I have been following YC-backed startups for the last couple of months. I try to find unique ways to reach out to founders and CEOs to understand how startups work at the ground level. In doing so, it often feels natural to contribute to the same ecosystem.
Nowadays, for every beginner in the tech field, it feels like a dream come true to work at a startup. We see X startup raised Y million dollars in Series Z round.
But what if I say you can contribute to these startups without associating with them directly? Yes, it’s true.
Recently, I came across some YC-backed startups that are open-sourced.
Open Source for Startups
Open-source software is the backbone of many modern tech innovations, and YC-backed startups are no exception. These companies share their code publicly, allowing anyone from beginners to seasoned developers to contribute ideas, fix bugs, or add new features. By participating, you’re not just coding; you’re helping shape the future of technologies like AI, automation, developer tools, and more.
Contributing to open-source YC startups offers unique benefits:
Learn from the Best: Work on projects backed by YC’s rigorous selection process, exposing you to high-quality code and real-world challenges.
Join a Community: Engage with developer communities on platforms like Slack, Discord, or GitHub, connecting with like-minded tech people and founders.
Make an Impact: Your code could power tools used by thousands, from AI assistants to database platforms.
Whether you’re fixing a small bug, improving documentation, or building a new feature, every contribution counts. Many of these startups actively welcome newcomers, providing clear guidelines and supportive communities to help you get started. It’s a chance to gain hands-on experience, learn cutting-edge technologies, and be part of the startup ecosystem.
List Of Open Source Start Ups
Note : I’ve mainly included the Summer 2025 batch, with two special mentions, one for mcp-use, and one from Spring 2025, Plexe. I will keep adding more details.
1) mcp-use (Summer 2025)*
MCP-use develops a platform to build and deploy Model Context Protocol (MCP) agents, enabling standardized function calling for AI tools to create context-aware applications.
Their product simplifies integrating AI models with external services, supporting automation across platforms like Slack, GitHub, and more. The open-source MCP framework allows developers to create interoperable AI agents with minimal setup.
2) Luminal (Summer 2025)
Luminal offers a simple machine learning framework and cloud platform for generating optimized GPU code, streamlining the development and deployment of high-performance ML models.
Their tools reduce the complexity of GPU programming, enabling faster model training and inference for AI applications. The platform supports developers in creating efficient, scalable ML pipelines.
3) Interfere (Summer 2025)
Interfere builds a self-healing layer for the internet, using AI to autonomously detect and resolve network issues like latency or downtime.
Their platform monitors network performance in real time, applying predictive algorithms to ensure reliability for businesses and users. It aims to create a more resilient internet infrastructure.
4) Stagewise (Summer 2025)
Stagewise develops a frontend coding agent that runs inside your browser on localhost, enabling real-time code generation and editing for web development.
The agent uses AI to suggest code, debug issues, and streamline workflows directly in the browser, making development faster and more intuitive. It supports frameworks like React and Vue.
5) Summon (Summer 2025)
Summon provides an open-source Postman-like tool for MCP servers, simplifying API testing and interaction for AI-driven applications.
Their platform enables developers to test MCP-based APIs with a user-friendly interface, supporting rapid debugging and integration. It’s designed for seamless workflows with AI agents.
6) Channel3 (Summer 2025)
Channel3 creates a comprehensive database of every product on the internet, enabling AI agents to access and utilize product data for e-commerce, analytics, and recommendation systems.
Their platform aggregates data from diverse sources, providing structured access for AI-driven applications. It supports real-time product updates and queries.
7) Embedder (Summer 2025)
Embedder develops a “Cursor for Embedded” platform, providing open-source tools for AI-driven embedded systems development.
Their product simplifies coding for hardware-specific applications, enabling developers to integrate AI models into microcontrollers and IoT devices. It supports low-latency, resource-constrained environments.
8) Magnitude (Summer 2025)
Magnitude develops an open-source, vision-first browser agent that automates web interactions using visual AI.
Their platform enables developers to create intuitive browser-based applications by leveraging computer vision to navigate and interact with web pages. It supports tasks like form filling and content scraping.
9) Cyberdesk (Summer 2025)
Cyberdesk offers a self-hostable fleet of virtual desktops for building computer use agents, enabling secure and scalable AI-driven desktop applications.
Their platform supports developers in creating agents that interact with desktop environments, automating tasks like file management and software testing. It integrates with existing workflows.
10) Herdora (Summer 2025)
Herdora provides open-source tools to supercharge GPU performance, optimizing AI and machine learning workloads for developers.
Their platform enhances computational efficiency by streamlining GPU resource allocation and task scheduling. It supports high-performance computing for AI model training and inference.
11) AgentMail (Summer 2025)
AgentMail provides email infrastructure for AI agents, enabling seamless communication and automation for AI-driven workflows.
Their platform supports scalable email integrations, allowing AI agents to send, receive, and process emails autonomously. It’s designed for applications like customer support and task automation.
12) Halluminate (Summer 2025)
Halluminate provides data and environments to train computer use AI, enabling developers to create robust AI agents for various applications.
Their platform offers curated datasets and simulated environments for training AI models to interact with software and devices. It supports use cases like automation and testing.
13) Cactus (Summer 2025)
Cactus enables developers to deploy AI models locally on smartphones, optimizing performance for mobile AI applications.
Their platform supports on-device model inference, reducing latency and enhancing privacy for AI-driven mobile apps. It’s designed for use cases like real-time image recognition and voice processing.
14) Plexe (Spring 2025)*
Plexe builds open-source agents that create predictive machine-learning models from natural language prompts, making ML development accessible to non-experts.
Their platform translates user prompts into executable ML models, supporting applications like predictive analytics and recommendation systems. It simplifies the ML pipeline with an intuitive interface.
Conclusion
These startups represent the cutting edge of YC’s open-source ecosystem in 2025, with a strong focus on AI-driven innovation. By contributing to their repositories, you can gain hands-on experience, connect with founders and developers, and help shape the future of tech. Visit their GitHub pages to find “good first issues,” join their Slack or Discord channels, and start coding. Your contributions, big or small, can make a real difference in these groundbreaking projects!
👉 If you found this helpful, don’t forget to share and follow for more agent-powered insights. Got an idea or workflow in mind? Join the discussion in the comments or reach out on Twitter.
Top comments (8)
Great list, thank you! I hadn't heard of a single one and there's more than a couple I want to look into 😁
Welcome :)
Yes, this is just of a single batch. But there are more in previous batches.
Good listing!
Thank you @zhravan :)
This is all open source startup which is AI based right?
Most of them are in AI space.
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