Ethan Yu
FounderFounder at Motion
San Francisco Bay Area
Writes $200K – $300K checks · typically $250K
FoundedMotion · YC
About
Ethan Yu is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Motion. He has background experience in engineering, growth, and quantitative finance.
Founder at MotionYC W20
Intro paths
YC
Ethan went through Y Combinator (Winter 2020) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Aaron Epstein, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Motion's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Ethan can intro founders to Motion's investors below.
Motion's investors · 12
468 CapitalBerlin · since 2025CrunchFundHOF CapitalNew York · $25K – $15M checks · since 2025Leonis CapitalSan Francisco · since 2025NewView CapitalBurlingameScale Venture PartnersSan Francisco · $5M – $25M checks · since 2025SignalFireSan Francisco · $250K – $15M checks · since 2025Tuesday CapitalSan FranciscoUncommonTorontoValor Equity PartnersChicago · since 2025Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2020Yukon Venture AngelsWhitehorse
Co-founders at Motion
HQ
Harry QiFounder
OR
Omid RooholfadaFounder
Experience
- MotionCo-Founder & COOcurrent2019 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
- DRWQuant Trader2018 — 2019Greenwich, Connecticut
- CitadelQuant Trader2016 — 2018New York City
- FacebookSoftware Engineer2015New York City
- McKinsey & CompanyManagement Consultant2015New York, United States
- WhatsAppSoftware Engineer2014Mountain View, California
Skills & more
Quantitative Finance6Interest Rate Derivatives6Fixed Income4StartupsHedge FundsQuantitative ResearchPython1JavaScript1React.jsData Science
From Ethan's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Ethan Yu?
- Ethan Yu is Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Motion. He has background experience in engineering, growth, and quantitative finance.
- Where does Ethan Yu work?
- Ethan Yu is Founder of Motion.
- What check size does Ethan Yu write?
- Ethan Yu typically writes checks of $200K – $300K.
- What companies did Ethan Yu found?
- Ethan Yu founded Motion.
- Where did Ethan Yu go to school?
- Ethan Yu studied at Dartmouth College (Bachelor's Degree, Computer Science); Mark Keppel High School.
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia8,773
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Sam AltmanPresidentFounded Tools for Humanity +3Jessica LivingstonCo-founderFounded Y CombinatorAlexis OhanianYC Summer 2005Founded RedditFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded Nudge +1Matt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded HotspotsTrae StephensYC Winter 2022Founded Pursuit +1
+ 8,766 more
McKinsey & Company mafia337
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilConsultantFounded Brain Co.Tony XuBusiness AnalystFounded DoorDashAlexandre ProtAssociateFounded Smartven +1Inaki BerenguerAssociateFounded InfiniteWatch +2Ryan XueManagement ConsultantFounded Andco +2Max AhrensFellow InternFounded Maihem +2
+ 330 more
Dartmouth College mafia90
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Errik AndersonA.B.Founded Adimab +4Samantha TruexBachelor of Arts (B.A.)Founded Upstream Bio +1Lina ZhangPh.D.Founded Jerry +1Suril KantariaBAFounded Adaptional +1Santiago NestaresComputer ScienceFounded Benitago +1
+ 84 more
Same school
Also attended Dartmouth College504
Tomasz TunguzFounder & General Partner at Theory VenturesScott SandellExecutive Chairman & Chief Investment Officer at NEAJames DetweilerVP of Investments at Felicis VenturesBen RobbinsInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Mounisha AnumoluInvestor at GV (Google Ventures)Ren RileyAdvisor at Oak Investment Partners
+ 498 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Motion8
Stacey BishopPartner at Scale Venture PartnersCollin WallaceGeneral Partner at Lobby CapitalJay ZhaoPartner at Leonis CapitalCollin WallaceBoard Member at MassChallenge MexicoAlex RenFounding Partner at FellowsHarry QiInvestor
+ 2 more
Also worked at DRW18
Chris VarelasInvestor at Riverwood CapitalArjun MohanInvestments at Standard CryptoGilberto PerezAdvisor at AvilaJason UrbanCo-Head of Digital Assets at Galaxy VenturesKimberly TrautmannPartner at DRW Venture CapitalJosh FelkerManaging Partner at BoxOne Ventures
+ 12 more
Also worked at Citadel94
Tarek MansourCo-founder & CEO of KalshiRobert CulpPrincipal at Marlin Equity PartnersDavid SnydermanManaging Partner and Global Head of Alternative Credit and Fixed Income at Magnetar AI VenturesFran AmicoExecutive Assistant at CAVU Consumer PartnersEvan FengPartner at CoinFundJohn GuCo-Founder and CEO at Caladan
+ 88 more
