Tech founder Ethan Agarwal is running for the California gubernatorial seat in 2026. Agarwal has raised tens of millions of dollars from venture capitalists across his two startups.
He is described as a Democrat who believes in capitalism. Agarwal told Axios he is primarily concerned about the increased cost of living and doing business in California. He believes these issues have led to the departure of residents and other opportunities, such as film productions. Agarwal stated that California could use some business and tech acumen to fix things in a way that other candidates in the race will not.
He previously co-founded the fintech startup The Coterie, which raised $80 million from venture capitalists before its assets were sold earlier this year. Agarwal also co-founded Aaptiv, an audio-focused fitness app that raised roughly $61 million before being sold to Pear Health Labs for undisclosed terms.
Agarwal has already planned campaign fundraising events. Hosts for these events include DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang and Y Combinator President Garry Tan, who invested in The Coterie through his venture firm Initialized Capital.
Agarwal has updated his LinkedIn profile to list his latest position as candidate for governor.