Conifer
YC S26San Francisco, US · Founded 2025 · 4 employees · 9 known investors
Conifer provides a routing system that runs large language models locally on user machines first, then intelligently routes queries to cloud models only when needed, reducing token costs and improving inference speed through optimized GPU kernels.
AI & Machine LearningCloud ComputingDeveloper ToolsEnterprise SoftwareArtificial IntelligenceB2BSecurityUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada
Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S26)
Conifer was founded in 2025 by Michael Jeffords and Charles Muehlberger.
MJ
Michael Jeffordsin𝕏Co-FounderMichael Jeffords co-founded The HeartCheck Foundation, which expanded free hypertension screening services across multiple barbershops, and has built machine learning and computer vision systems for neurological disease detection. He previously worked as a clinical researcher at the Dell Medical School Institute of Vascular Surgery and University of Tennessee Health Science Center, focusing on hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
CM
Charles Muehlbergerin𝕏Co-FounderCharles Muehlberger is an engineering researcher with experience in multi-modal inference optimization and physics simulation. He previously worked on edge AI devices for medical applications at DoW and contributed to high-performance electric vehicle engineering at PES.
Investors · 9
Perceptive Ventures Management Company, LlcLaguna Beach
Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K
MFV PartnersreportedSan Francisco Bay Area · $1M – $5M
True VenturesreportedSan Francisco · $500K – $3M
Z21 VenturesreportedSan Francisco Bay Area · $500K – $1M
Also in the syndicate · 4
Higher Life VenturesMaC VenturesSilicon Valley BankVoyager
Funding
SEC filings, press & company announcements$920M disclosed across 2 rounds · 2025–2026
- $900MraisedJun 2026 · 2 sourcesSource ↗
- $20Mseed roundApr 2025 · 3 sources
Higher Life Ventures, MaC Ventures, MFV Partners, Silicon Valley Bank, True Ventures, Voyager, Z21 Ventures
Source ↗
Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.
In the news
Frequently asked questions
- What does Conifer do?
- Conifer provides a routing system that runs large language models locally on user machines first, then intelligently routes queries to cloud models only when needed, reducing token costs and improving inference speed through optimized GPU kernels.
- Who founded Conifer?
- Conifer was founded by Michael Jeffords, Charles Muehlberger in 2025.
- Who are Conifer's investors?
- Conifer's investors include Perceptive Ventures Management Company, Llc, Y Combinator, MFV Partners, True Ventures, Z21 Ventures.
- How much funding has Conifer raised?
- Conifer has disclosed $920M raised across 2 rounds.
- Where is Conifer headquartered?
- Conifer is headquartered in San Francisco, US.