🤖 Y Combinator bets big on Agentic AI

PLUS: Why the Israel-Iran conflict could hit India hard

Author

Ruchirr Sharma
June 16, 2025

Good morning. Have a great week ahead 🫡 

Ruchirr Sharma & Shatakshi Sharmaa  

TABLE OF CONTENTS

  • 🤖 Y Combinator bets big on Agentic AI

  • 🇮🇳 Why the Israel-Iran conflict could hit India hard

  • 🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

    • 🇦🇺 Amazon in Australia

    • 💰️ Billions invested

  • 🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

MARKETS

🇮🇳 India

indicates per gram rate in Delhi | Stock data as of market close 13/06/2025

  • Indian stock markets ended sharply lower. Broad-based selling was seen across sectors amid weak global cues and profit booking. Banking, IT, and auto stocks led the decline. Investor caution prevailed ahead of key macroeconomic data releases and global central bank policy decisions. Also, if you were curious about what’s happening with Gold prices, watch this article.

🌍️ International

Stock data as of market close 13/06/2025

  • US stock markets declined sharply amid escalating geopolitical tensions after Israel launched strikes on Iran, prompting a retaliatory attack. Oil prices surged over 7% as investors sought safe havens like gold, which hit a record high. The sell-off reflected broad risk aversion, with market sentiment rattled by fears of further conflict and rising inflationary pressures.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

Y Combinator’s Spring 2025 batch isn’t just big - it’s historic. Out of hundreds of startups, a staggering 70 are building agentic AI tools. Each has received $500,000 in funding, marking YC’s most concentrated bet yet on a single emerging frontier of technology.

So what is “agentic AI”? Simply put, it’s software that acts autonomously, making decisions, taking actions, and continuously learning—like having a smart, tireless employee on your team.

The startups span every corner of the economy:

  • VoiceOS automates job interviews with lifelike AI.

  • Kirana AI runs small stores like a 24/7 manager.

  • Sava puts robots in charge of metal manufacturing.

  • Cohesive brings intelligent CRMs to blue-collar services.

And it’s not just about operations. Tools like Daxa, PrismAI, and Docket are reimagining product testing, performance monitoring, and quality control with proactive, human-like intelligence.

This wave arrives alongside a generational leadership shift at YC. Longtime stalwarts Dalton Caldwell and Michael Seibel have stepped back, passing the torch to new general partners Jon Xu and Andrew Miklas. Meanwhile, Caldwell is launching Standard Capital, a Series A fund focused exclusively on AI-native companies.

The broader implications are massive. Agentic AI is poised to redefine productivity, not just in Silicon Valley but across everyday industries—from pest control to aerospace. It’s also accelerating YC’s role as a global launchpad for the AI-first future.

India is catching on too. With local accelerators like Lossfunk, Upekkha, and Together Fund pivoting to AI, it’s clear this isn’t just a YC moment. It’s a global inflection point-where software doesn’t just serve you, it starts working for you.

Read more: Economic Times

GEOPOLITICS

As tensions flare between Israel and Iran, India finds itself in an increasingly precarious position - not militarily, but economically. A new report by the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI) warns that India must urgently reassess its energy and trade vulnerabilities or risk severe fallout from a conflict it isn’t even part of.

At the heart of the crisis lies the Strait of Hormuz, a narrow but critical maritime chokepoint through which two-thirds of India’s crude oil and half its LNG flow. With Iran threatening to close this passage, even a partial disruption could skyrocket oil prices, raise shipping insurance premiums, and send inflation surging at home. And since India imports over 80% of its energy, the impact would be immediate and widespread.

But it’s not just about oil. The conflict is threatening Indian commercial interests directly. On June 15, Iranian missiles struck Israel’s Haifa port—70% owned by Adani Ports. The attack damaged key infrastructure, raising fears about the safety of Indian investments abroad.

Meanwhile, the Red Sea isn’t safe either. Houthi forces, aligned with Iran, have attacked ships in the region, jeopardizing 30% of India’s westbound exports to Europe and the US. If vessels are forced to reroute around Africa, costs and transit times could double, hurting industries from textiles to chemicals.

The message is clear: India cannot afford to stay passive. The government must diversify oil suppliers, strengthen strategic reserves, and build alternate trade corridors. What happens in West Asia may feel distant, but its ripples could hit Indian consumers and exporters - fast and hard.

Read more: Economic Times

GENERAL OVERVIEW

🗞️ Bite-sized summaries

🇦🇺 Amazon in Australia - Amazon is investing nearly $13 billion (A$20 billion) over the next five years to expand its data center infrastructure in Australia—its largest tech investment in the country. The funds will support generative AI workloads, new server capacity, and three new solar farms in Victoria and Queensland. The move signals Amazon's deepening commitment to global AI and cloud infrastructure, following similar multibillion-dollar projects in the US and Taiwan. Australian PM Anthony Albanese called it a “huge vote of confidence” in the nation’s economy, underscoring Australia's rising role in the AI-driven digital future.

💰️ Billions invested - During the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, India’s tech sector attracted $38 billion in investments in just six months, according to NITI Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant. Speaking at the TiE Global Summit, he highlighted the explosive growth of India’s startup ecosystem — over 55,000 startups, $60 billion raised in five years, and 86 unicorns and soonicorns. He called AI a trillion-dollar opportunity for India by 2035 and emphasized the need for not just data protection, but data empowerment. With over 650 million internet users, Kant urged Indian family businesses to back the country’s tech revolution.

HEADLINES

🧑‍🍳 What else is cookin’?

What’s happening in India (and around the world 🌍️)

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