CEO & Co-Founder, @Giantorg. Founder & Chairman @ApartmentList. Yes, these glasses are as thick as they look.
Joined March 2009
- Tweets 2,359
- Following 358
- Followers 2,408
- Likes 4,864
210 Photos and videos
Thanks for the thoughtful coverage, @deantak. Excited to see how interactive storytelling evolves as kids move from watching to building.
Feb 23
Exclusive on AI-native interactive storytelling startup focused on kids. gamesbeat.com/giant-raises-8…
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John Kobs retweeted
Feb 23
Giant raises $8M to build interactive storytelling for kids - gamesbeat.com/giant-raises-8…
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Honored for GIANT to be selected as a Lightspeed Game Changer this year.
Surreal seeing it up on the Nasdaq Tower today.
Back to building.
@GiantOrg
14 Nov 2025
The wait is over. Say hello to the 2026 Game Changers.
The gaming industry is no stranger to disruption, mass layoffs, shifting economies, the rise of AI, and evolving global policies have reshaped what it means to build.
And still, some creators never stop innovating.
In partnership with @GamesBeat and @Nasdaq, we’re celebrating the 25 startups that are transforming the future of AI, gaming, and interactive media.
Congratulations to Ahead, @AnimalCompanyVR, @appchargeHQ, @ArtificialAgncy, @AstroBeamHQ, @brainjargames, @cyphergames_, @delphi_inc_, @ReaperActualDPS, @diversion_hq, Edurino, @gamefamstudios, Giant, @higgsfield_ai, @litumbrella, @ItsMidsummer, Mira, @neoncommerce, @nunudotai, Odyssey, @pp_socials, @tolanworld, @seeker_kinforge, Vinci Games, and @wideworlds_ai.
Cc @mbaierlentz, @deantak
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Amazing opportunity...
14 Jan 2025
1/ Applications are now open for Powerset Cohort 3, where top founders get their own $1M fund for angel investing. Like past cohorts, investment experience is not required, and founders have no administrative obligations.
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John Kobs retweeted
8 Aug 2024
When we first started Thumbtack in 2009, we had no customers, no product, no money.
Our first “office” was a house, and I slept in a closet
By 2019, we scaled it to $1B.
Here are my 5 real-talk lessons I learned building Thumbtack from 0 to $1B starting from a CLOSET! 🧵
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John Kobs retweeted
15 Apr 2024
Introducing Limitless: a personalized AI powered by what you’ve seen, said, or heard.
It’s a web app, Mac app, Windows app, and a wearable.
0:06 Reveal
0:48 Why Limitless?
1:39 Demo
3:05 Pendant
4:27 Privacy
5:23 Confidential Cloud
6:36 Rewind
7:12 Roadmap
9:25 Vision
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I'm a proud investor & supporter of @modelbit. Harry and Tom are incredible entrepreneurs! This is our second time around (Periscope Data sold to Sisense). Jumped at the opportunity to work with @harryglaser and Tom again! modelbit.com/blog/announcing…
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John Kobs retweeted
10 Jan 2023
Excited to announce our launch and being backed by @ycombinator!
We are helping drivers flourish with Autonomous trucks. Check us out: ycombinator.com/launches/Hlw…
10 Jan 2023
Congrats to the team @JavelinRobotics on the launch!
Javelin (YC W21) builds autonomy software that tag-teams with human drivers, helping truckers cut delivery times in half, doubling productivity and adding much needed capacity to the freight industry: ycombinator.com/launches/Hlw…
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John Kobs retweeted
9 Oct 2022
(NEW EPISODE) This Entrepreneur Raised $60 Million To Help People Around the World Become Fluent In English cc @cambly @SameerAShariff alejandrocremades.com/this-e… @kvnlw @ycombinator @svangel @BessemerVP @benchmark @cherubicvc @shervin @FuelCapital @JohnKobs #business
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John Kobs retweeted
4 Oct 2022
1/ Founders are the lifeblood of venture capital; both because of their companies and the dealflow they send to VCs. Yet of $621B invested in venture last year, less than 3% was deployed by active founders.
Today we’re changing that and launching Powerset. Read more >>
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Congrats @Pano_AI team!
We’re excited to announce our $20M #SeriesA round led by @initialized! Enabling us to scale our tech across high fire-risk areas accelerate global adaptation to increasing frequency & intensity of climate-related disasters. More by @haje: tcrn.ch/3qN7fxY
#StopWildfires
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John Kobs retweeted
12 Aug 2022
I started to go deaf in my 20s. When I turned 30, a hearing aid changed my life. To lose a sense and gain it back again feels like gaining a superpower. Ever since that moment, I’ve been on a hunt for ways technology can augment human capabilities and give us superpowers.
(1/3)
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John Kobs retweeted
12 May 2022
“In my family there was always this story of fighting for what you believe in and not doing the easy thing—no matter what it takes.”
@jalehr isn't just reinventing marketing, she's leading a mutiny. @mutinycorp
sequoiacap.com/article/jaleh…
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Congrats @YunhaJKim!
14 Jun 2022
Today, YC W17’s @simplehabitapp is launching Sleep Reset, the world’s first digital, personalized sleep clinic, available in a mobile app. Improve sleep and reduce sleep anxiety, no pills or melatonin needed.
Congrats @YunhaJKim and team! techcrunch.com/2022/06/14/sl…
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Congrats @SameerAShariff !
8 Jun 2022
So excited to share more about what we've been up to at @cambly on @Forbes today!
forbes.com/sites/kenrickcai/…
Cambly is helping people all over the world learn English and unlock economic opportunities -- if you're excited about our mission and impact, please get in touch!
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John Kobs retweeted
19 Apr 2022
We’re thrilled to exit stealth today and announce that we’ve raised $4.5M from @NEA (@annbordetsky @andrewschoen @henrymagun)! prn.to/3jW0I0J
Our mission is to end waste, starting with AI/robotics for recycling. We're #hiring!
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After 14 years building @ApartmentList, I’ve decided to transition to Chairman of the Board and elevate our very own Matthew Woods to CEO. I’m immensely grateful for this ride of a lifetime, and extraordinarily excited to celebrate @MatthewWoodsL3B!
apartmentlist.com/company-ne…
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John Kobs retweeted
11 Mar 2022
Thrilled to open up about what we are building. We're passionate about helping companies understand and create value from their data.
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John Kobs retweeted
14 Feb 2022
Meet @JohnKobs (CWR ’03), former CWRU running back 🏈 and CEO and co-founder of @ApartmentList. Read how Kobs got the idea to start his own company and how his leadership at CWRU helped lead him to success: bit.ly/3Jcj4VP. #CWRU @CWRUalumni
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John Kobs retweeted
12 Jan 2022
“Americans were playing musical chairs with their housing but more and more people kept joining into the game..."
Chief Economist @IgorPopov chats w/ @NYT’s Sydney Ember (@melbournecoal) on the impact #inflation has had on renters.
nytimes.com/2022/01/12/busin…?
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