Photo: Doc Searls, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons β
About
Nat Friedman co-founded Xamarin and served as CEO of GitHub, where he oversaw the launch of Copilot. With Daniel Gross he ran the venture fund NFDG and the AI Grant program, backing startups including Perplexity and Safe Superintelligence, before Meta recruited the pair in mid-2025 to help lead Meta Superintelligence Labs, where he heads AI products.
Beyond investing
- Founded
- Friedman co-founded California YIMBY in 2017 to address California's housing shortage. Friedman created nat.dev in 2023, a web interface for popular large language models.
- Education
- Studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (BS, Computer Science and Mathematics, 1999) Studied at St. Anne's-Belfield School (1995)
- Boards
- Friedman is a board member at the Arc Institute. Friedman is a former chairman of the GNOME Foundation.
- Family
- Friedman has been married to Stephanie Friedman (nΓ©e Schatz) since 2009 and they have a daughter.
- More
- Friedman created and hosted a podcast called Hacker Medley with Alex Graveley. Friedman is an advisor of Midjourney. As a freshman at MIT, Friedman created LinuxNet, an IRC network to discuss Linux.
Mentioned above: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology mafia β
From Nat's own website β common ground for a warm intro.
Experience
- MetaAI Productscurrent2025 β present
- Self-employedInvestor2021 β 2025
- GitHubChairman Emeritus2021 β 2022
- GitHubCEO2018 β 2021San Francisco Bay Area
- MicrosoftCorporate Vice President, Developer Services2016 β 2018San Francisco Bay Area
- XamarinCEO and Cofounder2011 β 2016San Francisco
- NovellChief Technology Officer, Open Source2003 β 2009
- GNOME FoundationCofounder, Chairman2000 β 2003
- XimianCofounder, CEO1999 β 2003
Skills & more
SaaS61Open Source46Linux28C#22Git5AJAX3jQuery2Ruby1Strategy2Leadership1ManagementMobile Applications99
+12 more
Software DevelopmentCloud ComputingSoftware EngineeringStart-upsAgile MethodologiesProduct ManagementWeb ApplicationsWeb ServicesEntrepreneurshipUser ExperienceStartupsStrategic PartnershipsFrom Nat's professional profile.
Investments
Investor
Character Technologies Inc.MidjourneyPerplexity AI Inc.Stripe Inc.Weights and Biases Inc.
Per curated public sources.
Podcasts & interviews
featuring Nat FriedmanNat Friedman | First Ones | AI Investor Nat Friedman's First Investment Was Disney Stock
Techmeme Ride Home Podcast
What Nat Friedman Looks For In AI Founders
Tech Brew Ride Home Podcast
Nat Friedman (Github CEO) - Reading Ancient Scrolls, Open Source, & AI
Dwarkesh Patel
Colleagues at AI Grant
Network5
Daniel GrossScout
Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDG and Safe Superintelligence
Anthony GoldbloomScout
Investment Partner at AIX Ventures
Brianne KimmelScout
Founder & Managing Partner at Worklife Ventures
Diana Kimball BerlinScout
Partner at Matrix
Erica VanScout
Investment Director at Intel Capital
Investors connected to Nat in public investor directories β a warm-intro map.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Nat Friedman?
- Nat Friedman co-founded Xamarin and served as CEO of GitHub, where he oversaw the launch of Copilot. With Daniel Gross he ran the venture fund NFDG and the AI Grant program, backing startups including Perplexity and Safe Superintelligence, before Meta recruited the pair in mid-2025 to help lead Meta Superintelligence Labs, where he heads AI products.
- Where does Nat Friedman work?
- Nat Friedman is at AI Grant.
- What companies has Nat Friedman invested in?
- Investments tracked here include Character Technologies Inc., Midjourney, Perplexity AI Inc., Stripe Inc., Weights and Biases Inc..
- Where did Nat Friedman go to school?
- Nat Friedman studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science, Mathematics); Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science, Computer Science).
- What podcasts and interviews feature Nat Friedman?
- Tracked appearances include "Nat Friedman | First Ones | AI Investor Nat Friedman's First Investment Was Disney Stock", "What Nat Friedman Looks For In AI Founders", "Nat Friedman (Github CEO) - Reading Ancient Scrolls, Open Source, & AI".
Paths to reach Nat
People who overlapped with Nat at the same organization β a shared school or employer with one of them is a warm way in.
Together at MetaNat: AI Products
Daniel Gross2025β2026Meta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDG and Safe SuperintelligenceDrew Houston2025β2026Co-founder & CEO of DropboxMassachusetts Institute of TechnologyYair2025β2026Investor at Perceptive Ventures Management Company, LlcTel Aviv UniversityAnand2025β2026Investor at Hartmann CapitalMassachusetts Institute of Technology Β· Y Combinatorbethanye McKinney Blount2025β2026Compaas at Roble VenturesAli Mahmood2025Executive Director at Plus VCSan JosΓ© State University
Together at XamarinNat: CEO and Cofounder
Max Gazor2012β2016Investor at Striker Venture PartnersMassachusetts Institute of Technology Β· University of California, BerkeleyAlex Crisses2014β2015Managing Director at General AtlanticThe Wharton SchoolCrissy Behrens2014β2015Principal at Insight PartnersThe Johns Hopkins University Β· The University of Chicago Booth School of BusinessIan Janicki2014β2016Founder at OutfitCornell University Β· Y Combinator
Together at NovellNat: Chief Technology Officer, Open Source
Chris Stone2003β2004Investor at EPIC VENTURESMassachusetts Institute of Technology Β· University of New HampshireHoward Levenson2007β2008Advisor at SINEWAVE VENTURESNortheastern UniversityRichard Seibt2004β2005Venture Partner at eCAPITAL ENTREPRENEURIAL PARTNERSUniversity of HamburgChris Cooper2003β2007Partner at Pelion Venture PartnersUniversity of UtahIsolde Goulooze2003β2004Controller Solid Ventures II Investments at Solid VenturesNyenrode Business UniversityLars Nordwall2003β2005Advisor at CreandumKTH Royal Institute of Technology Β· Stanford University Graduate School of Business Β· Stockholm School of Business
Founder mafias
Massachusetts Institute of Technology mafia546
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Elad GilPhDFounded Brain Co.Matt HuangB.S.Founded HotspotsDelian AsparouhovDropoutFounded Nightingale +1Drew HoustonBSFounded Dropbox +1Arash FerdowsiComputer ScienceFounded DropboxJoe GebbiaProduct DevelopmentFounded Airbnb
+ 539 more
Same school
Also attended Massachusetts Institute of Technology1,387
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 CatalystBrad FeldCo-founder of Foundry and TechstarsMatt HuangCo-founder and Managing Partner at Paradigm
+ 1,381 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Meta304
Daniel GrossMeta Superintelligence Labs; co-founder of NFDG and Safe SuperintelligenceDrew HoustonCo-founder & CEO of DropboxGabriel PereyraCo-founder & President of HarveyTinaInvestments & Portfolio Services Team Member at Clear VenturesMike ArpaiaComputer scientist working on machine learning and data infrastructureKevin ColleranManaging Director at Slow Ventures
+ 298 more
Also worked at GitHub26
Erica BresciaManaging Director at Redpoint VenturesGrey BakerGeneral Partner at Y CombinatorEric LiawInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)Tom LoverroInvestor at IVP (Institutional Venture Partners)James LeeVP of Finance & Operations at Asymmetric Capital PartnersOliver ManojlovicVP Sales at Personio at PICUS CAPITAL
+ 20 more
Also worked at Microsoft1,189
Reid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorKai-Fu LeeChairman of Sinovation Ventures and CEO of 01.AIBill GatesCo-founder of Microsoft; Chair of the Gates FoundationMike KriegerCo-founder of Instagram; Chief Product Officer at AnthropicReed HastingsCo-founder of Netflix
+ 1,183 more
