Top accelerator startups

Startups14,448Programs29

14,448 startups · 29 programs

Hilstart

Active · Autonomous Hardware Testing

WebsiteYC profile

Why it ranks

How the rank works
4signal of 100 · rising 4
  • went through YCProgram · this site+4

A sum of public facts, not a judgement and not investment advice.

Competitors

AIHarnessRouterShared: agent harnessesYC S23San FranciscoStartup →OtherAntropi RoboticsShared: hardware, autonomous, manufacturing and roboticsYC F26San FranciscoStartup →AIMultiplierShared: agent harnessesYC X26New York CityStartup →AIEmbedderShared: hardware, autonomous, agentYC S25San FranciscoStartup →OtherParametricShared: autonomous, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC F25San FranciscoStartup →OtherPositronShared: hardwareStartup →
Companies closest to Hilstart
Company
HarnessRouterShared: agent harnessesYC S23ActiveAI, Devtools
Antropi RoboticsShared: hardware, autonomous, manufacturing and roboticsYC F26ActiveOther
MultiplierShared: agent harnessesYC X26ActiveAI
EmbedderShared: hardware, autonomous, agentYC S25ActiveAI, Devtools
ParametricShared: autonomous, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC F25ActiveOther
Positronnot in a program hereShared: hardwareElsewhereOther

Adjacent

AIPhasesShared: physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC S25San FranciscoStartup →AISilicaShared: hardware, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC F26San FranciscoStartup →AIOrangewood LabsShared: hardware, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC W18San FranciscoStartup →AIInactiveTensilShared: hardware, manufacturing and roboticsYC S19San FranciscoStartup →AIOhmShared: hardware, testingYC W23San FranciscoStartup →
Companies next to Hilstart
Company
PhasesShared: physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC S25ActiveAI
SilicaShared: hardware, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC F26ActiveAI
Orangewood LabsShared: hardware, physical, manufacturing and roboticsYC W18ActiveAI
TensilShared: hardware, manufacturing and roboticsYC S19InactiveAI, Devtools
OhmShared: hardware, testingYC W23ActiveAI, Data

Also from S26 in AI

All of S26
AIhardware intelligenceAI tools for the chips your AI runs onYC S26San FranciscoStartup →AIAgnost AIWe find where AI agents fail, then train better models to run them.YC S26San FranciscoStartup →AIArchalAPI sandboxes, built for AI agentsYC S26San FranciscoStartup →AIAutoresearch, Inc.Autoresearch as a service: we solve your hardest measurable problemsYC S26San FranciscoStartup →AICarSignalThe AI Operating System for Auto Shops.YC S26San FranciscoStartup →AICodagThe AI gateway for cheaper, faster, permissioned agents.YC S26San FranciscoStartup →
Company
hardware intelligenceAI tools for the chips your AI runs onteam of 2ActiveAI, Devtools
Agnost AIWe find where AI agents fail, then train better models to run them.2 programsteam of 2ActiveAI, Data, Devtools
ArchalAPI sandboxes, built for AI agentsteam of 2ActiveAI, Devtools
Autoresearch, Inc.Autoresearch as a service: we solve your hardest measurable problemsteam of 3ActiveAI, Devtools
CarSignalThe AI Operating System for Auto Shops.team of 2ActiveAI
CodagThe AI gateway for cheaper, faster, permissioned agents.ActiveAI, Devtools

Founders

  • William A'courtFounder/CEO
  • Simon AlexanderFounder/CTO
  • Rahul BhatiFounder
  • Josh SchoemanFounder

About Hilstart

We build physical agent harnesses to enable AI to debug, validate, and ship functional hardware and software.

YC batch
S26 · Summer 2026
Status, per YC
Active
Category
AI, Developer tools
Location
San Francisco, CA, USA
Checked
6h ago

YC tags: Developer Tools, Hardware

Hilstart in S26: 229 companies, 88% AI

Hilstart: questions

Which YC batch was Hilstart in?

Hilstart was in Y Combinator's Summer 2026 batch (S26).

Is Hilstart still active?

Y Combinator lists Hilstart as active.

Who founded Hilstart?

Hilstart's founders, as listed on its YC page: William A'court (Founder/CEO), Simon Alexander (Founder/CTO), Rahul Bhati (Founder), Josh Schoeman (Founder).

Where is Hilstart based?

Hilstart lists San Francisco, CA, USA as its location on YC's directory.