Y Combinator wrapped its Summer 2025 Demo Day last week, presenting over 160 startups to investors and tech leaders. While artificial intelligence has dominated recent batches, this year marked a shift: instead of simply “AI-powered” tools, many founders are now building AI agents and the infrastructure needed to deploy them.
Voice AI platforms, monetization tools for the “AI economy,” and specialized infrastructure were among the most common themes. Conversations with YC-focused investors highlighted several startups that drew strong attention:
- Autumn: Dubbed “Stripe for AI startups,” it simplifies complex usage-based billing models. Already adopted by 40 YC startups, investors see it as a potential fintech success story.
- Dedalus Labs: A “Vercel for AI agents,” automating deployment tasks like autoscaling and load balancing for developers.
- Design Arena: Crowdsources rankings of AI-generated designs, offering valuable feedback loops for large AI labs.
- Getasap Asia: A tech-enabled distributor delivering retail supplies in Southeast Asia within eight hours. Founded by 17-year-old Raghav Arora, it has generated millions in revenue and closed a round from General Catalyst.
- Keystone: An AI engineer that detects and fixes software bugs in production. Founded by 20-year-old Pablo Hansen, the company has already turned down a seven-figure acquisition offer.
- RealRoots: An AI-powered social app that matches women for friendships, not dating. The company reported $782,000 in revenue from 9,000 paying clients last month.
- Solva: Automates insurance claims for adjusters, with $245,000 ARR just 10 weeks post-launch.
- Perseus Defense: Building low-cost counter-drone mini-missiles, attracting early interest from branches of the U.S. military.
- Pingo AI: An AI language tutor that simulates real conversation. Growing 70% month-over-month, it has reached $250,000 in monthly revenue.
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The batch reflects not only AI’s continued dominance in startup formation but also a growing demand for tools, infrastructure, and niche applications. From fintech billing to defense technology, YC’s Summer 2025 Demo Day highlighted the broadening horizons of AI-driven innovation.
