13 things about PitchBook founder John Gabbert

John Root Gabbert is the American entrepreneur from Seattle, Washington, United States. He is a father of four.

BIOGRAPHY

Gabbert founded PitchBook Data, Inc., a financial data and software company with offices in Seattle; San Francisco, California, USA; New York, USA; and London, England, United Kingdom. On December 1, 2016, Morningstar, Inc. completed its acquisition of PitchBook, valuing the company at $225 million.

Gabbert’s first jobs out of college were at AT&T and John Hancock, both of which came from a referral. He worked at VentureOne Corporation founding PitchBook Data.

At VentureOne Corporation, Gabbert had six titles and twice the number of roles, including director of operations leading human resources and administration, head of worldwide research and managing director of private markets. Here are 13 more things about him:

1. From 1992 to 1996, he attended the University of Washington in Seattle where he earned his bachelor’s degree in business with concentrations in finance and marketing.
2. In 1998, he moved to San Francisco to work for VentureOne Corporation.
3. From July 1998 to January 1999, he was a research associate at VentureOne.
4. From July 2000 to January 2001, he was the VentureOne director of operations.
5. In 2001, his first child was born.
6. From January 2001 to September 2001, he was VentureOne’s director of research.
7. From 2001 to 2004, he was VentureOne’s vice president of worldwide research.
8. From 2004 to 2007, he was Dow Jones‘ managing director in private markets.
9. From 2007 to 2024, he served as the chief executive officer of PitchBook.
10. On March 1, 2007, he launched PitchBook.
11. In 2013, his fourth child was born.
12. From November 2017 to November 2018, he served as the Edward V. Fritzy endowed chair in leadership at the University of Washington’s Michael G. Foster School of Business.
13. In April 2024, he turned 50.

TIMELINE

Raised on a 250-acre farm in a small town near California’s San Francisco Bay Area, Gabbert grew up raising chicken, ducks, pigs and sheep turkeys. He and his family later moved to Redmond, Washington.

2017

• In June 2017, he told Seattle Business Magazine, “I drove to work in my 2000 Toyota but I’m buying a new Ford truck.”

2018

• In May 2018, he told the University of Washington’s Foster Blog, “We work hard at PitchBook. We push. We also laugh a lot and have a good time.”

2019

• On July 29, 2019, he and other PitchBook employees visited the Nasdaq MarketSite in Times Square, Midtown Manhattan, New York City, New York to ring the opening bell.

2023

• On August 10, 2023, he threw the first pitch at the Seattle Mariners game against the San Diego Padres.
• On November 11, 2023, he and more than 30 PitchBook employees joined the effort to support Habitat for Humanity’s affordable housing initiative.

2024

• On July 30, 2024, his role as the PitchBook CEO ended.

2025

• In January 2025, he joined ODIN + Co. in New York City as a managing partner.