[ { "id": 601, "name": "MadeSolid", "slug": "madesolid", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "/company/thumb/missing.png", "website": "http://madesolid.com", "all_locations": "Emeryville, CA, USA", "long_description": "MadeSolid is a hardware company that develops high-quality materials with 3D printing applications. With a team of experienced chemists and engineers, the MadeSolid develops functional materials for 3D Manufacturing real products. MadeSolid is based in Emeryville, California.", "one_liner": "Functional 3D printing materials.", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Manufacturing and Robotics", "launched_at": 1384978803, "tags": [ "3D Printing", "Advanced Materials" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2014", "status": "Inactive", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Manufacturing and Robotics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/madesolid", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2014/madesolid.json", "year_founded": null, "city": "Emeryville", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": null, "x_url": null, "fb_url": null, "cb_url": "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/madesolid", "github_url": null, "logo_url": null, "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 59480, "full_name": "Brian Martinez", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Serial entrepreneur - just launched something new. \n\nFormer Airbnb global growth team & Director of Growth for the Atlas Project. Launched the Airbnb Alumni angel syndicate (Air Angels). \n\nAsk me anything! ", "is_active": false, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/bcmartinez", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/355a298ba7a1abc2179086420877e5b2afcf8958.jpg" }, { "user_id": 31253, "full_name": "Lance R. Pickens", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": false, "linkedin_url": null, "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d91eb09273535730b626be159b7dbe049fbee646.jpg" }, { "user_id": 59481, "full_name": "David Rorex", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": false, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidrorex", "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/4be51bf54707013af906646c0ec8e0a2d21045d1.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 691, "name": "Alchemy", "slug": "alchemy", "former_names": [ "Neverfrost" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ee0b471ed87568bd4c184883741ed9b8cb5f06ee.png", "website": "http://www.alchemynano.com", "all_locations": "Waterloo, ON, Canada", "long_description": "Alchemy is a nanotechnology company based in Kitchener, Ontario with core operations in the automotive and defense sectors. \r\n\r\nAutomotive - With the widespread adoption of ADAS systems in new vehicles, the cost of replacing a windshield in new vehicles has tripled to $1500+. We have developed a windshield protection film product line called ExoShield to help vehicle owners protect their windshields. Our ExoShield GT3 film is sold through 400+ aftermarket installers and car dealerships in 56 countries that carry and install it for vehicle owners. For Jeep Wrangler and Ford Bronco owners (google: broken windshield club), our ExoShield ULTRA DIY kits are available via our website and dropshipping partners. \r\n\r\nDefense - Over the last 3 years, we have been working with the Canadian Armed Forces to develop an infrared camouflage technology. We have received two contracts from CAF to develop our technology. Our solution has the ability to be integrated into the uniform directly (adding just 5-10g of weight vs. 600-18,000 kg of weight for other alternatives), has outperformed all existing NATO alternatives in multiple CAF field trials, and is receiving support from major elements of CAF for our next contract. This technology can also be adapted for other individual camouflage integrations (face paint and individual nettings) and for mobile camouflage applications (vehicle nettings and vehicle paints). ", "one_liner": "Nanotechnology-enabled coatings for automotive and defence sectors", "team_size": 25, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Manufacturing and Robotics", "launched_at": 1398907896, "tags": [ "Advanced Materials", "Defense", "Automotive" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2014", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Manufacturing and Robotics" ], "regions": [ "Canada", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/alchemy", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2014/alchemy.json", "year_founded": 2013, "city": "Waterloo", "country": "CA", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/alchemynano/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": "http://facebook.com/exoshield", "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/ee0b471ed87568bd4c184883741ed9b8cb5f06ee.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 37603, "full_name": "Khanjan Desai", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "CEO & Founder of Alchemy. 2013 Nanotechnology Engineering graduate from the University of Waterloo. 2020 Forbes 30 Under 30 - Manufacturing & Industry. \n\nPreviously at Harvard Med doing cryopreservation and microfluidics research, and at Facebook doing growth analytics and internet marketing. ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/khanjandesai/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/4424152809dd734383d6a9a64c5c341f46573699.jpg" }, { "user_id": 40161, "full_name": "Chong Shen", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/chongshen/", "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/8703c96b14e78a749f04ce687712d5aa5076520d.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 12096, "name": "Maple Materials", "slug": "maple-materials", "former_names": [ "Saratoga Energy Research Partners", "LLC", "Saratoga Energy", "Maple Materials (fka Saratoga Energy)" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/a3822ef4eba7294b4ec36e7ecdbc27b2475f2b17.png", "website": "http://maplematerials.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Maple Materials, Inc. (Richmond, California) develops a low-cost electrolysis process to split carbon dioxide into graphite and oxygen. Due to several unique features of our production process and product, we have potential to produce battery-grade graphite anode material one-third the cost of current graphite anode materials. When powered by renewables, this process has the potential to be carbon negative.", "one_liner": "We turn CO2 into battery-grade graphite and oxygen.", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Climate", "launched_at": 1541721764, "tags": [ "Advanced Materials" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Winter 2019", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Climate" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/maple-materials", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/winter-2019/maple-materials.json", "year_founded": null, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/saratoga-energy-research-partners", "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/a3822ef4eba7294b4ec36e7ecdbc27b2475f2b17.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 213119, "full_name": "Drew Reid", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-reid-3937b0125/", "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/cac4ea7e98c3bc7d6d1dc9a54926271c025769c3.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 12666, "name": "spotLESS Materials", "slug": "spotless-materials", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/f4bcbe21be5fc35568846a259c348e3973168839.png", "website": "https://www.industry.spotlessmaterials.com", "all_locations": "State College, PA, USA", "long_description": "Surface fouling is a costly challenge across industries, impacting medical consumables, diagnostic devices, and automotive components. Contamination from substances like mud, ice, and sludge can compromise performance and lead to frequent cleaning, repairs, and replacements.\r\n\r\nOur PFAS-free coating, which we first launched as a consumer product, has quickly expanded into industrial partnerships. It dramatically reduces contamination on critical surfaces such as glass, metal, ceramic, and now plastics too. Whether for medical devices or automotive components, our coating protects against surface fouling\r\nCurrently our coatings work best on glass, metal, and ceramic surfaces. ", "one_liner": "Repellent coatings without PFAS", "team_size": 6, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials", "launched_at": 1556766727, "tags": [ "Hard Tech", "Nanotechnology", "Advanced Materials" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2019", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada", "Remote", "Partly Remote" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/spotless-materials", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2019/spotless-materials.json", "year_founded": 2018, "city": "State College", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/69636574/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/spotlessCoating", "fb_url": "https://facebook.com/spotless.materials", "cb_url": "https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/spotless-materials", "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/f4bcbe21be5fc35568846a259c348e3973168839.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": null, "founders": [ { "user_id": 308278, "full_name": "Birgitt Boschitsch", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://linkedin.com/in/birgitt-boschitsch/", "x_url": "https://twitter.com/birgittmb", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/598b64ace3008fc9a98c96b621118f781ebb11de.jpg" }, { "user_id": 330790, "full_name": "Tak-Sing Wong", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": null, "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/tak-sing-wong-6b35a7b/", "x_url": null, "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/9381cf5db967b997bb283125f66d972e060a66bd.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [ { "title": "This Magic Spray Prevents Your Toilet From Getting Skid Marks. You’re Welcome. | Reviews by Wirecutter", "url": "https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/spotless-materials-toilet-coating-review/", "date": "Oct 01, 2024" }, { "title": "Spotless Materials raises $1.6M seed to address PFAS", "url": "https://www.axios.com/pro/retail-deals/2024/08/19/spotless-materials-seed-raise-pfas", "date": "Aug 19, 2024" }, { "title": "SpotLESS Materials experiences growth selling super slippery coating technology | Penn State University", "url": "https://www.psu.edu/news/invent-penn-state/story/spotless-materials-experiences-growth-selling-super-slippery-coating/", "date": "Jan 27, 2022" }, { "title": "This super-slippery toilet coating saves water by repelling poop - Fast Company", "url": "https://www.fastcompany.com/90432084/this-new-magical-coating-saves-water-by-making-toilets-so-slippery-that-poop-basically-flushes-itself", "date": "Jun 29, 2021" }, { "title": "Superslippery Toilets Squash Water Wastage - Scientific American", "url": "https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/superslippery-toilets-squash-water-wastage/", "date": "Jun 29, 2021" } ], "launches": [] }, { "id": 30781, "name": "Duranium", "slug": "duranium", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/2a84608596d6e85a1a64227a175491ef9496eb22.png", "website": "https://www.duranium.co/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "China and Russia control the world’s critical minerals. We can produce Titanium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Zirconium & Hafnium in the U.S. more profitably than any existing process, and carbon neutrally via co-production.\r\n\r\nCarbochlorination is the primary process for producing critical metals like titanium, hafnium, and zirconium, and was once the standard for magnesium. The problem: conventional carbochlorination relies on purchasing carbon feedstocks, wastes valuable byproducts, and is highly CO₂-intensive.\r\n\r\nDuranium changes this with a novel reactor that recycles CO₂ emissions back into feedstock (CO) while generating a valuable co-product (bleaching agents). This closed loop slashes emissions and delivers Chinese-level metal pricing without subsidies — unlocking the full potential of carbochlorination for U.S. critical mineral production.", "one_liner": "Reshoring critical metal production", "team_size": 12, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Manufacturing and Robotics", "launched_at": 1757191317, "tags": [ "Manufacturing", "Advanced Materials", "ClimateTech" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2025", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Manufacturing and Robotics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/duranium", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2025/duranium.json", "year_founded": 2025, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/duraniumlabs/about/", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/2a84608596d6e85a1a64227a175491ef9496eb22.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [ "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/4f169782511f31df122e36a7e40d55cfbfe2dda3.png" ], "primary_partner": { "name": "Tyler Bosmeny", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/tyler-bosmeny" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 2509424, "full_name": "Brenden Prins-McKinney", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Co-founder & CEO of Duranium, working to reshore critical metal production. Previously a consultant with McKinsey & Co. in D.C., where I advised the DoD on reshoring critical chemical production. Graduate of Stanford Law School where I was a Knight-Hennessy Scholar.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/brenden-prins-mckinney-96959a69/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/af5542d9d05f59e1ba7fd4a89578786de67eb41e.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2570104, "full_name": "Berkley Noble", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Co-founder & CTO of Duranium, working to reshore critical metal production. My expertise lies in molten-salt electrolysis. I hold a a patent for an electrochemical metal cell and built the only U.S. pilot magnesium electrolyzer in the last 20+ years.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/berkleynoble/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/8d7b8cdd1d6993ae48c6b620e0d011ff39d018a5.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 93706, "title": "Duranium — Reshoring critical metal production", "tagline": "Reshoring critical light-weight metal production (Ti, Mg, Al, Zr, Hf) — more profitably than any other method through modernized carbochlorination and co-production.", "body": "![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=93706&key=user_uploads/2509424/cab46185-5d50-4822-bf45-873f52ae6571)\n\n**TL;DR** — **China and Russia control world’s critical minerals. We can produce Titanium, Magnesium, Aluminum, Zirconium & Hafnium in the U.S. more profitably than any existing process, and carbon neutrally. On track to supply 12% of U.S. magnesium by 2029, at 50%+ EBITDA margins (@ world’s lowest mkt prices).**\n\nHi all, we’re Berkley and Brenden of Duranium, and we’re delivering American critical mineral independence with a light-weight metal production process that competes globally without subsidies. As brothers-in-law, we’re passionate about rebuilding the U.S. industrial base — not through taxes and subsidies, but through real technological innovation. Our mission is to help America reclaim its place as the world’s greatest builder of _tangible_ things.\n\n# ❌ The Problem\n\nMagnesium, titanium, aluminum, hafnium, and zirconium are all listed on the DOE’s Critical Minerals List, with magnesium ranked among the highest in both supply risk and strategic importance to U.S. energy security. _The U.S. has zero domestic magnesium production and no titanium sponge production — yet both are indispensable for fighter jets, missiles, satellites, rockets, and advanced aerospace systems._ \n\nChina and Russia control \\~97% of magnesium and \\~90% of titanium production (directly or indirectly). \n\nOn top of that, U.S. magnesium costs nearly 3x the global average, and legacy methods are CO₂-intensive and waste valuable byproducts.\n\n# ✨ Our Solution\n\nWe’ve modernized carbochlorination metallurgy (the primary methods for producing many of these critical metals) with a novel reactor and process that:\n\n* Creates a closed-loop system that profitably matches Chinese pricing — without subsidies — and slashes emissions\n* Recycles CO₂ emissions into CO feedstock\n* Generates a valuable co-product (bleaching agents)\n\nOthers are trying to reinvent lightweight metal production from scratch with approaches that are costly and dependent on government subsidies or green premiums to hit profitability. Our approach is different: we harness the laws of thermodynamics instead of fighting them, co-producing valuable outputs that make the economics best-in-class.\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=93706&key=user_uploads/2509424/38fd63f0-e5a7-4f91-88cf-ad06c8b7e01a)\n\n# 🏆 What we’ve achieved so far and where we’re headed\n\n* We’ve proven the process at benchtop scale, producing magnesium, bleaching agents, and converting CO₂ produced by carbochlorination into CO\n* We are now scaling with the build of a pilot facility to be operational by June 2026\n* We’re on track to supply 12% of U.S. magnesium by 2029, at 50%+ EBITDA margins (@ world’s lowest mkt prices)\n\n# 👥 Our Team\n\nBerkley, CTO — A leading American expert in magnesium production; holds a patent for an electrochemical metal cell and built the _only_ U.S. pilot magnesium electrolyzer in the last 20+ years. Brings unmatched technical depth in lightweight metal production\n\nBrenden, CEO — Former McKinsey D.C. consultant, where he advised the DoD on reshoring critical chemical production and spent 1 year with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA). Ex-Goldman TMT investment banker, Stanford Law graduate and Knight-Hennessy Scholar\n\n![uploaded image](/media/?type=post&id=93706&key=user_uploads/2509424/babe8628-8537-44c5-aa1a-daecb483c077)\n\n## 🙏 Asks\n\nJoin our team! We’re looking for engineers with experience in high-temperature or corrosive reactors. If that’s you — or someone you know — and you want to help build the future of lightweight metal production, get in touch!\n\n[team@duranium.co](mailto:team@duranium.co)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/ONO-duranium-reshoring-critical-metal-production", "votes": 23, "created_at": "2025-09-09T03:29:52.411Z" } ] }, { "id": 32137, "name": "Kara", "slug": "kara", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/1db7948d6861e68f3fa79c81509a04c4aea01614.png", "website": "https://karalabs.ai/", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Kara is building diamond semiconductors. \r\n\r\nWe begin with growing ultra-high purity diamond wafers for advanced hardware. Used in data centers, spacecrafts, RF systems, and quantum hardware, our diamond moves heat up to 5× better than copper, helping critical systems run cooler, faster, and more reliably. \r\n\r\nDiamond has spent centuries as a symbol. We are turning it into infrastructure.", "one_liner": "Making Diamond Semiconductors", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials", "launched_at": 1785349021, "tags": [ "Hardware", "B2B", "Manufacturing", "Advanced Materials" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/kara", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/kara.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/kara-labs", "x_url": "https://x.com/KaraLabsAI", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/1db7948d6861e68f3fa79c81509a04c4aea01614.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Brad Flora", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/brad-flora" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3669602, "full_name": "Aarin Jhaveri", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "CEO @ Kara. 5th-generation diamond manufacturer. Sold millions worth of natural and lab-grown diamonds across the value chain. UC Berkeley Economics and Data Science. Industrializing diamond for the compute age.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/aarin-jhaveri/", "x_url": "https://x.com/AarinJhaveri", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/bc3c1c5bffdd62cc5f29c634a07cf5bfca574fa3.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3669310, "full_name": "Anuveer Chadha", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Founder @ Kara (S26) | Built diamond quantum sensing and computing systems @ LBNL with the Department of War | ML for chemical formulations @ Regeneron | Berkeley Chemical Engineering Dropout", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuveerchadha/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/11821dd27eb4615b23cd032eb75060954c633b4f.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 109988, "title": "Kara: Making Diamond an Engineering Material", "tagline": "Kara grows and engineers diamond wafers for thermal management, semiconductor and quantum applications", "body": "**TL;DR:** We grow high-purity diamond wafers for scientific and industrial applications. Our diamond thermal wafers can be used in aircraft, spacecraft, RF electronics, and lasers to move heat dramatically better than conventional materials. We’re helping hardware run cooler, faster, and more reliably with diamond that is 5× more thermally conductive than copper.\n\nHere is a link to our launch video: \n\n\n\n**The Problem**\n\nThe world’s most valuable hardware systems are limited by how quickly they can remove heat.\n\nFor AI chips, that means expensive GPUs throttle and deliver less compute. In aircraft and satellites, it means carrying more cooling mass. In RF systems and lasers, it limits sustained output power.\n\nAdding more cooling costs space, and energy, and sometimes is simply not possible.\n\n**What We Built**\n\nDiamond is usually something you wear. We make it something engineers can build with.\n\nDiamond conducts heat up to **5× better than copper while weighing \\~60% less** for the same volume. It is electrically insulating and stable in extreme environments.\n\nToday we manufacture:\n\n* Diamond heat spreaders for AI and high-performance computing\n* Ultra-high-purity diamond wafers for thermal, photonic and quantum applications\n* Diamond-metal composites (copper and aluminium) for thermal management\n* Metallized and bondable diamond plates\n* Custom-engineered diamond components\n\nWe are now producing custom samples under pilot agreements and purchase orders for thermal, electronic, aerospace, and quantum applications.\n\nSilicon transformed computing when we learned to manufacture it with extreme purity and control. Kara is doing the same with diamond. Today, our ultra-high-purity diamond pulls heat away from silicon chips.\n\n**Tomorrow, Kara’s control over purity and defects unlocks diamond as the ultimate semiconductor.**\n\n**Why us**\n\n[@Aarin Jhaveri](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3669602) is a fifth-generation diamantaire who has sold millions of dollars in natural and lab-grown diamonds and worked across the supply chain.\n\n[@Anuveer Chadha](https://bookface.ycombinator.com/user/3669310) is a chemical engineer who has worked on diamond quantum sensing and advanced-materials research at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with the Department of Defense and Department of Energy.\n\nDiamond is our unfair advantage. We know how to grow, control, and engineer it far beyond jewelry.\n\n**Our ask**\n\n**Today, we're looking for introductions to engineers building hardware that is limited by heat.** \n\nSpecifically:\n\n* AI accelerator packaging teams\n* Advanced packaging / OSAT engineers\n* Aerospace, space, and defence electronics\n* Data-centre infrastructure companies\n* High-power RF and GaN teams\n\nIntroduce us to the engineer responsible for the hottest, hardest-to-cool hardware, especially where size, weight, or power makes cooling difficult. \n\nWe’ll build them a custom diamond sample to test.\n\nEmail us at [founders@karalabs.ai](mailto:founders@karalabs.ai) or book time here: \n\n**Diamond spent centuries as a symbol of “extraordinary”. We are making it something the world can build with.**", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/Sc0-kara-making-diamond-an-engineering-material", "votes": 85, "created_at": "2026-08-11T20:00:00.166Z" } ] }, { "id": 33056, "name": "83 Sciences", "slug": "83-sciences", "former_names": [ "LabAlly", "83 sciences" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/08c94ab9737bf76c36b1cbac477c55b5067788ed.png", "website": "https://83sciences.ai", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "83 Sciences uses AI to mine discarded experimental data and drive scientific breakthroughs. Working alongside labs, we discover the materials that will power the new Industrial Revolution.", "one_liner": "AI-native materials discovery powered by unpublished experimental data", "team_size": 3, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials", "launched_at": 1783362788, "tags": [ "Hard Tech", "Advanced Materials", "AI" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": true, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Summer 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/83-sciences", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/summer-2026/83-sciences.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "San Francisco", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/83sciences.ai", "x_url": "https://x.com/83sciences", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/08c94ab9737bf76c36b1cbac477c55b5067788ed.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [ "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/attachments/0671a743b093a1e19c485330f4a4b3434448a3af.png" ], "primary_partner": { "name": "Tyler Bosmeny", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/tyler-bosmeny" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 2982957, "full_name": "Ian Naccarella", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Founder at 83 Sciences developing the future of scientific discovery. Previously a fellow at MIT focused on commercializing IP out of the ecosystem, a strategy manager at Sila Nanotechnologies (battery materials unicorn), and a consultant at Boston Consulting Group. Hold a BS and MS in Chemical Engineering from Stanford and MBA from Harvard Business School.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ian-naccarella", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/a9328006522cbb0cbf9cea515c5a0324457d8b7f.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3679894, "full_name": "Eric Riesel", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Founder at 83 Sciences. Experimental chemist and ML researcher with a PhD in inorganic chemistry from MIT, where I built machine learning systems to analyze complex materials data in minutes instead of days. My research spans quantum materials, generative models, and experimental data analysis, including one of the first generative approaches for chemical experimental data. BA in Chemistry from Columbia.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-riesel", "x_url": "https://x.com/ericriesel", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/6bc3086b3dce349c94c3909537c479266d39939c.jpg" }, { "user_id": 3380797, "full_name": "Yankang Yang", "title": "Founder/COO", "founder_bio": "Founder at 83 Sciences. Former BCG Principal; led the firm's AI program scaling tools and AI practices to 30,000+ users globally. Harvard CS & EE undergrad. Past robotics research (Wyss Institute) and biosignals research (Roswell Park) experience ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/yankangyang/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/d0a82615e5de87cad9ef0ba0f984d1d3b0dac538.jpg" } ], "jobs": [ { "id": 98793, "title": "Founding AI Engineer", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/83-sciences/jobs/Wgkya40-founding-ai-engineer", "location": "San Francisco, CA, US / New York, NY, US / Remote (US)", "type": "Full-time", "role": "Engineering", "role_type": "Machine learning", "salary_range": "$120K - $250K", "equity_range": "0.50% - 5.00%", "experience": "1+ years", "visa": "US citizen/visa only", "skills": [] }, { "id": 102160, "title": "Head of Data Partnerships", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/83-sciences/jobs/NR8uCdC-head-of-data-partnerships", "location": "New York, NY, US / San Francisco, CA, US / Remote (US)", "type": "Full-time", "role": "Sales", "role_type": null, "salary_range": "$170K - $220K", "equity_range": "0.50% - 1.00%", "experience": "3+ years", "visa": "US citizen/visa only", "skills": [] } ], "news": [], "launches": [ { "id": 108805, "title": "83 Sciences: Materials discovery from the ~90% of experimental data that never gets published", "tagline": "We train materials discovery models on experimental data to help industry improve manufacturing performance at scale and help academics publish more. ", "body": "History’s greatest ages are named after materials (Stone Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age, Silicon Age, etc.). The next great age is ours to make together.\\\n\\\n\n\\\n**TL;DR:** We are a team of Stanford, MIT, and Harvard researchers discovering breakthrough materials by training frontier models on decades of unpublished experimental data. **We've already discovered a novel material and drafted a manuscript for publication.**\n\nIndustrial R&D teams use us to find scalable application-specific materials that frontier models can't predict. Academic labs turn decades of unpublished data into new papers, citations, and commercialization revenue with us.\n\n**What we do**\n\nWe are uncovering novel materials that help industry improve performance at scale and stay top of new regulations. Examples include replacements for PFAS, the \"forever chemicals\" that are being banned worldwide, and finding a binder for silicon anodes that can survive charging and drop into existing battery manufacturing processes (our cofounder Ian’s work at Sila Nanotechnologies).\n\n**Why we're different**\n\nThe materials performance that matters to industry can only be measured in real experiments, but >85% of experimental research is never published. Frontier models train on papers and simulations and miss all the failures sitting in file drawers. We train on that unpublished data through partnerships with labs across the country, and it’s already working: we've already discovered a novel material and drafted a manuscript for publication.\n\n**Who we are**\n\nWe are Eric, Ian, and Yankang, collaborators for years on everything from superconductors to cooling textiles, and we lead a team of world-class researchers and commercialization experts.\n\nEric developed one of the early generative AI approaches for analyzing experimental data (MIT PhD), Ian has brought multiple climate technologies to market, and Yankang led Boston Consulting Group’s AI program, scaling frontier technology to 30,000+ users globally. Advisors: Simon Billinge (UCSB), Mingda Li (MIT), Ashwin Sreenivas (Decagon).\n\n**Our ask**\n\nIf you need better materials to drive performance and cost, especially in batteries, semis, membranes, catalysts or pharma, or know an academic lab sitting on experimental data, we'd love an intro: [hello@83sciences.ai](mailto:hello@83sciences.ai)", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/launches/SIv-83-sciences-materials-discovery-from-the-90-of-experimental-data-that-never-gets-published", "votes": 16, "created_at": "2026-08-03T22:41:26.834Z" } ] }, { "id": 34696, "name": "ChemPilot.ai", "slug": "chempilotai", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/4c3f8543148c3a53ebe369d21ece622228018917.png", "website": "https://chempilot.ai/", "all_locations": "Haifa, Haifa District, Israel", "long_description": "We use AI and quantum-based simulations to discover and develop new materials for defense and dual-use applications, from energetics and propellants to carbon fibers, polymers, coatings and composites. Developing a new material today takes 10+ years of trial-and-error lab work. We compress that to months, using physics-based simulation, machine learning and AI agents that only send labs candidates that can actually be made.\r\n\r\nSam, Ofir and Maor have spent the past two years researching the discovery of these exact materials together at the Technion lab of our CSO, Prof. Alon Grinberg Dana (former MIT postdoc), working directly with defense primes and government R&D agencies. Together we bring deep expertise in chemical engineering, computational chemistry and AI, and the production systems to put them to work. ChemPilot spun out of that work.\r\n\r\nThe defense and dual-use industrial base runs on materials with fragile, sole-source and often adversarial supply chains, from energetics and propellants to carbon fibers, high-temperature composites and specialty polymers. Demand for new capabilities is surging, and materials take decades to develop. The West needs new materials it can make securely, fast and cheap - ChemPilot will help find and develop them.", "one_liner": "Discover novel defense related materials/molecules.", "team_size": 3, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Defense", "launched_at": 1791753586, "tags": [ "Machine Learning", "Advanced Materials", "Defense" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Fall 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Defense" ], "regions": [ "Israel", "Middle East and North Africa" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/chempilotai", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/fall-2026/chempilotai.json", "year_founded": 2026, "city": "Haifa", "country": "IL", "linkedin_url": "", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/4c3f8543148c3a53ebe369d21ece622228018917.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Aaron Epstein", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/aaron-epstein" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 4000868, "full_name": "Sam Cogan", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "Founder at ChemPilot.ai. MSc in Biochemical Engineering from Technion. Love competing, both in business and in any sport.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/sam-cogan-16435916b/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/52cee213d8d6c3ed123701998ac0813c86155160.jpg" }, { "user_id": 4006886, "full_name": "Maor Goldman", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Founder at ChemPilot.ai | Ethical Hacker | BS Computer Engineering from Technion | Served in 8200 ", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/maor-goldman-03b43a119/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/cfb6b71947255e63c3da4ad31df3bcdb630bad8a.jpg" }, { "user_id": 4003220, "full_name": "Ofir Simhi", "title": "Founder/CTO", "founder_bio": "Founder and CTO at ChemPilot.ai. Previously a full-stack developer, one of the first developers in an acquired startup (Skiff, acquired by Notion), and a main developer in another acquired startup (StoreMaven, acquired by Zynga). \nBSc. in Biochemical Engineering.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/ofir-simhi-b8098a196/", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/a3d87d13345612a8a48e34155eb8d933ed91977a.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 35652, "name": "Primordiant", "slug": "primordiant", "former_names": [ "SuperRadiant", "Primordiant (Formerly SuperRadiant)" ], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/15a7e2a5caa04595d7620cd8161f3b2cffd00a51.png", "website": "https://primordiant.com", "all_locations": "San Francisco, CA, USA", "long_description": "Every instance of intelligence occurring in nature is embodied. Scientific intelligence is no different. 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Created ALBERT, an autonomous AI particle physicist that proposes, verifies, and iteratively refines physics theories; given pre-1990 data, it recovered the top quark's mass and properties in under an hour. Previously researched neutrinos at Fermilab on the NOvA experiment. Featured in APS Physics Magazine: https://physics.aps.org/articles/v19/119", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/cooper-niu", "x_url": "", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/9ff31e1e94545e82247fe8f4a13b65e32eceda53.jpg" }, { "user_id": 2759626, "full_name": "Benedict Quartey", "title": "Founder", "founder_bio": "Founder at Primordiant. PhD in Computer Science from Brown University, where I invented novel methods for building generally capable, verifiable robots and spatial world models. Previously developed AI systems that combined learning, reasoning, and planning for reliable long-horizon autonomy at the Boston Dynamics Robotics & AI Institute.", "is_active": true, "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/benedictquartey", "x_url": "https://x.com/Benedict_Q", "avatar_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/avatars/a1b9e290e4926a87fa1477ca9d2d8d77e235d399.jpg" } ], "jobs": [], "news": [], "launches": [] }, { "id": 36708, "name": "Sinter", "slug": "sinter-systems", "former_names": [], "small_logo_thumb_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/392a3938deea813eb9351409e9ac2cd528e737d7.png", "website": "https://sinter.systems", "all_locations": "El Segundo, CA, USA", "long_description": "Sinter is a radically faster plastics pipeline, helping iteration heavy hardware teams evolve from prototypes to production parts on week-scale timelines.", "one_liner": "Accelerating scaled plastics with additive technologies", "team_size": 2, "industry": "Industrials", "subindustry": "Industrials -> Manufacturing and Robotics", "launched_at": 1788569774, "tags": [ "3D Printing", "Manufacturing", "Advanced Materials" ], "tags_highlighted": [], "top_company": false, "isHiring": false, "nonprofit": false, "batch": "Fall 2026", "status": "Active", "industries": [ "Industrials", "Manufacturing and Robotics" ], "regions": [ "United States of America", "America / Canada" ], "stage": "Early", "app_video_public": false, "demo_day_video_public": false, "app_answers": null, "question_answers": null, "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/sinter-systems", "api": "https://devasheeshg.github.io/yc-api/batches/fall-2026/sinter-systems.json", "year_founded": 2025, "city": "El Segundo", "country": "US", "linkedin_url": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/sintersystems/posts/?feedView=all", "x_url": "", "fb_url": null, "cb_url": null, "github_url": null, "logo_url": "https://bookface-images.s3.amazonaws.com/small_logos/392a3938deea813eb9351409e9ac2cd528e737d7.png", "app_video_url": null, "dday_video_url": null, "company_photos": [], "primary_partner": { "name": "Grey Baker", "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/people/grey-baker" }, "founders": [ { "user_id": 3253127, "full_name": "Oliver Johnson", "title": "Founder/CEO", "founder_bio": "cofounder Sinter (YC F26), building the future of scaled plastics. 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