YC’s Demo Day showcased a record-breaking 139 startups in AI and ML. The industries represented spanned over two dozen verticals, with the top four categories being AI Ops, Developer Tools, Healthcare + Biotech, and Finance + Payments. Surprisingly, healthcare and finance followed closely behind the expected focus on technical founders and software developer workflow. Another trend observed was the rise of “Copilot for X” B2B AI assistants that enhance productivity rather than replacing workers. The AI Ops sector, a relatively new term, is rapidly growing, but there are still concerns regarding reliability, privacy, observability, usability, and safety when using LLMs. Overall, AI is proving to be a valuable tool in solving real-world problems, though competition remains fierce and a defensible business strategy is crucial.
https://www.ignorance.ai/p/5-lessons-from-139-yc-ai-startups