Week 3 of the 30 Days 100 Demos Challenge was a wild ride. From new ways to raise money to helping new parents, I've seen some incredible ideas this week. What really stood out was how many founders are solving problems they've faced themselves.
I was particularly impressed by how some presenters tailored their demos based on what they learned about their customers. It's not just about having a cool product - it's about really getting why people need it.
These founders aren't just building businesses; they're trying to make life better for a lot of people. Their enthusiasm is contagious, and I can't wait to share what I've learned.
Just a couple days left to join!
Ready to see what Week 3 had in store? Let's jump in!
1. Finta
Market: Fintech, SaaS, Fundraising
Mission: To help founders improve the lives of one billion people.
My PoV: Finta is making fundraising more efficient by automating tedious tasks and providing founders with powerful tools to manage their investor relationships and deals.
Demo Superstar: Kevin Siskar
Why this demo was awesome:
- Experience-driven design: Built from Kevin's own experience running an accelerator, Finta offers tools for micromoments in fundraising, like the innovative momentum score
- Mapped discovery to demo: Kevin showed how he uses HubSpot to map his discovery process directly to his demo, ensuring a tailored presentation
- Comprehensive visualization: Demonstrated the entire fundraising workflow, from deal room creation to investor outreach, in a clear and logical manner
- Personalized approach: Highlighted how Finta uses AI for personalized investor communications while avoiding generic mass emails
2. Investrio
Market: Fintech, Personal Finance, Financial Literacy
Mission: To empower individuals with the knowledge, tools, and personalized guidance they need to achieve financial well-being.
My PoV: Investrio is making money management less stressful by offering personalized guidance and tools to help people get out of debt and build financial stability.
Demo Superstar: Joyce Medeiros
Why this demo was awesome:
- Personal story-driven: Joyce's own experience with debt and financial challenges led to creating a solution she wished she had
- Stress-reducing approach: Makes money management less intimidating by offering clear analytics and a judgment-free space
- Visual strategy: Offers easy-to-understand graphics on debt payoff dates, interest payments, and payoff scenarios
- Community-focused: Built an organic community of 4,000 people, demonstrating strong product-market fit and user engagement
3. Foundation
Market: B2B SaaS, Wholesale E-commerce
Mission: The only wholesale commerce platform that is quick to set up to help wholesalers build better customer relationships.
My PoV: Foundation is revolutionizing B2B e-commerce by bringing the simplicity and user-friendliness of D2C platforms to wholesale transactions, while addressing the unique needs of B2B sales.
Demo Superstar: Sean Leenhouts
Why this demo was awesome:
- Consultative approach: Sean demonstrated deep expertise in sales philosophy, tailoring the conversation to the customer's needs and pain points
- Storytelling mastery: Used relatable anecdotes and scenarios to illustrate the product's value, making complex features easy to understand
- Insightful discovery process: Emphasized the importance of asking open-ended questions and actively listening to uncover true customer needs
- Adaptive presentation: Showed flexibility in adjusting the demo based on the customer's level of understanding, taking ownership when clarification was needed
4. Casa Mama
Market: Maternal Health, Hospitality, Wellness
Mission: Guiding parents from overwhelmed to calm on the postnatal journey!
My PoV: Casa Mama is addressing a critical need for postpartum support by combining hospitality services with expert care, potentially transforming the early parenthood experience.
Demo Superstar: Hali Shields
Why this demo was awesome:
- Founder's expertise: Hali's extensive background in maternal health as a lactation consultant, doula, and health coach lends credibility to the concept
- Innovative approach: Adapting the Asian postnatal retreat model for the U.S. market, filling a gap in postpartum care
- Holistic vision: Plans to integrate technology (app for tracking, baby monitors) with in-person care and long-term virtual support
- Persistence and adaptability: Hali's determination to launch Casa Mama after previous startup experiences demonstrates entrepreneurial grit
From the YCombinator archives
5. Vouch
Market: B2B Fintech, Insurance
Mission: To provide business insurance and risk management tools tailored for startups and high-growth companies, from garage to IPO.
My PoV: Vouch is shaking up the outdated business insurance market by offering a streamlined, digital-first experience and coverage designed specifically for the unique needs of startups.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Sam Hodges
Why this demo was awesome:
- Speed: Founders can get all necessary business insurance in under 10 minutes
- Affordability: Basic coverage starts at just $200/year, 30% cheaper than competitors
- Comprehensive: Up to 10 coverages to support startups as they grow and scale
- Expertise: Leadership team brings decades of experience in fintech and insurance
6. Malloc
Market: Mobile Security
Mission: To protect users' privacy by monitoring and preventing apps from recording or transmitting data without the user's knowledge.
My PoV: Malloc offers a mobile app that detects and stops spyware based on app behavior, serving individuals, enterprises, and governments concerned about data privacy.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Maria Terzi
Why this demo was awesome:
- Impressive early adoption: Just four months after launching on the App Store, Malloc has 80,000 monthly active users and is generating $3,000 in ARR.
- Enterprise and government interest: Malloc has secured four LOIs from enterprise and government customers, validating the demand for its privacy protection solution.
- Real-time, data-free approach: Malloc's key advantage is its ability to detect spyware in real-time based on app behavior, without collecting any user data or relying on signatures.
- Strong founding team: The three co-founders hold PhDs in cybersecurity, machine learning, and engineering from prestigious universities, with prior experience at Google, Shell, and ExxonMobil.
7. Cognito (acquired by Plaid)
Market: Identity Verification
Mission: To provide a frictionless, modern identity verification solution that starts with just a phone number, forming a strong link between users and their verified identities.
My PoV: Cognito offers businesses a quick and cost-effective way to verify customer identities for regulatory compliance and trust-building, outperforming traditional credit bureaus.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Alain Meier
Why this demo was awesome:
- Rapid customer adoption: Blockscore has 80 paying customers, including 60 within the YC community alone, leading to a 22x increase in revenue.
- Streamlined implementation: Companies can integrate Blockscore's API in minutes, compared to the months-long process and high costs associated with credit bureaus.
- Global coverage and compliance: Blockscore's single API provides global identity verification coverage and better compliance than most banks.
- Positive feedback loop: As Blockscore verifies more identities, its data becomes stronger, attracting more companies to use its service and further enhancing its database.
8. Shelf Engine
Market: Grocery Ordering Optimization
Mission: To help grocery stores increase sales and reduce food waste by accurately predicting the ideal amount of perishable goods to order.
My PoV: Shelf Engine transforms the grocery buying process, using historical data and AI to optimize orders, cut food waste in half, and boost gross margins for stores.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Stefan Kalb
Why this demo was awesome:
- Proven value proposition: By taking over purchasing for grocery stores and guaranteeing sales, Shelf Engine can increase gross margins by 25%, a fact Stefan knows firsthand from his experience running a food company.
- Impressive scale and growth: Shelf Engine is in over 190 locations across the US, growing at 65% month-over-month, with $5 million in GMV and virtually no churn.
- Significant industry impact: With the ability to cut food waste in half, Shelf Engine has the potential to transform the massive grocery industry.
- Founder's domain expertise: Stefan's background in running a food company gives him unique insights into the challenges faced by grocery stores and the value Shelf Engine can provide.
9. Veriff
Market: Online Identity Verification
Mission: To be the Stripe for online identity verification, enabling websites and mobile apps to verify government-issued IDs seamlessly.
My PoV: Veriff offers a unique approach to online identity verification that has driven impressive revenue growth and attracted top customers in fintech and on-demand industries.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Kaarel Kotkas
Why this demo was awesome:
- Strong financial performance: Veriff achieved $60,000 in monthly revenue in February, on track to reach $100,000 in March, while remaining profitable.
- High-profile customers and partnerships: Veriff has signed an LOI with Transferwise, one of Europe's biggest fintech companies, and is set to start testing with Airbnb.
- Massive market potential: With an estimated 250 million people in the US needing to verify their identities annually across top online services, Veriff targets a $2.5 billion market opportunity in the US alone.
- Founder's confidence: Kaarel's assertive statement, "We are Veriff, we are Stripe for online identity verification," demonstrates his belief in the company's position and potential in the market.
10. Bitmovin
Market: Video Infrastructure
Mission: To power OTT online video providers with video developer tools, improving video quality on the web and reducing buffering.
My PoV: Bitmovin is a leader in online video technology, offering advanced streaming solutions that enhance the viewer experience and help businesses avoid lost revenue due to poor video quality.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Stefan Lederer
Why this demo was awesome:
- Innovative technology: Bitmovin invented the MPEG-DASH streaming technology used by Netflix and YouTube, bringing this advanced solution to the rest of the world.
- Strong early traction: Within three months of launch, Bitmovin reached $30,000 in monthly recurring revenue, showcasing the demand for their technology.
- High-profile customers: Even the most sophisticated virtual reality companies in the world are contracting with Bitmovin, validating the effectiveness of their technology.
- Significant market potential: With video already a huge market and media traffic growing by 33% year-over-year, Bitmovin targets a $30 billion opportunity, of which Netflix and YouTube account for only $8 billion.
11. Malama Health
Market: B2B Healthcare, Digital Health, Femtech
Mission: To enable remote monitoring for patients with diabetes in pregnancy, reducing C-section and preterm birth rates by making it easier for patients and providers to log glucose levels and meal data.
My PoV: Malama Health is tackling a critical issue affecting many women and families with a user-friendly app that empowers patients and helps doctors monitor remotely.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Mika Eddy
Why this demo was awesome:
- Traction: 6 hospital partners signed up within 3 weeks of launch
- Founder expertise: Mika's background at UnitedHealthcare
- Team: Diverse skill set spanning engineering, branding, and research
- Impact: Addressing a costly, growing problem affecting 1 in 5 pregnant women
12. Milio
Market: B2B Fintech, SaaS, Payments
Mission: To provide a fully interoperable and immediate B2B payment system for emerging markets through a single API connected to millions of accounts, enabling real-time transactions without ACH rails.
My PoV: Milio is revolutionizing B2B payments in Latin America by offering a faster, cheaper, and more efficient alternative to traditional payment methods, saving businesses time and money.
Demo Superstar: Toni Riera
Why this demo was awesome:
- Cost savings: Milio saves customers up to 80% on transaction costs and FX rates
- Efficiency: Automates treasury workflows, saving over 10 hours per week in manual work
- B2B-optimized: Checkout designed specifically for B2B commerce, increasing conversion by 2x
- Traction: $10K MRR from 20+ customers within a month of launch
13. Artisan
Market: B2B SaaS, Artificial Intelligence, Workflow Automation, Sales
Mission: To create AI employees called Artisans and software that is beautiful, easy to use, and replaces the endless stack of point solutions, starting with outbound sales.
My PoV: Artisan is pushing the boundaries of AI-powered automation by creating digital employees that work alongside human teams, streamlining and optimizing sales processes.
Demo Superstar: Jaspar Carmichael-Jack
Why this demo was awesome:
- Comprehensive platform: Includes all tools needed for outbound sales, from B2B data to email warmup
- AI-powered automation: Ava, the AI BDR, automates lead discovery, research, email writing, and more
- Expansion plans: Aiming to become the go-to platform across the entire sales cycle and beyond
- Traction: Over 300 users, $300K ARR, and working with teams at notable companies like CBRE and Intercom
14. Persist AI
Market: Machine Learning, Robotics, Microfluidics, Nanotechnology, Therapeutics
Mission: To develop long-lasting drug formulations 50% faster using AI-driven automation, reducing development time from 5 years to 2 years.
My PoV: Persist AI is enabling faster development of long-lasting injections for chronic diseases, ultimately improving patient experiences and outcomes.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Karthik Raman
Why this demo was awesome:
- Significant time reduction: Cuts formulation development time by more than 50%, from 5 years to 2 years
- Early traction: Working with 7 pharma companies, including a top 10 pharma, just 5 months after launch
- Strong financials: $365K in contract revenue and LOIs for $20M per year in royalties
- Founder expertise: Karthik's PhD in drug delivery and Chris's experience building automated factories at Serton
15. Siglo
Market: Fintech, Community, Telecommunications
Mission: To provide faster, better, and easy-to-pay home internet service for communities in urban Latin America.
My PoV: Siglo is making home internet accessible and affordable for urban households in Latin America, eliminating traditional financial barriers and offering a flexible, user-friendly service.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Joel Phillips
Why this demo was awesome:
- Rapid growth: MRR grew to over $26,000 within months of launch, with 30% monthly growth
- Strong adoption: More than 1,700 households paying $5/week for uncapped home broadband
- Founder experience: Joel and Isaac have 7 years of experience in connectivity in Mexico, previously scaling a startup to over 1.5 million users
- Huge market potential: Targeting a $16 billion opportunity across 136 million urban households in Latin America
16. Beeper (Acquired by Automattic)
Market: SaaS, Community
Mission: To build the best chat app on earth by connecting 15+ chat networks, providing unified search, advanced filtering, and more, ultimately eliminating friction in communication and boosting efficiency for the entire human race.
My PoV: Beeper revolutionized the way we chat by consolidating multiple apps into one seamless experience, making it easier to connect with anyone, anywhere, on any platform.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Eric Migicovsky
Why this demo was awesome:
- Solved a real problem: Eliminated the need for multiple chat apps and fragmented contact lists
- Impressive features: Supported iMessage, WhatsApp, and 13 other networks, even enabling iMessage on Android and Windows devices
- Massive market potential: With over 3 billion people using chat apps daily at the time, Beeper had a huge opportunity to increase communication efficiency worldwide
- Strong founder background: Eric quit his job as a YC partner to start Beeper, and co-founder Brad had worked with him at Pebble for 9 years
17. Instacrops
Market: Sustainability, Agriculture
Mission: To help farmers maximize their crop yield through data-driven decisions.
My PoV: Instacrops provides farmers with a comprehensive dashboard that combines IoT sensor data, satellite imagery, and drone data to offer valuable insights into farm health, enabling them to make informed decisions and increase crop yields.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Mario Bustamante
Why this demo was awesome:
- Significant yield improvement: Farmers using Instacrops increased their crop yields by an average of 22%
- Strong traction: At the time of the demo, Instacrops was live on 280 farms across Latin America
- Impressive revenue growth: The company had reached more than $200,000 in monthly revenue, growing 41% month-over-month
- Huge market potential: With 2.9 billion acres of farmland in Latin America, Instacrops was targeting a $50 billion market
18. AOA Dx
Market: Healthcare, Diagnostics, Women's Health
Mission: To revolutionize early-stage diagnosis of ovarian cancer through a non-invasive liquid biopsy diagnostic test, improving clinical practice and patient outcomes.
My PoV: AOA Dx is developing a groundbreaking blood test for early detection of ovarian cancer, which has the potential to significantly increase survival rates and deliver cost savings to payers.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Oriana Papin-Zoghbi
Why this demo was awesome:
- Impressive study results: A 600-patient retrospective study showed over 90% accuracy in detecting ovarian cancer early
- Experienced team: Co-founders had previously sold companies in the women's health diagnostic space
- Significant market opportunity: The company was targeting a $6 billion market with over 8.5 million women experiencing symptoms annually
- Validation from top institutions: The science behind AOA Dx had been validated by researchers from MD Anderson and Harvard Medical School
19. Andi
Market: Artificial Intelligence, Consumer, Search, AI, AI Assistant
Mission: To make search fun, factual, and interesting for the next generation using generative AI, providing answers in a visual, conversational, and accurate way.
My PoV: Andi is revolutionizing search by combining AI, language models, and reasoning to deliver direct answers and an engaging user experience.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Angela Hoover
Why this demo was awesome:
- Breakthrough technology: Andi's approach to search had only recently become possible
- Rapid user growth: 31,000 users within months of launch, growing at 360% monthly
- Superior user experience: Provided direct answers, described by users as "working like magic"
- Differentiation from Google: Business model allowed focus on best search experience
20. HyLight
Market: Hydrogen Energy, B2B, Climate, Energy, Aerospace
Mission: To build and operate autonomous hydrogen airships for long-range monitoring, focusing on detecting methane leaks on pipelines and defects on power lines.
My PoV: HyLight's innovative airships combine the best of drone and airship technology, enabling precise and efficient infrastructure monitoring without emitting greenhouse gases.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Thomas Laporte
Why this demo was awesome:
- Strong market validation: 9 LOIs worth $3.5M with major European energy infrastructure operators and a €20K pilot with Enedis, Europe's largest electric utility
- Unique technology: The HyLighter airship, a crossover between drone and airship tech, can fly for up to 10 hours at 22mph for optimal data collection
- Experienced team: Co-founders with diverse skills and backgrounds in mechanical engineering, computer science, and business
- Significant market opportunity: $4B market for power line and pipeline inspections in Europe and North America, driven by new regulations demanding more precise inspections
21. Downtobid
Market: Construction
Mission: To use AI to understand construction plans faster, helping general contractors (GCs) automatically identify scopes of work, find qualified local subcontractors, and send personalized bid invites.
My PoV: Downtobid streamlines the complex bidding process in construction by leveraging AI to read blueprints, identify required work, and connect GCs with the right subcontractors.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Andy Lee
Why this demo was awesome:
- Rapid customer adoption: Signed 4 contracts and secured an LOI with the largest mechanical subcontractor in California within 3 weeks of launch
- Efficient sales process: 2-week sales cycle with a 50% demo-to-close rate
- Experienced team: Andy's background in self-driving cars at Uber and Kevin's product experience at BCG
- Huge market potential: Bidding alone represents a $3.5B opportunity, with plans to expand into other construction workflows
22. Koko
Market: Machine Learning, Mental Health Tech, Nonprofit, Social, NLP
Mission: To make mental health accessible to everyone by providing free digital mental health technologies, particularly for young people struggling online.
My PoV: Koko is tackling the growing problem of youth mental health by partnering with online communities to identify and treat at-risk individuals directly on their platforms using evidence-based interventions.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Rob Morris
Why this demo was awesome:
- Significant impact: Reached over 2 million people with their digital mental health interventions
- Strong partnerships: Collaborated with large social networks to find and treat at-risk individuals
- Evidence-based approach: Services are among the most evidence-based in the market, and Koko is integrating with the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline
- Experienced founders: Rob and Kareem previously sold a startup to Airbnb and have been working together for 7 years
23. Peakflo
Market: Fintech, SaaS, B2B
Mission: To be the Bill.com for Southeast Asia, allowing businesses to streamline their invoice-to-cash and procure-to-pay processes through a simple API and one-click ERP integrations.
My PoV: Peakflo is simplifying financial operations for growing SMBs in Southeast Asia, helping them save time, get paid faster, and automate key processes like three-way matching.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Saurabh Chauhan
Why this demo was awesome:
- Strong traction: $13,000 in MRR growing at 34% month-over-month, processing $35M in accounts receivables and payables across 20,000 invoices each month
- Founders' domain expertise: Saurabh experienced the problem firsthand while scaling a team at Daraz.pk (acquired by Alibaba), and Dmitry built an internal payment solution at Airasia
- Significant market opportunity: Targeting 1 million growing SMBs across just 4 cities in Southeast Asia, representing a $3B opportunity
- Impressive customer impact: Helping companies save 2,000 man-hours per month on finance ops, get paid 15-25 days faster, and cut vendor bill payment time by 50%
24. Maia
Market: AI, Relationship Tech, Mobile Apps
Mission: To help couples stay together and build stronger relationships by offering personalized advice, proactive insights, and activities through a blend of AI and relationship science.
My PoV: Maia is making personalized relationship coaching accessible and engaging, helping couples deepen their connection.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Claire Wiley
Why this demo was awesome:
- Personal mission: As first-generation immigrants from divorced households, Claire and Ralph built Maia to supercharge relationship care with AI
- Impressive user engagement: 400 weekly active users growing 40% week-over-week with a 30% retention rate
- Significant market potential: Tapping into a $16B market in the US alone for relationship support
- Transformative impact: Maia helps couples not just stay together, but be happier together, nurturing their most important relationships
25. Keylika
Market: Medical Devices, Biotech, Nanotechnology, Therapeutics, Drug Discovery
Mission: To redefine the standard of care for Iron Deficiency Anemia by developing the world's first prescription iron patch using a platform synthesis technology.
My PoV: Keylika is revolutionizing Iron Deficiency Anemia treatment with a novel transdermal iron patch that improves safety, efficacy, and tolerability.
YC Demo Day Superstar: Buddha Chaudhuri
Why this demo was awesome:
- Groundbreaking product: Developed a proprietary iron formulation that absorbs through the skin, as demonstrated in animal studies
- Experienced team: Accomplished scientists with PhDs from KU Leuven in drug delivery, medical chemistry, and microtechnology, advised by Stanford and UCSF clinicians and biopharma experts
- Significant market potential: Targeting a $17B market with 13 million people impacted by iron deficiency in the US alone
- Patient-centric solution: Enables self-administration at home without the GI side effects of oral supplements or the risks and costs of IV infusions
Lessons From Week 3
As I reflect on the demos from Week 3, a few key themes emerge:
- Founder-Problem Fit: The most compelling presentations came from founders who had personal experience with the problems they were solving. Their deep understanding of the pain points led to more innovative and targeted solutions.
- The Power of Discovery: Several founders emphasized the importance of a strong discovery process in their sales approach. By asking thoughtful, open-ended questions and truly listening to potential customers, these startups were able to tailor their solutions more effectively and build stronger relationships. This customer-centric approach to discovery was particularly evident in demos from Finta and Foundation, showing how crucial it is to understand and address specific customer needs.
- Diverse Market Approaches: This week showcased startups addressing a wide range of markets, from fintech to healthcare to agriculture. It's inspiring to see how technology is being applied to solve problems across various industries.
- User-Centric Design: Many of the standout demos emphasized their focus on user experience, whether it's simplifying complex processes or making traditionally intimidating tasks more approachable.
- Data-Driven Solutions: A common thread among many presentations was the use of data and AI to provide more accurate, efficient, or personalized services. This trend highlights the growing importance of data science across all sectors.
Onto Week 4!
As we head into the final week of the 30 Days 100 Demos Challenge, I'm excited to see what other innovative solutions and passionate founders we'll encounter. The diversity of ideas and approaches we've seen so far has been truly inspiring, and I'm sure Week 4 will bring even more surprises.
If you're working on something innovative or know someone who is, there's a little time left to be featured in the 30 Days 100 Demos Challenge.
Just grab a 30-minute slot on my calendar here: https://calendly.com/drewdil/30-days-100-demos
Stay tuned for more insights, inspiration, and key takeaways as we wrap up this exciting journey.
And as always, a huge thank you to all the founders who have generously shared their time and expertise!
