Today, Y Combinator launched its fourth-ever virtual Demo Day. It revealed the first half of nearly 400 companies in its batch. This presentation, the largest yet by YC, gives a glimpse into where innovation is headed, from simple seaweed to a Clearco that's for creators.
TechCrunch's tradition of covering every company live was maintained (but from home), so you will find all Day 1 companies here. We also have a selection of our favorite 1-minute pitches for those who wish to see a few standouts.
We were regularly inundated daily with hundreds of pitches as reporters. While the startups listed below were our favorites for many reasons, it doesn't mean that other startups aren't worthy of our attention. Consider the below as a data point that highlights the reasons startups make us pause, whether it's because of the size of the market, the ambition displayed by the founder team, or an idea we couldn't pass up.
Genei
Genei is, dare i say it, a refreshing mixup between robots & writers. The startup's goal is to automatically summarize background reading so content creators have the best facts and attributes in order to move on to the next graf. Geneis positioning is an instrument for writers, not a replacement. Writing is intrinsically an art. Its launch targets the most difficult workers in our industry, freelance writers. These people often have to balance multiple assignments, consistent pitches, and tight deadlines in order to make a living. I would imagine a sidekick is a good idea. This startup could easily play the same role as Grammarly down the line: an extension of workflows that optimizes how people write for a living. Natasha
