Standard AI YC Application

Summer 2017Active

Standard AI went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2017 batch as a B2B company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.

YC batch: Summer 2017
Industry: B2BRetail
Team size: 150
Status: Active
Launched: 2017

Founders

Jordan FisherFounder/CEO
John NovakFounder/Head of Hardware Engineering
Michael SuswalFounder/COO
David ValdmanFounder

What Standard AI does

Standard Cognition is an artificial intelligence platform that allows buyers to grab what they want without having to go to a cashier.

Standard AI's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Standard AI, Summer 2017 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Standard AI

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

AI-powered checkout for retail

What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.

We make an AI platform that lets shoppers grab items in a store and leave without stopping at a cashier. Our system uses cameras and AI to identify what each customer picks up, enabling stores to automate checkout and reduce friction.

Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?

We live in San Francisco, CA; Milan, Italy; and remote locations. After YC, we plan to base the company primarily in San Francisco.

Explain your decision regarding location.

San Francisco has a strong AI and retail tech ecosystem, making it ideal for product development and customer engagement. Milan and remote work enable access to diverse talent and flexible collaboration.

21 more answers in the full application

Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.

See full application

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the real Standard AI YC application?

No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from Standard AI's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like Standard AI would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.