I am the co-founder and CTO of Duolingo. Before Duolingo, I studied computer science and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University with a PhD. Before CMU, I studied at ETH Zürich, majoring in computer science. I grew up in Switzerland, and yes, my last name is real. You can find me on Twitter and LinkedIn.
I also invest in early-stage tech startups in Pittsburgh. My criteria for investment are: a good idea, a great team and a minimum viable product. My current investments include OtterTune (2020), VIT (2020), Onyx (2019), Intellipse (2018), Trala (2018), ViaHero (2017), Brainbase (2017), Gridwise (2016). Exited investments include IAM Robotics (2018-2019). If you believe you have what it takes, send me an email: angel at severinhacker.com. I organize a small monthly angel meetup in Pittsburgh. If you are an active angel investor and would like to join, send me an email.