About
Usman Gul was an early employee at DoorDash and Marqeta, and previously founded a startup that raised $120 million across six funding rounds. He is now building Metal.
Founder at MetalYC W23
Intro paths
YC
Usman went through Y Combinator (Winter 2023) — 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 Metal's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Usman can intro founders to Metal's investors below.
Metal's investors · 8
AccelPalo Alto · $1.6M – $70M checks · since 2026B CapitalGeneva · since 2026Bosch VenturesStuttgart · $27M checks · since 2025Indus Valley CapitalKarachi · $750K – $30M checksPhaze VenturesMuscat · $1M – $22M checksSalesforce VenturesSan Francisco · $5M – $50M checks · since 2026Shield CapitalSan Francisco · since 2025Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K checks · since 2023
Experience
- MetalFounder/CEOcurrent2024 — presentLos Angeles, California, United States
- Airlift TechnologiesFounder/CEO2019 — 2022Lahore, Pakistan
- INSEADMBA Candidate (Class of 2019)2018Singapore
- DoorDashSenior Manager, Head of Enterprise Partnerships2017 — 2018San Francisco Bay Area
- DoorDashManager, Enterprise Strategy2017San Francisco Bay Area
- DoorDashMerchant Partnerships2016 — 2017San Francisco Bay Area
- Marqeta, IncManager, Business Development & Partnerships2015 — 2016San Francisco
- MastercardSenior Analyst, Prepaid Solutions (GP&S)2014 — 2015Greater New York City Area
- MastercardBusiness Analyst, Corporate Strategy (GP&S)2013 — 2014Greater New York City Area
Skills & more
Investments18Economics27Excel9PowerPoint9Word3Data Analysis48Microsoft Office14Writing5Research47Public Speaking5Statistics8Problem Solving5
+12 more
EditingTeam LeadershipFinancial AnalysisRisk ManagementBusiness AnalysisMarket ResearchLeadershipCommunicationMicrosoft WordMicrosoft ExcelStrategic PlanningMarketing StrategyLanguages English · Hindi · Urdu
From Usman's professional profile.
Frequently asked questions
- Who is Usman Gul?
- Usman Gul was an early employee at DoorDash and Marqeta, and previously founded a startup that raised $120 million across six funding rounds. He is now building Metal.
- Where does Usman Gul work?
- Usman Gul is Founder of Metal.
- What companies did Usman Gul found?
- Usman Gul founded Metal.
- Where did Usman Gul go to school?
- Usman Gul studied at INSEAD (Master of Business Administration - MBA); Denison University (Bachelors of Arts, Economics); The College of Wooster (Economics, Mathematics).
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
INSEAD mafia78
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Alexandre ProtMBAFounded Smartven +1Steve AnaviMBAFounded QontoKevin RyanMBAFounded Business Insider +2Julián MeloLeaders at scale - Executive programFounded Ubits +1Wim Van CriekingeLeading From The ChairFounded Lizard +1Nicholas ManskeMaster of Business Administration (MBA)Founded Alariss +1
+ 71 more
DoorDash mafia11
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Chris HollindaleGroup Product ManagerFounded ZestyNipun KantDirector, GM - B2B SaaSFounded HavenIan BaldwinGenAI @ DoorDashFounded Booth AIPreston EllisSoftware Engineer InternFounded AxiomRiya JagetiaFraud Platform Product LeadFounded Socratix AIElyas ObbadSoftware EngineerFounded Alara
+ 4 more
Marqeta mafia6
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Denison University mafia2
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended INSEAD805
Alexandre ProtCo-founder & CEO of QontoSteve AnaviCo-founder & President of QontoPatrick ClaessenPartner at Cottonwood Technology FundChris BischoffInvestment Team at General CatalystJan HammerInvestor at Index VenturesSandra SchwarzerInvestor at Index Ventures
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+ 799 more
Also attended Denison University24
Liz WesthouseHead of Community & Partnerships, Rise of the Rest at RevolutionAlex ConstantinopleChief Marketing Officer at GreycroftChrisInvestor at Perceptive Ventures Management Company, LlcJoe MaxwellManaging Partner at FINTOP CapitalChristopher MaleCo-Founder & Managing Partner at AIFBrian O'CallaghanCo-Founder at AIF
+ 18 more
Also attended The College of Wooster11
Avantika DaingFounding Partner at Plum Alley InvestmentsE.C. PelaiaCOO/CCO at BTECH CONSORTIUMWilliam J. LeonardCFO at Nirvana Healthcare VenturesGayle PekkolaAdvisor at Nirvana Healthcare VenturesDeb MerrilAdvisor at Energy Transition VenturesSusan HarrisOffice Manager at VCFA Group
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+ 5 more
Shared employers
Also worked at Metal3
Also worked at Airlift Technologies2
Also worked at INSEAD81
Sandra SchwarzerInvestor at Index VenturesJustin HallPartner at Golden Gate VenturesMahesha SubramaniamHead of Client Relations at Golden Gate VenturesEric BenhamouVenture Advisor at Think+ Ventures Management, LlcRaghu BhaskarInvestment Manager – Sector Specialist Industrial IT and AI at Emerald Technology Ventures AgBruno DalapriaPartner at NXTP
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+ 75 more
