# Nico Laqua

> Nico Laqua is the 26-year-old co-founder and CEO/CTO of Corgi, the AI-native full-stack insurance carrier that went from zero to unicorn ($1.3B valuation) in under two years. A Columbia neuroscience Rabi Scholar turned serial founder, he built Basket Entertainment into a gaming publisher with 200M+ monthly active users before pivoting to reinvent commercial insurance for startups. Corgi raised $268M total - including a $160M Series B in May 2026 - and became the first AI-native licensed insurance carrier purpose-built for technology companies.

- **Role:** CEO & CTO at Corgi
- **Organizations:** Corgi, Basket Entertainment, Y Combinator
- **Nationality:** American
- **Education:** BS, Neuroscience (Rabi Scholar - top ~10 STEM students per class), Columbia University
- **Known for:** Forbes 30 Under 30, Consumer Technology (2024), Columbia University Rabi Scholar (top ~10 STEM students per graduating class), Built Basket Entertainment to 200M+ monthly active users

## Career timeline

- **2018-2020** — Worked on AI (LSTM) and VR research projects
- **2020-2021** — Computational biology research including oyster genetics with Nobel Laureate Hamilton Smith; protein folding and taxonomy research
- **2022** — Graduated Columbia University; co-founded Picnic (social product) which became Basket Entertainment
- **2022-2024** — Built Basket Entertainment into a gaming publisher with 35+ games and 200M+ monthly active users; $6M revenue in 2023
- **2024** — Named to Forbes 30 Under 30 (Consumer Technology) for Basket Entertainment
- **2024** — Co-founded Corgi with Emily Yuan; accepted into Y Combinator Summer 2024 batch
- **2025-01** — Corgi raises $108M seed + Series A at $630M valuation
- **2025-07** — Corgi receives regulatory approval to operate as a licensed insurance carrier
- **2026-02** — Corgi Cafe opens at 9 Claude Lane, San Francisco - a 24-hour cafe targeting AI founders and builders
- **2026-04** — Corgi launches free bus routes in San Francisco
- **2026-05** — Corgi raises $160M Series B led by TCV at $1.3B valuation, achieving unicorn status

## Achievements

- Forbes 30 Under 30, Consumer Technology (2024)
- Columbia University Rabi Scholar (top ~10 STEM students per graduating class)
- Built Basket Entertainment to 200M+ monthly active users
- Co-founded Corgi - first AI-native full-stack insurance carrier for startups
- Raised $268M+ total across seed, Series A, and Series B
- Led Corgi to $1.3B unicorn valuation within ~18 months of founding
- Corgi ARR surpassed $40M since regulatory approval in July 2025
- Y Combinator S24 cohort

## Latest updates

- **2026-05** — Corgi closes $160M Series B led by TCV at $1.3B valuation, expanding into trucking insurance and new verticals
- **2026-04** — Corgi launches free bus routes in San Francisco
- **2026-02** — Corgi Cafe opens at 9 Claude Lane, San Francisco Financial District - a 24-hour operation for the builder community
- **2025-07** — Corgi receives regulatory approval, becoming the first AI-native licensed full-stack insurance carrier for startups

## Links

- Website: https://nicolaqua.com/
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nico-laqua-302b17233/
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/laqua_nico
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnM78mIN18k

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/nico-laqua
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-05-11