Bay Area entrepreneur Ethan Agarwal, best known for founding the fitness app Aaptiv and the fintech platform The Coterie, said he will run for governor of California in 2026. In an interview published by Axios and confirmed by TechCrunch, the 39-year-old Democrat framed his candidacy around lowering the state’s cost of living and stemming the exodus of businesses and residents. Agarwal built his profile in the technology community by raising about $61 million for Aaptiv and $80 million for The Coterie before the latter’s assets were sold earlier this year. He argues that his experience securing venture backing and scaling companies equips him to “bring business and tech acumen” to Sacramento. The first-time candidate has begun organizing fundraising events, with planned hosts including DoorDash co-founder Stanley Tang and Y Combinator president Garry Tan, both early investors in his ventures. Agarwal enters a field that already includes Republican media personality Steve Hilton and several Democratic lawmakers, setting up what is expected to be one of the most expensive statewide contests of the 2026 cycle.