Aaron Golbin
About Aaron Golbin
Aaron Golbin is a serial technology entrepreneur who started his first company at age 12. He is Co-Founder and General Partner at LvlUp Ventures. Crunchbase lists him in Miami, Florida. The firm's own site has described him as Managing Partner and Head of Accelerators, Incubators and Partnerships, and a third-party profile shows he joined LvlUp in 2023 as Founding Partner and Head of NextUp, its hybrid accelerator and venture studio.
Before venture capital he founded DebateIsland.com in April 2016. He built it into what he describes as the largest online debate platform, serving students at more than 500 school districts, colleges and universities. Its AI system, Debra, was built with early technologies from Google and IBM. It could analyze argument structure and estimate a user's likely political affiliation from a single argument. He also founded the media and technology startup The American Post. His earlier roles include an early team position at Medality (acquired at Series B) and a business strategy role at Noblis.
He lectures at Columbia Business School, Harvard Business School and The George Washington University on startups, scaling, corporate innovation and venture capital.
Little of Golbin's personal angel activity is public. Crunchbase lists 1 investment, 1 portfolio company, 0 lead investments and 0 exits under his name, and 3 companies founded. His investing is mostly done through LvlUp. Crunchbase's profile of him says he has backed more than 1,000 startups, and that LvlUp ranked #7 globally and #4 in the U.S. for deal activity in PitchBook's 2025 data. Founders should treat these as firm-level figures, not personal angel checks.
No personal AI angel investments with dates are public. At firm level, LvlUp's AI page lists 662 AI companies across its portfolio and programs. Most are pre-seed (484), followed by seed (149) and seed+ / Series A (18).
In a Crunchbase News column, Golbin wrote that more than 78% of founders applying to LvlUp use AI in at least one way. He argued that founders who treat AI as an experiment struggle, and that intelligent systems should be designed from the ground up, not added to a fragmented stack.
LvlUp invests from pre-seed through growth across 15 funds and programs. Its recent AI portfolio data is weighted heavily toward pre-seed and seed. The firm describes itself as global and does not segment its portfolio by geography. It opened a MENA hub in Dubai. PitchBook lists its sectors as consumer, technology, sports, AI, fintech, web3 and gaming.
Check size is not stated by Golbin himself. LvlUp has announced a First Check Fund for idea-stage founders, with 1,000 investments planned in 2026. A third-party write-up of the announcement reports checks of $1,000 to $10,000. An older version of the LvlUp site stated checks of up to $250k.
- MyStandard: added to the LvlUp portfolio through its NXTUP program, per a LinkedIn post by Golbin (date not stated; a firm investment, not a personal one).
- crunchbase.com/person/aaron-golbin
- linkedin.com/in/aarongolbin
- lvlup.vc/portfolio/ai
- lvlup.vc/post/aaron-golbin-interview
- news.crunchbase.com/seed/startup-funding-rules-ai-gtm-golbin-lvlup
- crunchbase.com/organization/lvlup-ventures-db25
- pitchbook.com/profiles/investor/267551-83
- woodenscale.ai/blogs/lvlup-ventures-launches-first-check-fund
Investing activity
Aaron Golbin has made 1 investment according to Crunchbase across 1 portfolio company, and has founded 3 companies.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Aaron Golbin
Does Aaron Golbin invest as an angel?
His public investing is through LvlUp Ventures, where he is Co-Founder and General Partner. Crunchbase lists only 1 personal investment, so founders should expect a pitch to go through the firm's process.
What stage does Aaron Golbin invest in?
LvlUp backs companies from pre-seed through growth. Its AI portfolio is concentrated at pre-seed and seed.
What is Aaron Golbin's check size?
Golbin has not published a personal check size. LvlUp's First Check Fund is reported to offer $1,000 to $10,000 to idea-stage founders, and an older LvlUp page stated checks of up to $250k.
Does Aaron Golbin invest in AI startups?
Yes, through LvlUp, which lists 662 AI companies across its portfolio and programs. Golbin says more than 78% of its applicants use AI in some way.
Where is Aaron Golbin based?
Crunchbase lists him in Miami, Florida. LvlUp Ventures is described as New York-based and operates globally, including a hub in Dubai.
What companies has Aaron Golbin founded?
He founded DebateIsland.com, a debate-focused social network and EdTech platform, and the media startup The American Post. Crunchbase counts 3 companies founded.
Is Aaron Golbin an angel investor?
Yes. Aaron Golbin invests personally as an angel and is Co-Founder & General Partner at LvlUp Ventures. Crunchbase counts 1 investment.
How can founders reach Aaron Golbin?
Founders on Lounge can see Aaron Golbin's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with them under Warm Paths, and add Aaron Golbin to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.