Jianna Liu
InvestorFounderPartner at Dorm Room · Founder at Cardinal
Pleasanton, California
Writes $40K checks · typically $40K
FoundedCardinal · YC
About
Jianna Liu studied computer science at MIT and held software engineering roles at Meta, DoorDash, and Nvidia. She previously founded a YC S23-backed energy software company that was acquired by Johnson Controls.
Founder at CardinalYC W26
Intro paths
YC
Jianna went through Y Combinator (Winter 2026) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Gustaf Alstromer — the partner who ran Cardinal's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Jianna can intro founders to Cardinal's investors below.
Cardinal's investors · 3
Co-founders at Cardinal
DJ
Devi JhaFounder
Experience
- CardinalCo-Foundercurrent2025 — present
- LeafpressCo-Founder2023 — 2025
- MIT School of Architecture and PlanningResearcher2023Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- DoorDashSoftware Engineer2022San Francisco, California, United States
- MIT Climate & Sustainability Consortium (MCSC)Researcher2022Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
- NVIDIADeep Learning Researcher2021Santa Clara, California, United States
- FacebookSoftware Engineer2021Menlo Park, California, United States
- MIT Brain and Cognitive SciencesMachine Learning Researcher2020Cambridge, Massachusetts
- Skale Education Inc.Software Engineer2020
Education
- Massachusetts Institute of TechnologyBachelor of Engineering - BE, Computer Science
- University of OxfordVisiting Student, Music and Computer Science
- Y Combinator
Skills & more
Python7React.js4Javascript4Java1HTML1Typescript1
Languages Chinese
From Jianna's professional profile.
Colleagues at Dorm Room
Frequently asked questions
- Where does Jianna Liu work?
- Jianna Liu is Partner at Dorm Room and Founder at Cardinal.
- What check size does Jianna Liu write?
- Jianna Liu typically writes checks of $40K.
- What companies did Jianna Liu found?
- Jianna Liu founded Cardinal.
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia8,730
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Sam AltmanPresidentFounded LooptJessica LivingstonFounder, RetiredFounded Y CombinatorAlexis OhanianYC Summer 2005Founded RedditFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded CoinbaseMatt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded HotspotsTrae StephensYC Winter 2022Founded Pursuit
+ 8,723 more
Y Combinator mafia4,700
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Darius "Bubs" MonsefS24Founded Sightbox +3Matthew ScholzFounded Oisin Biotechnologies +3Oleg RogynskyyEntrepreneurship/Entrepreneurial StudiesFounded UFORCE Acquired +2Magnus HambletonFounded Founders Pledge +2IanFounded Immunity Project +2Guillaume LuccisanoDid Y Combinator 3 timesFounded Yuma AI +2
+ 4,693 more
Massachusetts Institute of Technology mafia521
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilPhDFounded Brain Co.Hemant TanejaM.Eng.Founded CommureNat FriedmanBachelor of ScienceFounded XamarinMatt HuangB.S.Founded HotspotsDelian AsparouhovDropoutFounded Nightingale +1Noubar AfeyanPhDFounded ProFound Therapeutics +12
+ 514 more
University of Oxford mafia280
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Reid HoffmanM.St.Founded Manas AI +1Brent HobermanMaster of Arts - MAFounded Founders Pledge +3William GuttmanM.PhilFounded CurvePoint +3Max AhrensMaster of Philosophy - MPhilFounded Maihem +2Matthew WilsonMaster's degreeFounded Veratrak +2Harj TaggarMaster of Arts - MAFounded Triplebyte +1
+ 273 more
DoorDash mafia24
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Gautam JayaramanEngineering Manager, DoorDash LabsFounded Onsite Pro +2Kiran GolluSenior Engineering ManagerFounded Oodle +1Raphael RouvinovEngineeringFounded Luminopia +1Andrew KouriComputer Vision EngineerFounded AveryIQ +1Saba KhalilnajiSenior Staff Software EngineerFounded Almond +1Nilkanth PatelSoftware EngineerFounded Herald
+ 17 more
Same school
Also attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology1,280
Fred WilsonCo-founder & Partner at Union Square VenturesElad GilSolo general partner investing through Gil CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesHemant TanejaCEO & Managing Director of General CatalystNat FriedmanCo-lead of Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDGBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and Techstars
+ 1,274 more
Also attended University of Oxford949
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockMichael MoritzFormer Partner at Sequoia Capital; Senior Adviser at Sequoia HeritageBrad GerstnerFounder & CEO of Altimeter Capital; architect of Invest America; BG2 co-hostDominic JacquessonInvestor at Index VenturesErin Price-WrightInvestor at Index VenturesJan HammerInvestor at Index Ventures
+ 943 more
Also attended Y Combinator2,000
Maroof AhmedFounder at Octopus VenturesJustin SwartPartner at Bitkraft Esports VenturesVictor SantosVictor Scout at One Way VenturesSwapnil JainCEO, Observe.AI at EMERGENT VENTURESChase AdamPartner at Very Serious VenturesMuzzammil (MZ) ZaveriPartner at Audacious Ventures backing ambitious early-stage founders
+ 1,994 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Cardinal1
Also worked at MIT School of Architecture and Planning1
Also worked at DoorDash66
Alfred LinPartner at Sequoia CapitalAnnie KadavyVenture Partner at Redpoint VenturesRyan BatraInvestor at Khosla VenturesToby EspinosaVice President of Ads at Starship VenturesRahul MehtaCo-founder at DST GlobalPejman NozadFounding Managing Partner at Pear VC
+ 60 more
Also worked at NVIDIA103
Diana HuGeneral Partner at Y CombinatorIan ShannonFinance/Legal/IR at 8VCRay SchuderSr. Investment Director at Samsung Catalyst FundSandy YuanAdvisor, AV & Robotics at Verissimo VenturesAbhi DinkarAdvisor - Enterprise Technology at Augment VenturesJon BaradPartner, Investments at Capital One Ventures
+ 97 more