Gellert Leaves VC To Launch GateGuru
We don't typically cover startups that have yet to secure venture capital, but an exception seems appropriate when the founding CEO was a venture capitalist himself. That ex-VC is Dan Gellert, who spent the past three years as an associate with Time Warner Investments. He quit back in September to launch GateGuru, an iPhone app that helps users find and rate restaurants, lounges and other amenities in 85 U.S. airports. The $2 app currently ranks #9 among paid travel apps in the iPhone store, although has climbed as high as #3. "While I was still at Time Warner, I was visiting a company down in Florida," says Gellert, explaining GateGuru's genesis. "It was a day trip, and on the way back saw an interesting looking pub just before security, which probably had decent sandwiches and beer. But I went through security, figuring there would be something similar on the other side, closer to my gate. But it turned out there was just a pizza place and a Burger King. I was amazed that with so many dollars spent in airports, there is very little information about things like that."
