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15 Big Celeb Names in Tech

They sing, dance, act, tell jokes, rap, shoot professional hoops, design clothing, build personal empires—the talents these celebs possess can go on-and-on.  The below list of celebrities have gone beyond simple product endorsements and decided to get involved in the tech world, becoming celebritechies.

1. Ashton Kutcher: Skype, Airbnb, Foursquare, Hipmunk, Chegg
Ashton Kutcher is not first on our list by mistake. Kutcher was one of the first celebs to get deeply involved in the tech world; he is a true celebritechie. He is involved in a lengthy list of startups, either financially or creatively, and created his own venture fund, A-Grade Investments.

2. Justin Timberlake: Myspace, Stipple, Miso Media, Dekko
From Nsync to the tech world: JT has invested his time and money into reviving Myspace, which got crushed when Facebook made its debut.

3. Jessica Alba: Honest Company
When this beautiful actress became a mom (now of 2), she was having trouble finding products, namely diapers, that she felt were safe—for her children and for the environment.  Instead of continuing to search for products she felt comfortable with, she decided to create her own. This led to the birth of Honest Co., which produces non-toxic diapers and cleaning goods that arrive at your doorstep monthly.

4. Edward Norton: Crowdrise
Despite what you saw in Fight Club, Edward Norton has a softer and saner side. Norton is behind Crowdrise, a grassroots activism campaign tool to raise funds for different causes.

5. Bono: Facebook, Yelp, Forbes Media, MarketShare
Rockstar, philanthropist, activist, and businessman, now Bono can also add tech savvy venture capitalist to that list. Bono co-found private equity firm Elevation Partners, and has the likes of Facebook, Yelp, and Forbes Media as portfolio companies.

6. Justin Bieber: PhoneGuard Inc.
Bieber fever has widely spread throughout the nation and beyond. The Biebs got involved with Phoneguard Inc., an app that prevents texting while driving. He’s using his widespread influence over teens (and adults) everywhere for the greater good.

7. Ellen Degeneres: SoJo Studios
This comedian, actress, and television host is notorious for having exceptional kids on her show. Sojo Studios turns kid’s game playing into a humanity-helping activity. Sojo is behind the game WeTopia, which through playing you can earn a currency called “joy,” to be put towards real-world projects.  It’s no surprise that Ellen is in an exclusive partnership with Sojo. She also provides marketing and creative input for the future of the game.

8. Leonardo Dicaprio: Mobli
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to see Wolf of Wall Street. I pretty much love every movie Leo is in, and confession: I had a poster of him as Jack from Titanic hanging in my room when I was a tween. Leo isn’t just an actor though, he’s taken his talents to tech with Instagram rival, Mobli.  In addition to investing $4 million in the start-up, he also serves as full-time advisor.

9. M.C. Hammer: Square
You know what time it is! M.C. Hammer was one of the angel investors in mobile payments company Square. Square is widely used by small businesses all over the country. Hammer is involved in a handful of other startups as well.

10. Rachel Zoe: Trippy
Zoe, a famous fashion stylist and designer, is no stranger to constant travel; from Paris Fashion Week, to Milan, to NYC and LA. It makes sense that she would invest in social travel startup Trippy, a trip planner that connects with your social networks and asks friends for recommendations if they’ve already been there.

11. Magic Johnson: Detroit Venture Partners
In addition to part owning the LA Dodgers, creating specialty drop-out schools across the country, and generally being an overall legend, Johnson is involved with Detroit Venture Partners. Similar to Kickstarter, it is essentially an online Shark-Tank, where businesses can come to acquire funding.

12. Jay Z and Will Smith: Viddy
Double. Trouble. Hov and the Fresh Prince teaming up is the definition of “power couple.” These two entertainment industry titans teamed up to help Viddy- basically an Instagram for videos, get its start. No surprise that Viddy is doing extremely well.

13. Andy Samberg: CanaryHop
CanaryHop is actually something you can take SNL and Lonely Island funny man Andy Samberg seriously on.  Samberg became an investor and spokesperson for CanaryHop, an innovative company that matches people trying to find a tour of a city, a new activity, or learn a new talent, with tour guides, activity providers, and coaches.  It’s been widely successful, who’s laughing now?

14. Will Ferrell: Funny or Die
Will Ferrell and Funny or Die: a match made in comedy heaven. Gary Sanchez Productions, Ferrell’s production company, launched the tech startup in 2006. With the biggest names in music, movies, and sports all over their skits, the content is beyond viral. Don't forget to see the return of Ron Burgundy in AnchorMan 2!

15. Lady Gaga: Backplane
Last but definitely NOT least; Gaga has almost 41 million twitter followers… enough said. Gaga has recently invested in a social startup called Backplane. Backplane is geared specifically towards celebrities, and currently runs her social-networking site, littlemonsters.com.

 
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