Cenote
YC W25 · Active · AI agents for conversational commerce
Competitors
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
 WingmanShared: inside sales, sales reps, callAcquiredOther | Other | Acquired | YCS19 |
 RiograndeShared: d2c brand, e-commerce, buyAcquiredOther | Other | Acquired | YCS20 |
 KinectShared: d2c brand, e-commerce, shopperActiveAI | AI | Active | YCX26 |
 ArrowShared: d2c brand, e-commerce, shopperActiveOther | Other | Active | YCS21 |
 COACHShared: sales reps, close, thoseActiveAI | AI | Active | YCS26 |
Adjacent
| Company | Category | Status | Program |
|---|---|---|---|
 JoinedappShared: conversational commerce, textNot statedDevtools | Devtools | Not stated | Plug and Play |
 ValleyShared: intent lead, high intent, callNot statedAI | AI | Not stated | Antler2022 |
 Canopy (was Encarte)Shared: online store, e-commerce, checkoutActiveOther | Other | Active | YC +1W19 |
 MerxShared: conversational commerce, brandNot statedAI | AI | Not stated | Antler2023 |
 DistroShared: sales reps, inside salesActiveAI | AI | Active | YCS24 |
Also from W25 in AI
All of W25| Company | Category | Status |
|---|---|---|
 G LNKSimplifying Collaboration for Healthcare Organizations & ProfessionalsActiveAI | AI | Active |
 Paratus Healthhealthcare AIActiveAI | AI | Active |
 WildcardAEO/GEO for E-Commerce and RetailActiveAI, Devtools | AI, Devtools | Active |
 .WaveContinuous inference for streaming AI modelsActiveAI, Devtools | AI, Devtools | Active |
 10xAI Sales Teams for Dental PracticesActiveAI, Data | AI, Data | Active |
 a0.devWe make mobile apps using AI.ActiveAI, Devtools | AI, Devtools | Active |
Founders
- Kofi AnsongFounder/CEO
- Kristy GaoFounder/CTO
About Cenote
Cenote helps online D2C brands convert more shoppers through AI sales reps that can call and text. Online stores rely on static websites, one-way email and SMS campaigns, and inside sales teams with limited availability. But many purchases are better suited to a conversation: shoppers have questions, need guidance, or simply are not excited to buy based on what's on the site alone. Today, those shoppers are poorly served. Abandoned-checkout campaigns are generic, call centers close, and slow human follow-up allows high-intent leads to go cold. Our customers often see conversion rates below 1% from traditional abandoned-checkout outreach. Cenote's AI reps reach shoppers immediately, remember their context, and continue the conversation across channels and over time. This gives every interested shopper access to a personalized sales rep and helps brands recover revenue from leads they have already paid to acquire.
- YC batch
- W25 · Winter 2025
- Status, per YC
- Active
- Category
- AI
- Team size
- 2
- Location
- San Francisco, CA, USA
- Founded
- 2024
- Checked
- 33m ago
YC tags: B2B, Digital Health, E-commerce, AI
Cenote: questions
Which YC batch was Cenote in?
Cenote was in Y Combinator's Winter 2025 batch (W25).
Is Cenote still active?
Y Combinator lists Cenote as active.
Who founded Cenote?
Cenote's founders, as listed on its YC page: Kofi Ansong (Founder/CEO), Kristy Gao (Founder/CTO).
Where is Cenote based?
Cenote lists San Francisco, CA, USA as its location on YC's directory.
Sources: each program's public company list, read twice a week. Not affiliated with Y Combinator or any other program. Logos via logo.dev; trademarks belong to their owners.