Chert

<!-- hacklab:yc-profile -- YC company profile iMessage infrastructure for business Chert provides the infrastructure for businesses to automate conversations over iMessage. We’r…

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About Chert

YC company profile

iMessage infrastructure for business

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.

YC batch: Spring 2026
Founded: 2026
Team size: 2
Location: New York City, NY
Country: US
Status: Active
Industry: B2B
Stage: Early
YC partner: David Lieb

Founders

Gary Gao — Founder/CEO

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!

LinkedIn · X

Ian Fong — Founder/CTO

I study Mathematics at NYU and previously worked on algorithm research at Courant. Along the way, I’ve won 8 hackathons, including MIT, Harvard, Penn, and Princeton.

fun fact: I've lived in a total of 16 cities in 20 years of my life.