Josh Karol
| Josh Karol | |
| Occupation | Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer of CrowdVolt |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founding CrowdVolt |
| Education | Emory University (computer science and mathematics) |
| Alma mater | Emory University |
Josh Karol is an American entrepreneur and software engineer. He is the co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) of CrowdVolt, a technology company building infrastructure for the live events industry, beginning with an automated marketplace for raves and electronic dance music (EDM) ticket exchange. CrowdVolt participated in Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch.[1]
Early life and education
Karol grew up in the Westport, Connecticut area and graduated from Staples High School in 2016. He went on to attend Emory University, where he earned a degree in computer science and mathematics.[2]
Career
Prior to founding CrowdVolt, Karol worked as a software engineer at Bloomberg and subsequently at Millennium Management, a global investment management firm.[3]
Karol co-founded CrowdVolt with Max Hammer, a fellow Staples High School alumnus from the class of 2016. Hammer serves as the company's CEO.[4] The company describes itself as "the integration layer for live events infrastructure" and operates a secondary ticket marketplace focused on the rave and EDM market. CrowdVolt's platform uses a bid-ask model intended to provide buyers with more affordable ticket prices while offering sellers a secure means of exchange.[5]
CrowdVolt was accepted into Y Combinator's Winter 2024 batch and is based in New York City.[6] The platform lists events at venues across the United States and features listings for artists performing in genres associated with electronic dance music. As of 2025, the company was actively hiring engineers for its New York office, describing itself as "well-capitalized" and "backed by top-tier investors."
Karol and Hammer were featured at a Startup Westport "Young Innovators" forum in November 2024, alongside other young entrepreneurs from the Westport area.[7]
References
- ↑ "CrowdVolt – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Startup Westport Salutes Young Tech Innovators". '06880}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Josh Karol – Co-Founder & Chief Technology Officer at CrowdVolt". 'ZoomInfo}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Startup Westport Salutes Young Tech Innovators". '06880}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "YC-backed CrowdVolt shakes up the secondary ticket market with its bid-ask model". 'TechCrunch}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "CrowdVolt – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Young Staples Grads Spark Startup Forum". '06880}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.