Y Combinator, the renowned startup accelerator in Silicon Valley, recently hosted its Winter 2025 Demo Day, featuring its newest batch of 160 startups.

Several successful startups, such as Stripe, Airbnb, and Reddit, have originated from YC batches in the past.

Notably, many startups in this batch are focused on developing innovative AI solutions, particularly AI agents. Interestingly, instead of building their own AI agents, several startups are creating tools to enhance the capabilities of existing AI agents.

In addition to our selection of the 10 most intriguing startups, we also had a few honorable mentions that narrowly missed the cut. These include Optifye, a startup that develops software for managing factory workers and recently found itself at the center of a social controversy, and Artificial Societies, which offers AI simulations to predict the performance of LinkedIn posts in a simulated network environment.

Y Combinator has a history of accepting unique and attention-grabbing companies. The following startups left a significant impression on us.

What it does: API for agent teleoperation

Why it’s a favorite: Waymo’s success in deploying autonomous robotaxis can be attributed to the ability of human operators to take control remotely when needed. Abundant has applied this concept, known as teleoperation, to all AI agents. The company’s API enables the detection of AI agent failures, allowing human operators to intervene and take control.

What it does: Enables AI agents to navigate browsers

Why it’s a favorite: Coincidentally, Browser Use gained significant attention earlier this week after a Chinese AI agent, Manus, utilized its open-source tool to navigate site menus and fill out forms on browsers. The company’s daily downloads increased fivefold to 28,000, according to one of its founders. As AI-powered web browsing agents, such as OpenAI’s Operator, continue to gain popularity, Browser Use offers a compelling tool that enables them.

What it does: Automates tedious grading tasks with AI

Why it’s a favorite: Teaching assistants play a vital role in modern universities, often spending a significant amount of time grading papers. However, this task can be repetitive and may not be the best use of their time. GradeWiz, founded by Cornell teaching assistants who openly dislike grading, utilizes AI tools to automate this task, allowing TAs to focus on more important responsibilities.

What it does: A platform for buying and selling Pokémon cards, similar to Robinhood

Why it’s a favorite: Misprint has an interesting origin story: its co-founder, Eva Herget, left her job at Goldman Sachs to sell Pokémon cards full-time, earning $40,000 per month. Herget and her co-founder have now launched a platform that allows users to buy and sell cards and other collectibles using a bid/ask system, similar to stocks. The market for second-hand Pokémon cards is substantial, with $3.5 billion in annual sales.

What it does: Uses AI to identify top ‘vibe coders’

Why it’s a favorite: AI-assisted ‘vibe coding’ is becoming increasingly popular, with a YC partner recently stating that a quarter of YC startups have codebases that are almost entirely AI-generated. Nextbyte helps companies find the best ‘vibe coders’ by using an AI model that powers interview questions, testing coders’ skills in leveraging AI.

What it does: Creates an AI clone for Zoom calls

Why it’s a favorite: Pickle solves the problem of looking unprepared during work Zoom meetings by allowing users to create a more composed, AI-generated version of themselves. This clone can lip-sync to the user’s voice in real-time. As a remote team, we hope Pickle can successfully implement this technology, which already has over 1,500 paying users.

What it does: AI agents for automating restaurant management

Why it’s a favorite: Running a restaurant often involves manual tasks, such as managing inventory using Google Sheets and communicating with suppliers via phone and email. Rebolt aims to automate some of these tasks with AI agents and is currently in pricing discussions with the parent company of Burger King.

What it does: A robotic weeder for farms, similar to a Roomba

Why it’s a favorite: Weeds can be devastating to farms, but removing them requires significant human labor. Red Barn Robotics, founded by a former Apple hardware lead, claims its weeding robot, “The Field Hand,” is 15 times faster than a human and a quarter of the price. The company has already signed $5 million in letters of intent for the upcoming growing season.

What it does: A vintage clothing marketplace curated by AI

Why it’s a favorite: Shopping for vintage clothing online can be overwhelming due to the numerous options and difficulty in assessing quality. Retrofit uses AI to sort through thousands of vintage listings and creates a marketplace based on current trends. The website is also visually appealing.

What it does: Autonomous patrol boats

Why it’s a favorite: Autonomy is a significant trend in defense technology, with companies like Shield AI and Saronic developing autonomous solutions. Splash builds small patrol boats that can autonomously patrol sea borders. The startup claims to have already cruised 200 miles in the San Francisco Bay Area and boasts an impressive 800-mile range.