Fundraising Fox

Naveen Rao

InvestorUnicorn founder

Founder & CEO at Unconventional AI · Advisor at Databricks Ventures · Craft Advisory Board at Craft Ventures · Founder at Mosaic ML

Incline Village, Nevada, United States

FoundedUnconventional AI$4.5BMosaic ML

Find your path to Naveen

1,070 people in our graph share verified history with Naveen — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Viviana FagaunlockedNaveen: together at Unconventional AI (2026)
Naveen: together at Stanford University
×8Naveen: together at Intel Corporation
Naveen: together at Databricks

About

Naveen Rao is CEO of Unconventional AI. He previously co-founded Nervana, a company focused on developing hardware optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. Rao has a background in neuroscience and processor architecture, and has worked as an entrepreneur and investor in the AI sector.

Founder at Mosaic ML

Intro paths

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In turn, Naveen can intro founders to Mosaic ML's investors below.

Mosaic ML's investors · 9

Bright Pixel CapitalLisbon · since 2021Correlation VenturesSan Francisco · $100K – $4M checks · since 2021DCVC (Data Collective)Palo Alto · $5M – $25M checks · since 2021Future VenturesLos Altos · $1M – $10M checks · since 2021Inspired CapitalNew York · $500K – $20M checks · since 2021Lux CapitalNew York · $100K – $100M checks · since 2021Maverick VenturesSan Francisco · $3M – $10M checks · since 2021Playground GlobalPalo Alto · $1M – $20M checks · since 2021The E14 FundCambridge · $1M – $5M checks · since 2021

Co-founders at Mosaic ML

HT
Hanlin TangDirector

Founder & CEO at Unconventional AI

Intro paths

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In turn, Naveen can intro founders to Unconventional AI's investors below.

Unconventional AI's investors · 8

Andreessen HorowitzMenlo Park · $500K – $50M checksDecibel PartnersMenlo Park · $100K – $10M checksFelicis VenturesSan Francisco · $500K – $15M checksGreycroftNew York · $100K – $5M checksLux CapitalNew York · $100K – $100M checksPlayground GlobalPalo Alto · $1M – $20M checksThe E14 FundCambridge · $1M – $5M checksWingPalo Alto · $200K – $20M checks

Co-founders at Unconventional AI

MLMeeLan Lee
MeeLan LeeFounder
MCMichael Carbin
Michael CarbinFounder

Experience

  1. Unconventional AI[un]CEOcurrent2025 — present
  2. DatabricksAdvisorcurrent2025 — present
  3. DatabricksVice President of Artificial Intelligence2023 — 2025San Francisco Bay Area
  4. Allen InstituteScientific advisory boardcurrent2019 — presentGreater Seattle Area
  5. Beacon BiosignalsBoard Membercurrent2019 — present
  6. NeuRealityBoard membercurrent2020 — presentIsrael
  7. Luminous ComputingBoard Member2022 — 2024Santa Clara, CA
  8. MosaicMLCEO and co-founder2021 — 2023United States
  9. SquareBoard Member2017 — 2020San Francisco Bay Area
  10. Intel CorporationCorpVP and General Manager of Artificial Intelligence Products Group2017 — 2020Santa Clara, CA
  11. Intel CorporationVice President and General Manager (Intel acquisition)2016 — 2017San Diego, California
  12. NervanaCEO and Co-founder of Nervana2014 — 2016Greater San Diego Area
  13. QualcommResearcher - neuromorphic machines2012 — 2014San Diego and Massachusetts
  14. ITGAssistant Vice President2011 — 2012Greater Boston Area
  15. Brown UniversityPostdoctoral research associate in Neuroscience2011
  16. W&W Communications (acquired by Cavium networks)Principal Engineer2005 — 2008Mountain View, CA
  17. W&W Communications ( WWComs )Principal Engineer2005 — 2007
  18. Sun MicrosystemsStaff Engineer2004 — 2005
  19. Kealia, Inc.Design and Verfication Engineer2002 — 2004
  20. Caly NetworksDesign and Verification Engineer1999 — 2002
  21. Teragen CorporationDesign and Verification Engineer1998 — 1999
  22. Sun MicrosystemsVerification Engineer1997 — 1998
  23. IBMIntern1996

Skills & more

Matlab48C++13C9Microsoft Office3ExcelJava4AnalysisAlgorithms77Neuroscience61Programming24Statistics18System Design3
+12 moreScienceOptimizationRTL designResearchEngineeringComputer ScienceLifesciencesArchitectural ModelingModelingApplied MathematicsLife SciencesTeaching

From Naveen's professional profile.

Colleagues at Databricks Ventures

Alex Laterza
Advisor at Exceptional Ventures
Ali Ghodsi
Co-founder & CEO of Databricks
Andrew Krioukov
Founder and General Partner at Laude Ventures
Andy Kofoid
President, Databricks at Smith Point Capital
Andy Konwinski
Founder and General Partner at Laude Ventures
Ankit Mathur
Scout at Greylock Partners
Arsalan Tavakoli
Investor at Foundation Capital
Christina Farhat
Investor at E14 Fund

Frequently asked questions

Who is Naveen Rao?
Naveen Rao is CEO of Unconventional AI. He previously co-founded Nervana, a company focused on developing hardware optimized for artificial intelligence workloads. Rao has a background in neuroscience and processor architecture, and has worked as an entrepreneur and investor in the AI sector.
Where does Naveen Rao work?
Naveen Rao is Founder & CEO of Unconventional AI and Advisor at Databricks Ventures and Founder at Mosaic ML.
What companies did Naveen Rao found?
Naveen Rao founded Unconventional AI, Mosaic ML.
Where did Naveen Rao go to school?
Naveen Rao studied at Brown University (PhD, Neuroscience); Stanford University (Electrical Engineering); Duke University (BSEE, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science).

Founder mafias

Stanford University mafia1,932

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Peter ThielJ.D.Founded PayPal +1Reid HoffmanB.S.Founded LinkedIn +2David SacksB.A.Founded YammerKeith RaboisB.A.Founded OpendoorGarry TanBSFounded Y Combinator +1Joe LonsdaleBSFounded Opto +5

+ 1,925 more

Duke University mafia287

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Fred EhrsamB.S.Founded Nudge +1Zach PerretBSFounded PlaidDavid CummingsBSFounded Undaunted +6George ChurchXray Crystallography 5 publications with Sung-Hou KimFounded Editas Medicine +5Ian PeikonBSEFounded Cajalneuro +2Romesh SubramanianM.S.Founded RaNA Therapeutics +2

+ 280 more

Brown University mafia266

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Theresia GouwBachelor of Engineering - BEFounded EarlyJoe GebbiaJoint classesFounded AirbnbDylan FieldScBFounded FigmaPeter ThompsonBachelor's DegreeFounded Cleave Biosciences +4Peter Thompson, M.D.Bachelor's DegreeFounded Cleave Biosciences +4Grant VerstandigFounded Zephyr AI +3

+ 259 more

Intel Corporation mafia195

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Lip-Bu TanChief Executive OfficerFounded Walden Catalyst +2Micha Y. BreakstoneManager of the Statistical NLP groupFounded Chorus AI +2Ritik MalhotraSoftware EngineerFounded Savvy +2Amir FaintuchSenior Vice President & General ManagerFounded Hourly +1Kamesh RaghavendraIntern, Test TechnologiesFounded Geminus +1Ruban KanapathippillaiSenior Design ManagerFounded Iterate AI +1

+ 188 more

Databricks mafia32

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Ben HorowitzDirectorFounded OpswareDanny WenInvestorFounded Crowdmade +1Jean Yves StephanSoftware Engineer and Tech Lead ManagerFounded Data Mechanics +1Jack NaglieriMember of Technical StaffFounded Panther +1PankajVP, Product and Data PartnershipsFounded AI21 LabsAndy KonwinskiFounderFounded Perplexity

+ 25 more

Same school

Also attended Brown University647

Theresia GouwFounding Partner at Acrew CapitalJoe GebbiaCo-founder of AirbnbDylan FieldCo-founder, CEO & Chair of FigmaAlexis AbramsPartner, General Counsel at Felicis VenturesJohn KimInvestor Relations at General CatalystAli Fisher SweetInvestor at Index Ventures

+ 641 more

Also attended Stanford University2,000

Peter ThielCo-founder & Partner at Founders FundReid HoffmanCo-founder of LinkedIn; Partner at GreylockDavid SacksCo-founder & General Partner at Craft Ventures; former White House AI & Crypto CzarKeith RaboisManaging Director at Khosla VenturesGarry TanPresident & CEO of Y CombinatorAlfred LinPartner at Sequoia Capital

+ 1,994 more

Also attended Duke University820

Marc AndreessenCo-founder & General Partner at Andreessen HorowitzFred EhrsamCo-founder and Senior Advisor at Paradigm; founder of NudgeJeremy LevinePartner at Bessemer Venture PartnersZach PerretCo-founder & CEO of Plaid; co-founder of MischiefJulie YangVice President at InvestcorpAyaan PatelInvestor at Lightbank

+ 814 more

Shared employers

Also worked at Unconventional AI9

Viviana FagaGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesMarcie VuPartner at GreycroftKonstantine BuhlerInvestor at Sequoia CapitalGuru ChahalPartner at Lightspeed Venture PartnersCalvin ChinManaging Partner at E14 FundTony FaiPartner at MESH

+ 3 more

Also worked at Intel Corporation525

Jim GoetzPartner at Sequoia CapitalSundeep PeechuGeneral Partner at Felicis VenturesViswa SankaranarayananVenture Partner at Monta Vista CapitalJob SimonVenture Partner and CTO at Monta Vista CapitalAssaf ArakiInvestment Director at Intel CapitalJen ArdManaging Director, Head of Investment Operations at Intel Capital

+ 519 more

Also worked at ITG14

Alice PillarInvestor at Moonfire VenturesMinder ChengManaging Member at Thirdstream PartnersRachel WanPartner at Camford CapitalDaniel AbramovAdvisor at Gibraltar VenturesMatthew CalistriManaging Director at Bain Capital Life SciencesJarrett LilienInvestor at Vestigo Ventures

+ 8 more

Also worked at Brown University124

Alexis AlstonInvestor at Lightship CapitalLauren KolodnyInvestor at Aspect VenturesDavid BorcsokPartner at Mucker CapitalDavid MoskowitzPrincipal at MPM BioImpactPaxton MajorManaging Director at Northpond VenturesChuck DavisOperating Partner at TCV

+ 118 more