Y Combinator hosted its Summer 2025 Demo Day last week, showcasing the latest batch of over 160 startups.
As with recent batches, most startups presented AI-centric solutions. However, a clear evolution was evident. Instead of “AI-powered” products, many companies are now building AI agents or the infrastructure and tools needed to develop them. For instance, this batch had a flurry of voice AI solutions and new businesses focused on helping others monetise the “AI economy” with ads and marketing tools.
We spoke with a handful of YC-focused investors to learn which startups they found most interesting and which generated the highest investment demand. Below are the most frequently mentioned ones:
Autumn
What it does: Stripe for AI startups
Why it’s a fave: Many AI startups use complex pricing models that often blend a flat subscription fee per seat with usage-based charges, credits, and various add-on costs. Managing complex AI pricing on Stripe is time-consuming and manual. That’s why Autumn developed an open-source infrastructure that simplifies Stripe integration for AI startups. The company says hundreds of AI apps and 40 YC startups already use its technology. Given Stripe’s dominance in payments and the explosive growth of the AI market, could a specialised billing solution for AI be the next major fintech success story?
Dedalus Labs
What it does: Builds Vercel for AI agents
Why it’s a fave: Just as Vercel helps developers deploy and host startups, Dedalus Labs claims its platform automates the infrastructure for building AI agents, cutting hours of coding down to a few clicks. The company handles complex tasks like autoscaling and load balancing, which it says makes agent deployment fast and simple.
Design Arena
What it does: Crowdsource rankings of vibe-coded designs
Why it’s a fave: The ability of AI to rapidly generate a huge number of designs creates a new problem: figuring out which ones are actually good. Design Arena solves this by crowdsourcing rankings of AI-generated visuals, creating a feedback loop that forces AI models to improve. Large AI labs see value in training their models to generate better designs, since some are already Design Arena’s customers.
Getasap Asia
What it does: Tech-enabled distributor for retailers in Southeast Asia
Why it’s a fave: Raghav Arora founded Getasap Asia three years ago when he was just 14 years old. Since then, the startup that uses tech to deliver supplies to corner stores, restaurants, and supermarkets in Southeast Asia in under eight hours has earned millions in revenue. Getasap Asia closed a round from General Catalyst, according to its website, and we are hearing that the startup’s valuation was among the highest in the whole batch.
Keystone
What it does: An AI engineer that fixes bugs in production
Why it’s a fave: Founded by 20-year-old Pablo Hansen, who last year earned a master’s degree in AI, Keystone is on a mission to reduce software breaks. The company’s AI finds and fixes bugs for clients like Lovable and has already turned down a seven-figure acquisition offer, Hansen said.
RealRoots
What it does: AI matchmaker for female friends
Why it’s a fave: While there isn’t a shortage of dating apps, RealRoots is tackling a different kind of loneliness. The company’s AI matchmaker, Lisa, interviews women, then organises social experiences to connect them with compatible friends. While the AI part might be performative – conversations with Lisa probably wouldn’t give RealRoots more insights about participants than written answers would – RealRoots may be on to something. Last month alone, the company generated $782,000 from 9,000 paying clients, its founders said.
Solva
What it does: Automates insurance claims with AI
Why it’s a fave: Solva’s AI automates the most routine tasks for insurance adjusters, from filling out complex claims to preventing improper payouts. Just ten weeks after launching, Solva has already amassed $245,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), a figure that has investors excited.
Perseus Defense
What it does: Counter-drone mini-missiles
Why it’s a fave: With China reportedly amassing swarms of inexpensive drones, the U.S. military faces an urgent need for cost-effective counter-drone solutions. Perseus is developing just that: small missiles designed to shoot down drones at a fraction of the cost of existing systems. Multiple branches of the U.S. military have already invited the startup to demonstrate its solution, which could lead to hefty contracts.
Pingo AI
What it does: AI foreign language tutor
Why it’s a fave: Apps like Duolingo have made language learning accessible and fun, but they often lack a key component of fluency: consistent conversation. Pingo solves this by letting users speak with its AI, which acts as a native speaker. The company’s unique approach is proving incredibly popular, with founders claiming it’s growing 70% monthly and earning $250,000 in monthly revenue.
Many startups emerging from Y Combinator also use short launch videos to introduce their products and explain what they are building. Studios such as flowjam.com, which says it has worked with more than 25 YC companies, specialise in creating launch videos for AI startups.
