Dalton Caldwell

Overview

Dalton Caldwell is an American entrepreneur and angel investor known for his contributions to the technology sector. He co-founded imeem, a pioneering social music streaming service, and later founded App.net, a developer-focused social platform. Caldwell holds a B.S. in Symbolic Systems and a B.A. in Psychology from Stanford University. In 2011, Caldwell joined Y Combinator as a part-time partner, eventually becoming a Managing Director. During his tenure, he advised over 1,000 startups across various industries, including biotechnology, smart infrastructure, healthcare services, consumer internet, SaaS, financial technology, artificial intelligence, education, energy, and enterprise software. His investment focus spans multiple stages, from seed to late-stage funding. In June 2025, Caldwell transitioned to Partner Emeritus at Y Combinator and co-founded Standard Capital, an AI-native Series A firm. His investment strategy emphasizes supporting innovative startups with transformative potential, leveraging his extensive experience as both an entrepreneur and investor to guide founders through the challenges of scaling their companies.

Investment Focus

• Innovative technology solutions
• Scalable business models
• Strong founding teams

Portfolio Companies