Chert provides the infrastructure for businesses to automate conversations over iMessage. We’re already working with B2C startups, customer experience teams, and sales teams to reach end users through trusted and conversational messaging.
Chert is a Y Combinator company in the Spring 2026 batch. Its directory entry describes it as: iMessage infrastructure for business. The founders listed are Gary Gao (Founder/CEO), Ian Fong (Founder/CTO) (Y Combinator directory entry, April 25, 2026).
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New accelerator entry · 2026-04-25 · the record
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Chert provides the infrastructure for businesses to automate conversations over iMessage. We’re already working with B2C startups, customer experience teams, and sales teams to reach end users through trusted and conversational messaging.
Checked away from the directory entry. What is below does not come from the company's Y Combinator page.
Build and deploy AI on iMessage to reach people at scale while maintaining quality, trust, and personalized interaction. YC-backed.
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Hi, I'm Gary, co-founder and CEO at Chert. We're providing the infrastructure for businesses to build conversational interfaces in iMessage. Before moving to SF last month, I studied CS and Business at Penn and spent the past year researching ML model architectures, designing neuromorphic chips, and building projects with my co-founder Ian. Outside of this, I like flying planes, running marathons, and reading!
My name is Ian. I'm building Chert, the conversational interface that lets teams send, receive, and automate conversation through our APIs. Before this, I studied Mathematics and CS/Economics at NYU, did fast algorithm research at Courant, and won 8 hackathons(including MIT, Harvard, Penn, Princeton) along the way. Outside of work, I run triathlons, play Go, and hit random hackathons with Gary. fun fact: I've lived in a total of 16 cities in 20 years of my life.
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