Y Combinator held its Summer 2025 Demo Day last week, highlighting a new group of over 160 startups.

As with earlier groups, most startups showcased AI-focused solutions. However, a significant shift was noticeable. Rather than “AI-powered” products, numerous companies are now developing AI agents or the supporting infrastructure and tools necessary for their creation. For example, this cohort featured a surge of voice AI solutions and new ventures aimed at assisting others in capitalizing on the “AI economy” through ads and marketing tools.

We interviewed several YC-oriented investors to discover which startups caught their attention and which spurred the greatest investment interest.

Here are the most frequently highlighted ones:

What it does: Stripe for AI companies

Why it’s a fave: A multitude of AI startups utilizes intricate pricing models that often combine a fixed subscription fee per user with usage-based fees, credits, and a variety of additional charges. Managing such complicated AI pricing on Stripe is a labor-intensive, manual task. Consequently, Autumn created an open-source framework that streamlines Stripe integration for AI startups. The firm claims its technology is already utilized by hundreds of AI applications and 40 YC startups. Considering Stripe’s pre-eminence in payment solutions and the rapid expansion of the AI sector, could a targeted billing solution for AI become the next big success story in fintech?

 

What it does: Creates Vercel for AI agents

Why it’s a fave: Just as Vercel aids developers in deploying and hosting startups, Dedalus Labs asserts that its platform automates the foundational elements for crafting AI agents, reducing hours of coding to mere clicks. The firm manages complex operations like autoscaling and load balancing, which it claims makes agent deployment quick and uncomplicated.

What it does: crowdsource ratings of vibe-coded designs

Why it’s a fave: The ability of AI to swiftly produce numerous designs introduces a new challenge: determining which ones are genuinely noteworthy. Design Arena addresses this by crowdsourcing evaluations of AI-generated visuals, establishing a feedback loop that drives AI models to enhance their outputs. Major AI labs recognize the benefit of refining their models to produce superior designs, as some are already clients of Design Arena.

What it does: Tech-enabled supply distributor for retailers in Southeast Asia

Why it’s a fave: Founded by Raghav Arora at just 14 years old, Getasap Asia has established itself as a tech-integrated supplier to corner shops, restaurants, and large supermarkets in Southeast Asia, delivering products in under eight hours and generating millions in revenue. Getasap Asia completed a funding round with General Catalyst, as per its website, and it is reported that the startup’s valuation was among the highest in the entire cohort.

What it does: AI specialist that rectifies bugs in production

Why it’s a fave: Founded by 20-year-old Pablo Hansen, who obtained a master’s degree in AI last year, Keystone aims to minimize software disruptions. The company’s AI identifies and corrects bugs for clients like Lovable and has already declined a seven-figure acquisition proposal, Hansen indicated.

What it does: AI connection facilitator for female friendships

Why it’s a fave: While dating apps are plentiful, RealRoots addresses a different type of solitude. The company’s AI matchmaker, Lisa, conducts interviews with women and arranges social gatherings to link them with compatible friends. Although the AI aspect may seem superficial—conversations with Lisa likely wouldn’t yield more insights than written responses—RealRoots appears to be on the right track. Just last month, the company reported revenues of $782,000 from 9,000 paying users, according to its founders.

What it does: Streamlines insurance claims using AI

Why it’s a fave: Solva’s AI automates routine duties for insurance adjusters, ranging from completing intricate claims to averting improper payouts. Merely ten weeks post-launch, Solva has already secured $245,000 in annual recurring revenue (ARR), a milestone that has piqued investor interest.

What it does: mini-missiles for countering drones

Why it’s a fave: As China reportedly accumulates swarms of low-cost drones, the U.S. military confronts an urgent demand for budget-friendly counter-drone strategies. Perseus is creating precisely that: small missiles intended to dismantle drones at a fraction of the expense of current systems. Various branches of the U.S. military have already invited the startup to showcase its solution, which could result in substantial contracts.

What it does: AI tutor for foreign languages

Why it’s a fave: Applications like Duolingo have made learning languages engaging and accessible, but they frequently lack a crucial aspect of fluency: regular conversation. Pingo addresses this challenge by allowing users to converse with its AI, which behaves like a native speaker. The company’s innovative method is showing impressive traction, with founders claiming a 70% monthly growth and monthly revenues of $250,000.