people in our graph share verified history with Daniel — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Kyle DohertyunlockedDaniel: together at Harvard Business School (2010)
×2Daniel: together at Harvard Business School
Daniel: together at Cornell
×3Daniel: together at The Carlyle Group
About
Former In-Q-Tel and intelligence-community leader bringing a mission-first national security perspective to lead defense and dual-use investing, focusing on AI and software to modernize the defense industrial base.
Invests in
AI & Machine LearningCybersecurityDefense TechEnterprise SoftwareFintech
Board director at EliseAI
Intro paths
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In turn, Daniel can intro founders to EliseAI's investors below.
EliseAI's investors · 13
Alpha PartnersNew York · $3M – $10M checksAndreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2025Bessemer Venture PartnersRedwood City · $5M – $100M checks · since 2025Founders Circle CapitalSan FranciscoGlade Brook Capital PartnersGreenwichGolden SeedsFlushing · $250K – $2M checksGray Line PartnersSammamishGround Up VenturesNew York · $500K – $1.5M checksJLL SparkSan FranciscoJLL Spark Global VenturesSan FranciscoNavitas CapitalCulver City · $100K – $5M checksPoint72 VenturesNew York · $1M – $75M checks · since 2024Sapphire VenturesMenlo Park · $5M – $20M checks · since 2025
Co-founders at EliseAI
MS
Minna SongCo-founder and CEO
SS
Stoyan StoyanovExecutive Officer, Director
Board director at Shield AI
Intro paths
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In turn, Daniel can intro founders to Shield AI's investors below.
Shield AI's investors · 42
645 VenturesNew York · $1M – $5M checksAdvaita CapitalBostonAdvent InternationalBoston · $1.1B checks · since 2025Alpha PartnersNew York · $3M – $10M checksAltra VentureNew York City · $500K – $25M checksAndreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checks · since 2022Beyond CapitalSan DiegoBlackstonesince 2025Bloomberg BetaSan Francisco · $25K – $1M checksBooz Allen VenturesBrave CapitalSan RafaelBreyer CapitalAustin · $500K – $10M checks · since 2022Brighter CapitalCupertino · $25K – $100K checksCenter15 CapitalLos AngelesChaos VenturesNew YorkCortado VenturesOklahoma CityCraft VenturesSan Francisco · $50K – $50M checksDisruptiveDallas · since 2025Dorm RoomBrooklyn · $90K – $250K checksE1 VenturesSan FranciscoFounder CollectiveCambridgeHomebrewBurlingame · $100K – $500K checks · since 2022Inertia VenturesNew York · $2M checksInflection VenturesNew YorkJuniperoMiamiK2 GlobalSingaporeKinled HoldingHong KongLevel VenturesSunny Isles BeachManhattan WestLos AngelesNearingpoint Venture Partners Inc.TorontoPoint72 VenturesNew York · $1M – $75M checks · since 2022Prime Movers LabJackson · $2M – $30M checks · since 2025R7 PartnersChicago · $100K – $5M checksRiot VenturesVenice · $3M checks · since 2025Riverbend CapitalWashingtonRosecliff VenturesNew York City · $500K checksSnowpointPalm Beach · since 2026SnowPoint VenturesWest Palm Beach · since 2025Stack CapitalTorontoU.S. Air Forcesince 2019WealthUnion$10K checksWP Global PartnersChicago · $5M – $25M checks
Co-founders at Shield AI
BT
Brandon TsengPresident & Co-Founder
RT
Ryan TsengPresident, Co-Founder & Chief Strategy Officer
AR
Andrew ReiterCo-Founder
Experience
- IQTChief Investment Officercurrent2026 — present
- Point72 Private InvestmentsManaging Partner2017 — 2026
- In-Q-TelPartner2013 — 2017
- United States Marine CorpsInfantry Fire Team Leader2009 — 2013
- Bain & CompanySummer Associate2012New York, NY
- The Carlyle GroupAssociate2008 — 2009
- Credit SuisseAnalyst2006 — 2008
Skills & more
Investment Banking12Valuation29Private Equity20Emerging Markets6Financial Modeling31Corporate Finance15Venture Capital33Due Diligence16Bloomberg5Financial Analysis9Hedge Funds7Mergers3
+12 more
EquitiesEquity ResearchCapital MarketsLBOStructured FinanceDerivativesInvestmentsM&A experienceMergers & AcquisitionsStrategyStart-upsEntrepreneurshipLanguages Indonesian · Korean · Spanish
From Daniel's professional profile.
Deals · 1
EliseAIBoard seat
via Point72 Ventures · filed Aug 2024 · $50M raise
Attribution from SEC filings, press coverage, and firm rosters.
Colleagues at In-Q-Tel
A.J. Bertone
Executive Vice President, Investments at In-Q-Tel
Asheem Chandna
Partner at Greylock focused on enterprise, cybersecurity, and infrastructure software
Dan Gwak
Chief Investment Officer at In-Q-Tel
Dr. Jennifer Nelson
Executive Vice President, International at In-Q-Tel
Dr. Megan Anderson
Executive Vice President of Technology at In-Q-Tel
Dr. Zheng
EVP of Strategic Engagements at In-Q-Tel
Jon Chait
General Partner at Dace Ventures
Josh Steinman
Senior Advisor at DISCIPULUS VENTURES
Network3
Aydin SenkutScout
Founder & Managing Partner at Felicis
Ash PatelScout
Co-Managing Partner at E12 Venture Capital, Llc
Doug Philippone
Partner & Co-Founder at Snowpoint
Investors connected to Daniel in public investor directories — a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Daniel Gwak?
- Former In-Q-Tel and intelligence-community leader bringing a mission-first national security perspective to lead defense and dual-use investing, focusing on AI and software to modernize the defense industrial base.
- Where does Daniel Gwak work?
- Daniel Gwak is Chief Investment Officer at In-Q-Tel and Board director at EliseAI and Board director at Shield AI.
- What does Daniel Gwak invest in?
- Daniel Gwak invests in AI & Machine Learning, Cybersecurity, Defense Tech, Enterprise Software, Fintech.
- What check size does Daniel Gwak write?
- Daniel Gwak typically writes checks of $250K – $50M.
- What boards does Daniel Gwak sit on?
- Daniel Gwak holds tracked board seats at EliseAI.
- Where did Daniel Gwak go to school?
- Daniel Gwak studied at Harvard Business School (MBA); Cornell University (Bachelor of Arts, Economics).
Same school
Also attended Harvard Business School2,000
Brad GerstnerFounder & CEO of Altimeter CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesJim BreyerFounder & CEO of Breyer CapitalTim DraperFounder of Draper AssociatesMike Maples JrCo-founding Partner at FloodgateMamoon HamidPartner at Kleiner Perkins
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Cornell University1,165
Jenny LeeSenior Managing Partner at Granite AsiaNeeraj AgrawalGeneral Partner at Battery VenturesJohn ZimmerCo-founder of LyftMichelle FernandesInvestor at Index VenturesMike ZakInvestor at CRV (Charles River Ventures)Micah RosenbloomGeneral Partner at Founder Collective
+ 1,159 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Point72 Private Investments3
Also worked at In-Q-Tel44
A.J. BertoneExecutive Vice President, Investments at In-Q-TelLiz FoxProduct Marketing and Communications at In-Q-TelAsheem ChandnaPartner at Greylock focused on enterprise, cybersecurity, and infrastructure softwareGeorge HoyemVenture Partner at Lavrock VenturesWesley TilluPartner at S32 focused on frontier technology investmentsGilman LouieInvestor at Alsop Louie Partners
+ 38 more
Also worked at United States Marine Corps71
Mike ZakInvestor at CRV (Charles River Ventures)Chris RobinsonInvestor at Third Rock VenturesDouglas Lemott Jr.Vice President, SAP National Security Services at Riphean InvestmentsWright SteenrodInvestor at Chrysalis VenturesMike SherbakovGeneral Partner at The Veteran FundJustin NahamaGeneral Partner at The Veteran Fund
+ 65 more
Also worked at Bain & Company1,094
Steve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesLaela SturdyManaging Partner at CapitalGTheresia GouwFounding Partner at Acrew CapitalDeepinder GoyalCo-founder & CEO of ZomatoZach PerretCo-founder & CEO of Plaid; co-founder of MischiefWilliam HockeyCo-founder of Plaid; founder & CEO of Column
+ 1,088 more