Protege
Protege operates a platform connecting data holders with vetted data users for AI training, addressing governance and security concerns. The company has raised $65M in Series A funding and employs 92 people.
The growth story
Protege grew from 2 to 92 employees between 2022 and 2026, raising $65M along the way, most recently a Series A in January 2026.
About
Protege provides a platform that facilitates secure and governed access to training data for AI companies, streamlining the process of connecting data holders with verified users. The platform aims to reduce the time and complexity involved in data negotiations.
The company, founded in 2024 and based in New York, has rapidly grown to 92 employees. Its $65M Series A funding round in January 2026 was led by notable investors including Andreessen Horowitz and Bloomberg Beta, signaling strong market interest in its solution.
Founders and leadership
Protege's largest function is Engineering, with 11 employees. The company's leadership includes founders with backgrounds in data infrastructure and analytics, supported by a diverse team spanning technical and operational roles.
The Protege org chart
Bobby Samuels (CEO) leads 41 mapped leaders with 10 direct reports. Click +N to expand a team; names link to the person’s public profile.
Departments, and which ones grew
Headcount by function: Business Development 11 (+83% YoY), Engineering 11 (+175% YoY), Information Technology 11 (+175% YoY), Operations 10 (+400% YoY), Research 9 (+350% YoY), Military and Protective Services 9 (+350% YoY).
Talent flow
Protege's team includes alumni from Datavant (11), Google (3), and Shaper Capital (3). Employees have moved on to roles at companies like ForgeWell Talent, Reducto, and Neon, indicating a mix of startup and tech industry experience.
Most common previous employers of Protege staff: Datavant (11), Google (3), Shaper Capital (3), MobLab (3), Mural (2), Calliope Networks (acquired by Protege) (2). Former Protege employees most often moved to ForgeWell Talent (1), Reducto (1), Neon (1), Shaper Capital (1), Sierra (1), CleanCounts (1).
Alumni worth knowing
Hiring now
Web traffic
Traffic mix: 48% direct, 35% search, 8% social, 0% paid.
What this company is made of
Most common skills at Protege: Leadership (41), Public Speaking (29), Data Analysis (27), Research Skills (26), Python (Programming Language) (26), Management (26), Microsoft Office (26), SQL (23).
Where the team actually sits
Protege people are concentrated in California, United States (16), New York, United States (13), United States (7), New York City Metropolitan Area (4).
Search footprint
Protege attracts about 3,919 organic search visits a month, traffic worth roughly $0K a month if bought through ads. It gained 40 ranking keywords and lost 13 in the last period.
Frequently asked
Protege has 92 employees as of September 2026.
Protege has raised $65M in total, most recently a Series A round in January 2026.
Protege was founded in 2024 by Travis May, Engy Ziedan.
Bobby Samuels (CEO) sits at the top of Protege's reporting structure, with 10 direct reports.
The most common previous employers of current Protege staff are Datavant (11 people), Google (3 people), Shaper Capital (3 people).
Former Protege employees most often move to ForgeWell Talent (1), Reducto (1), Neon (1).
Protege attracts about 3,919 organic search visits a month, worth roughly $0K a month in equivalent ad spend.
The most common skills among Protege staff are Leadership, Public Speaking, Data Analysis, Research Skills, Python (Programming Language).
Protege staff are concentrated in California, United States (16), New York, United States (13), United States (7).
Protege has about 11 people in Business Development, up 83% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Protege has about 11 people in Engineering, up 175% over the past year, as of September 2026.
Computed from 74 current and 15 former Protege profiles, as of September 2026. Source: Crustdata.
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