Fundraising Fox

Malay Shah

Founder

Founder at Poka Labs

San Francisco, California, United States

FoundedPoka Labs · YC

About

Malay Shah is co-founder and CEO of Poka Labs. He holds degrees in chemical engineering and economics from NC State and an MBA from Harvard Business School, with prior operations and engineering roles in the specialty chemicals industry across manufacturing facilities in the US, Germany, and China.

Founder at Poka LabsYC S24

Intro paths

YC

Malay went through Y Combinator (Summer 2024) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

→

In turn, Malay can intro founders to Poka Labs's investors below.

Poka Labs's investors · 4

Beat VenturesSan FranciscoThe MBA FundTranspose Platform ManagementHoustonY CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2024

Co-founders at Poka Labs

ABAndrew Bass
Andrew BassFounder

Experience

  1. Poka LabsFounder and CEOcurrent2024 — presentSan Francisco Bay Area
  2. HBSBuildsCo-President2023 — 2024Greater Boston
  3. Harvard Business SchoolMBA Candidate2022 — 2024Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States
  4. LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker HannifinGlobal Operations Engineer II2020 — 2022Cary, North Carolina, United States
  5. LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker HannifinCareer Foundations Program: Lead Operational Readiness Engineer for China2020Shanghai, China
  6. LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker HannifinCareer Foundations Program: Global Scale-Up Engineering2019 — 2020Cary, North Carolina, United States
  7. LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker HannifinCareer Foundations Program: Process Improvement Engineer2019Indianapolis, Indiana, United States
  8. LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker HannifinChemical Business Development Intern2016 — 2019Cary North Carolina
  9. Portal TechnologiesCo-Founder2018 — 2019Raleigh, North Carolina, United States
  10. NC State UniversityEngineering Ambassador2016 — 2019Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area
  11. NC State UniversityUndergraduate Research Assistant in Chemical Engineering2013 — 2019Raleigh-Durham, North Carolina Area
  12. Helmholtz Centre for Infection ResearchResearch Intern2018Würzburg Area, Germany

Skills & more

General ManagementStrategyManagementAnalytical SkillsCommunication13Public Speaking11Debate3Leadership2Teamwork3Chemical ManufacturingManufacturing Process ImprovementLean Manufacturing
+12 moreStatistical Data AnalysisEngineeringResearchData AnalysisEconomicsMathematical ModelingMathematicsMathHealthcareScientific AnalysisBacterial TransformationRecombinant DNA

Languages English · Gujarati · Hindi

From Malay's professional profile.

Frequently asked questions

Who is Malay Shah?
Malay Shah is co-founder and CEO of Poka Labs. He holds degrees in chemical engineering and economics from NC State and an MBA from Harvard Business School, with prior operations and engineering roles in the specialty chemicals industry across manufacturing facilities in the US, Germany, and China.
Where does Malay Shah work?
Malay Shah is Founder of Poka Labs.
What companies did Malay Shah found?
Malay Shah founded Poka Labs.
Where did Malay Shah go to school?
Malay Shah studied at Harvard Business School (Master of Business Administration - MBA); North Carolina State University (Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering); North Carolina State University (Bachelor of Science (B.S.), Economics).

Founder mafias

Y Combinator mafia8,773

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Harvard Business School mafia323

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North Carolina State University mafia20

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Richard WhiteBAFounded Uservoice +2Jacob HookerBSFounded Sensorium Therapeutics +1Scot WingoMastersFounded Spiffy +1Rami EssaidComputer EngineeringFounded Distil Networks +1Nicholas DonahueMechanical EngineeringFounded Drafted +1Len BoyetteBachelor of Science (BS)Founded Edge +1

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Same school

Also attended Harvard Business School2,000

Brad GerstnerFounder & CEO of Altimeter CapitalAileen LeeFounder & Managing Partner of Cowboy VenturesTim DraperFounder of Draper AssociatesMamoon HamidPartner at Kleiner PerkinsNeeraj AgrawalGeneral Partner at Battery VenturesHristo BorisovCo-founder & CEO of Payhawk

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Also attended North Carolina State University90

Eric WagnerVP of Research and Data at Redpoint VenturesBrent BlakeVenture Partner at TFX CapitalBill NusseyPartner at Tech Square VenturesSteve AngelAdvisor at Industrious VenturesMelissa WhitingAssistant Controller at Red Cell IncubationJody ShepherdCo-Founder and Managing Director at Service Provider Capital

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Shared employers

Also worked at Poka Labs2

Mike MortensenAdvisory Partner at StratMindsAndrew BassFounder at Poka Labs

Also worked at Harvard Business School227

Noubar AfeyanInvestor at Flagship PioneeringGizem CakilInvestor at OpenView Venture PartnersEric PaleyEntrepreneur and Seed Investor in Cambridge, MALauren LeeInvestor at FJ LabsMark LurieVenture Partner at FJ LabsAlice BrooksInvestor at Khosla Ventures

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Also worked at LORD Corporation, A Part of Parker Hannifin1

Mujteba HaidriOperating Partner at Blue Point

Also worked at NC State University21

Blake PattonFounder & Managing Partner at Tech Square VenturesJulia YanSenior Associate at Prelude VenturesLucy LiuPrincipal at Longwood FundJay PatelInvestment Advisor at PICUS CAPITALPeter WurmanAdvisor at Cybernetix VenturesBo ZhaoDirector of Commercialization at First Bight Ventures

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