David Gutelius
About David Gutelius
David Gutelius is Co-Founder and CEO of Motiva AI, which he has led since January 2016 according to Crunchbase. Motiva builds AI for marketing. Crunchbase describes it as using reinforcement learning and generative AI. He also co-founded The Data Guild, a venture studio, where he is a partner.
Earlier in his career he was a product manager on DARPA machine learning programs at SRI International's Artificial Intelligence Center. He co-founded Social Kinetics, an SRI spin-out in behavioral health that RedBrick Health bought in 2010. He then founded Proximal Labs, which Jive Software acquired. At Jive he was Chief Social Scientist, and he was part of the team when Jive went public in 2011.
He holds a BA from Principia College and a Master's and PhD in economic history from Johns Hopkins University. He has taught at Stanford.
Crunchbase lists 2 investments, 2 portfolio companies, no lead investments and 1 exit, with none by IPO. Its latest recorded investment is a seed round in The Data Guild. Investment dates and amounts are not public.
His AngelList profile describes him as an active early-stage investor and advisor. It also lists him as a founding LP and advisor of A-Level Capital and an early investor and partner at Gaingels. Crunchbase lists him as a mentor at Alchemist Accelerator and a former board member of Voga Coffee. His advisory roles include GE Ventures, Accenture Technology Labs, the World Economic Forum and Johns Hopkins University.
No itemized list of his personal AI investments is public. His AI work is mainly operating work. Motiva announced Motiva Generator in January 2023, a product that combines large language models from OpenAI and Google with a customer's own content and performance data. The Data Guild, which he co-founded, works on data and machine learning ventures.
He does not state a thesis or check size publicly. Third-party investor directories list seed and early-stage deals, with markets such as enterprise software, health care, marketing automation and AI. These listings are not statements from him.
In a 2015 Johns Hopkins alumni panel, he told founders to be choosy about investors, because the wrong investor can signal carelessness to others. He said trust between investor and entrepreneur is essential. He also advised founders to keep testing the product with real users.
- The Data Guild: venture studio he co-founded. Crunchbase records a seed round with him as an investor; the date is not public.
- BrightFunnel: B2B marketing revenue analytics company. Crunchbase lists it as his exit, and AngelList lists him as an advisor. His investment date is not public.
- crunchbase.com/person/david-gutelius
- crunchbase.com/organization/motiva-2
- angel.co/p/gutelius
- thedataguild.com/david-gutelius
- hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2015/winter/alumni-notebook
- 24-7pressrelease.com/press-release/497893/motiva-generator-brings-gene
- investorhunt.co/investors/david-gutelius
- x.com/gutelius?lang=en
Investing activity
David Gutelius has made 2 investments according to Crunchbase across 2 portfolio companies, and has seen 1 exit and founded 4 companies.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about David Gutelius
Who is David Gutelius?
He is Co-Founder and CEO of Motiva AI and a founding partner of The Data Guild. He previously founded Social Kinetics and Proximal Labs, and he was Chief Social Scientist at Jive Software.
What stage does David Gutelius invest in?
He has not published a stage preference. Third-party directories list seed and early-stage investments, and his AngelList profile calls him an active early-stage investor.
What is David Gutelius's check size?
His check size is not public, so we have not listed one.
Has David Gutelius led rounds?
Crunchbase shows no lead investments. It lists 2 investments, including a seed round in The Data Guild.
What does David Gutelius say founders should know before taking angel money?
At a 2015 Johns Hopkins panel, he said to be selective about investors and to build trust through how you act. He also advised founders to keep testing the product with real users.
Where is David Gutelius based?
Crunchbase lists Palo Alto, California. His X profile and LinkedIn show Reno, Nevada.
Is David Gutelius an angel investor?
Yes. David Gutelius invests personally as an angel and is Co Founder & CEO at Motiva AI. Crunchbase counts 2 investments and 1 exit.
How can founders reach David Gutelius?
Founders on Lounge can see David Gutelius'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 David Gutelius to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.