Insights

AI isn't just part of the product anymore—it's becoming the company itself.

Here are 5 takeaways that stood out:

1️ AI is the default: ~81% of startups in the last batch were AI-native

  1. Vibe coding is real: Smaller teams shipping full-stack products with agent workflows + LLMs

3.  Vertical > General: Most companies focus deeply on one niche audience

  1. Infra is back: Tools for evals, data pipelines, and agents are rising alongside apps.

Partnership Activation Steps

  1. Technical Discovery: Schedule deep-dive calls with each startup team to gather their data schemas and integration requirements.
  2. PoC Development: Kick off rapid prototypes demonstrating business model automation for 1–2 pilot startups.
  3. Evaluation & Scale: Build lightweight evaluation frameworks and identify relevant metrics, measure Claude’s impact, iterate, and roll out across the broader YC portfolio.
  4. Community Engagement: Host a webinar series sharing best practices, and collect feedback for product & engineering teams.
Company Description Industry Pain Point Addressed Target Audience Business Model Challenges Claude Integration Description
Cohesive The agentic CRM for blue collar businesses B2B Inefficient CRM systems for blue-collar industries Blue-collar SMBs Subscription Isolated Data and Tools That Don’t Work Together Use MCP to sync CRM data and auto-generate up-to-date business model documents based on customer interactions.
Docket AI agents for QA testing B2B / Engineering Manual QA testing inefficiency Product & QA teams Subscription Adapting prompts to diverse test scenarios Leverage prompt & test-case generator to create, run, and refine QA test suites directly from requirement specs.
SAVA Sheet Metal Super Factory Industrials / Manufacturing Manual, costly sheet metal processing Factories Hardware + SaaS Handling large CAD datasets efficiently Utilize Claude Code CLI to analyze CAD files and auto-doc process flows, optimizing manufacturing pipelines.
Godela AI Physics Engine B2B / Engineering Simulating physics manually Engineers API / SaaS Ensuring model accuracy across scenarios Employ MCP connectors to feed simulation parameters and auto-generate physics reports and integration docs.
BitPatrol Secret detection that actually works B2B / Security Credential leakage DevSecOps teams Subscription Minimizing false positives in code scanning Use Claude to parse code repos, detect secrets, and auto-generate compliance and mitigation plans.
Aegis Fight health insurance denials for providers Healthcare IT Denied medical claims Healthcare providers SaaS Parsing varied denial formats reliably Parse denial letters and auto-draft appeal documents with integrated business model updates for reimbursements.
Cascade Space Deep space communications as a service Aviation and Space Lack of scalable space comms Aerospace firms B2B SaaS Complex protocol standardization Integrate Claude for auto-documentation of comms protocols and generate reliability models from telemetry data.
Bond AI Chief of Staff (Donna) B2B / Productivity Overwhelming admin work Busy professionals Subscription Personalization for individual workflows Claude-driven agents to manage calendars, draft business model summaries, and automate admin workflows.
Blueshoe AI-native legal back office B2B / Legal Manual legal ops Law firms, legal ops SaaS Maintaining legal compliance updates Use prompt tools to draft legal documents and auto-generate compliance checks and business process flows.
sieve AI + human review for data cleaning B2B / Finance Messy financial data Analysts API & Excel integration Balancing automation with human oversight Combine Claude’s data parsing with Excel automation to clean financial datasets and document workflows.
Airweave Search any app with agents B2B / Infrastructure App search limitations Internal teams Open-source / SaaS Ensuring context relevance across apps Deploy MCP agents to index enterprise apps and generate structured summaries of key business processes.
Theorem Program verification for mission-critical code B2B / Security Software safety validation Engineers Subscription Complex formal specification handling Use Claude to write formal verification prompts and auto-generate proof summaries and safety model documents.
text.ai AI in group chats Consumer Unintelligent messaging apps Consumers Freemium Moderation and summarization accuracy Leverage prompts to auto-moderate and summarize group chat discussions, generating usage insights and growth models.
StarSling AI Portal for Developers That Ship B2B / Engineering Fragmented dev tools Software developers SaaS Harmonizing diverse tool outputs Integrate Claude to auto-generate developer flow docs and test suites for streamlined deployment pipelines.
Wavedash Play the latest games in your browser Consumer / Gaming Game install friction Gamers Freemium / Ads Low-latency experience constraints Use Claude to analyze user behavior and auto-generate engagement models and retention-focused content.
Cactus AI copilot for solopreneurs B2B Time management and operations Solo founders Subscription Adapting templates to niche businesses Build Claude-driven copilots to automate business planning, generate operational checklists, and model revenue flows.
LineWise AI for troubleshooting manufacturing lines B2B / Operations Manual diagnostics Plant managers Hardware + SaaS Real-time data ingestion challenges Employ Claude to parse sensor data and auto-create diagnostic reports, plus continuous improvement plans.
Code Four Modernizing the police workflow B2B / Analytics Inefficient law enforcement tools Police departments GovTech SaaS Handling sensitive data securely Use prompt engineering to generate incident reports and update policy model documents in real time.
Lumari Internal software builder for non-tech teams B2B / Operations Lack of dev resources Business teams Low-code SaaS Translating specs into accurate apps Leverage Claude to convert user specs into low-code app templates with embedded business model descriptions.
mlop Experiment tracking for ML models B2B Messy ML workflows ML engineers SaaS Capturing comprehensive experiment metadata Integrate Claude to auto-document experiments and generate performance and cost models in dashboards.
Den Cursor for knowledge workers B2B / Productivity Fragmented knowledge tools Info workers Subscription Maintaining up-to-date knowledge graph Use Claude agents to index documents and auto-generate unified knowledge graphs and usage models.
Propolis Hands off QA with browser agents B2B Slow QA cycles Web product teams SaaS Ensuring cross-browser compatibility Deploy browser agents via MCP and auto-generate QA coverage reports with business impact models.
Cotool Free security teams from workflow burden B2B / Security Manual alert triage Security teams SaaS Triage accuracy and prioritization Leverage Claude to classify alerts, auto-generate response playbooks, and update security model docs.
Delty AI staff engineer for system design B2B / Engineering Manual architecture planning Developers SaaS Conveying complex designs in prompts Use Claude to draft system designs, auto-generate architecture diagrams, and document component interaction models.
Rimba AI for Energy & Industrial Compliance Industrial Compliance Outdated, error-prone compliance systems; high regulatory risk; manual reporting burden Industrial compliance teams, operations leads, and ESG officers at large industrial firms SaaS Keeping pace with regulation changes Automate compliance report generation and update regulatory model docs based on latest standards.
WorkDone AI compliance copilot for hospitals to maximize insurance payouts Healthcare IT Insurance underpayment and compliance inefficiency Hospitals Subscription-based Integrating with legacy billing systems Use Claude to parse billing data, generate appeal strategies, and maintain evolving reimbursement model docs.
Probo Helps businesses achieve SOC 2 and other compliance quickly Security Time-consuming security compliance processes B2B SaaS companies Subscription-based Ensuring audit readiness continuously Deploy Claude to outline compliance controls and auto-generate audit model documents.
Lapel Customer operations platform for internet businesses B2B Fragmented customer ops tools Online businesses Subscription-based Aligning multi-channel data sources Use Claude to centralize customer ops data and auto-generate workflow models and service optimization guides.
Mesmer Cursor for CTOs Engineering, Product and Design Lack of visibility and decision tooling for CTOs CTOs and engineering leaders SaaS Integrating high-level executive insights with deep technical data Use Claude to aggregate technical metrics and generate decision dashboards tailored for CTO leadership.
Relixir AI Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Platform B2B Poor discoverability for generative AI outputs Content teams, marketers Subscription-based Connecting optimization outputs to existing workflows Leverage Claude to analyze generative outputs and auto-suggest optimization parameters within pipelines.
Janus Battle-Test AI Agents with Human Simulation Infrastructure AI agents failing in real-world conditions AI tool builders Subscription-based Simulating diverse real-world scenarios accurately Use Claude to generate human-like simulation prompts and auto-evaluate agent performance across scenarios.
Hemut AI-powered OS for trucking companies Supply Chain and Logistics Inefficient trucking operations Fleet operators SaaS Integrating with legacy fleet management systems Employ Claude to parse logistics data and generate optimized routing and operational models.
Zero AI-powered email client that manages email Productivity Email overload Professionals Freemium + premium Personalizing triage for varied user preferences Build Claude-based workflows to categorize and summarize emails, adapting to individual user behaviors.
ValueMate Automates real estate appraisals with AI B2B Slow and manual appraisal process Real estate firms Subscription-based Ensuring appraisal accuracy across property types Integrate Claude to extract property data and draft appraisal reports with dynamic valuation models.
Bramante Biologics American drug manufacturing Healthcare Foreign drug supply chain dependency Healthcare system B2B sales Navigating complex regulatory requirements Use Claude to summarize regulatory guidelines and auto-generate compliance documentation for drug production.
Eloquent AI The AI Operator for Financial Services B2B Manual financial workflows Financial services teams SaaS Handling sensitive financial data securely Leverage Claude to automate transaction analysis and generate audit-ready financial workflow documents.
Vassar Robotics Robot AI for consumers Consumer Electronics Limited smart robotics for home Tech-savvy consumers Hardware + subscription Merging hardware feedback with AI recommendations Use Claude to interpret sensor data and suggest user-friendly robot behaviors and maintenance guides.
Boost Robotics Robots for data center inspection & maintenance Manufacturing and Robotics Manual and costly maintenance Data centers Hardware Integrating real-time data streams from sensors Employ Claude to analyze inspection logs and generate maintenance schedules and safety model docs.
ParaQuery GPU-accelerated Spark + SQL at 2x speed, half cost Infrastructure Slow, costly data queries Data teams, engineers Subscription-based Integrating with diverse data sources seamlessly Use Claude to map data schemas and auto-generate query optimization recommendations and integration docs.
Third Chair Agents for in-house legal teams Legal Expensive external legal services Legal departments Subscription-based Adapting legal agents to varied case types Leverage Claude to draft legal memos and auto-generate compliance and case management models.
Jazzberry LLMs trained to find bugs B2B Missed bugs and poor QA Software developers SaaS Reducing false negatives in bug detection Use Claude to create targeted bug-finding prompts and auto-prioritize reported issues with impact models.
Besimple AI Simple data annotation platform B2B Slow, manual annotation ML teams, data labelers Subscription-based Ensuring annotation quality and consistency Integrate Claude to generate annotation guidelines and perform quality checks across datasets.
Alkali Copilot for building chemical projects Engineering, Product and Design Complex chemical process design Chemical engineers SaaS Capturing domain-specific chemistry knowledge Employ Claude to draft reaction process workflows and generate safety and cost model documentation.
Human Behavior Reveals why users stay, leave, or pay Engineering, Product and Design Unclear user behavior insights Product and growth teams SaaS Integrating qualitative feedback with quantitative data Use Claude to synthesize user feedback and generate retention and churn prediction models.
QualGent AI Quality Assurance agent for mobile software testing B2B Manual mobile QA is time-consuming Mobile dev teams Subscription-based Handling device fragmentation complexity Leverage Claude to auto-generate device-specific test cases and QA coverage reports.
Prism AI AI that watches session replays and guides dev fixes Engineering, Product and Design UX bug root causes hard to identify Frontend dev teams SaaS Parsing unstructured replay data accurately Use Claude to analyze session transcripts and auto-suggest code fixes with contextual explanations.
Novoflow AI employees that automate medical clinic ops Healthcare Services High admin burden in clinics Medical providers SaaS Complying with healthcare privacy regulations Employ Claude to automate patient workflow documentation and generate compliance model docs.
Theta Software Self-learning for AI agents B2B Agents lack continuous learning AI dev teams Subscription Ensuring meaningful feedback loops Use Claude to design feedback prompts and auto-update agent training pipelines with performance models.
Company Description Industry Pain Point Addressed Target Audience Business Model Challenges Claude Integration Description
Mesmer Cursor for CTOs Engineering, Product and Design Lack of visibility and decision tooling for CTOs CTOs and engineering leaders SaaS Integrating high-level executive insights with deep technical data Use Claude to aggregate technical metrics and generate decision dashboards tailored for CTO leadership.
Relixir AI Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Platform B2B Poor discoverability for generative AI outputs Content teams, marketers Subscription-based Connecting optimization outputs to existing workflows Leverage Claude to analyze generative outputs and auto-suggest optimization parameters within pipelines.
Janus Battle-Test AI Agents with Human Simulation Infrastructure AI agents failing in real-world conditions AI tool builders Subscription-based Simulating diverse real-world scenarios accurately Use Claude to generate human-like simulation prompts and auto-evaluate agent performance across scenarios.
Hemut AI-powered OS for trucking companies Supply Chain and Logistics Inefficient trucking operations Fleet operators SaaS Integrating with legacy fleet management systems Employ Claude to parse logistics data and generate optimized routing and operational models.
Zero AI-powered email client that manages email Productivity Email overload Professionals Freemium + premium Personalizing triage for varied user preferences Build Claude-based workflows to categorize and summarize emails, adapting to individual user behaviors.
ValueMate Automates real estate appraisals with AI B2B Slow and manual appraisal process Real estate firms Subscription-based Ensuring appraisal accuracy across property types Integrate Claude to extract property data and draft appraisal reports with dynamic valuation models.
Bramante Biologics American drug manufacturing Healthcare Foreign drug supply chain dependency Healthcare system B2B sales Navigating complex regulatory requirements Use Claude to summarize regulatory guidelines and auto-generate compliance documentation for drug production.
Eloquent AI The AI Operator for Financial Services B2B Manual financial workflows Financial services teams SaaS Handling sensitive financial data securely Leverage Claude to automate transaction analysis and generate audit-ready financial workflow documents.
Vassar Robotics Robot AI for consumers Consumer Electronics Limited smart robotics for home Tech-savvy consumers Hardware + subscription Merging hardware feedback with AI recommendations Use Claude to interpret sensor data and suggest user-friendly robot behaviors and maintenance guides.
Boost Robotics Robots for data center inspection & maintenance Manufacturing and Robotics Manual and costly maintenance Data centers Hardware Integrating real-time data streams from sensors Employ Claude to analyze inspection logs and generate maintenance schedules and safety model docs.
ParaQuery GPU-accelerated Spark + SQL at 2x speed, half cost Infrastructure Slow, costly data queries Data teams, engineers Subscription-based Integrating with diverse data sources seamlessly Use Claude to map data schemas and auto-generate query optimization recommendations and integration docs.
Third Chair Agents for in-house legal teams Legal Expensive external legal services Legal departments Subscription-based Adapting legal agents to varied case types Leverage Claude to draft legal memos and auto-generate compliance and case management models.
Jazzberry LLMs trained to find bugs B2B Missed bugs and poor QA Software developers SaaS Reducing false negatives in bug detection Use Claude to create targeted bug-finding prompts and auto-prioritize reported issues with impact models.
Besimple AI Simple data annotation platform B2B Slow, manual annotation ML teams, data labelers Subscription-based Ensuring annotation quality and consistency Integrate Claude to generate annotation guidelines and perform quality checks across datasets.
Alkali Copilot for building chemical projects Engineering, Product and Design Complex chemical process design Chemical engineers SaaS Capturing domain-specific chemistry knowledge Employ Claude to draft reaction process workflows and generate safety and cost model documentation.
Human Behavior Reveals why users stay, leave, or pay Engineering, Product and Design Unclear user behavior insights Product and growth teams SaaS Integrating qualitative feedback with quantitative data Use Claude to synthesize user feedback and generate retention and churn prediction models.
QualGent AI Quality Assurance agent for mobile software testing B2B Manual mobile QA is time-consuming Mobile dev teams Subscription-based Handling device fragmentation complexity Leverage Claude to auto-generate device-specific test cases and QA coverage reports.
Prism AI AI that watches session replays and guides dev fixes Engineering, Product and Design UX bug root causes hard to identify Frontend dev teams SaaS Parsing unstructured replay data accurately Use Claude to analyze session transcripts and auto-suggest code fixes with contextual explanations.
Novoflow AI employees that automate medical clinic ops Healthcare Services High admin burden in clinics Medical providers SaaS Complying with healthcare privacy regulations Employ Claude to automate patient workflow documentation and generate compliance model docs.
Theta Software Self-learning for AI agents B2B Agents lack continuous learning AI dev teams Subscription Ensuring meaningful feedback loops Use Claude to design feedback prompts and auto-update agent training pipelines with performance models.
Lyra Zoom alternative optimized for sales Sales Generic tools don’t suit revenue teams Sales leaders SaaS Customizing for sales-specific workflows Leverage Claude to summarize meeting insights and generate sales playbooks with dynamic engagement models.