Fundraising Fox

Litmus

YC S26

New York City, US · Founded 2025 · 3 employees · 2 known investors

Litmus is a hiring platform that evaluates software engineers through practical assessments aligned with how modern engineering teams actually work, replacing traditional interview processes.

Also known as Avert

AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechRecruitingData EngineeringAIUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (S26)

Litmus was founded in 2025 by Shaivi Rau and Elena Zhao.

SRShaivi Rau
Shaivi Rauin𝕏Co-Founder, CEOShaivi Rau is CEO of Litmus and previously worked at Morgan Stanley, early-stage companies, and in venture capital. She studied computer science and film at Columbia.
EZElena Zhao
Elena Zhaoin𝕏Co-Founder, CTOElena Zhao is the founder of Litmus, a hiring platform that evaluates software engineers through practical assessments.

Investors · 2

Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K
Insight Partnersreported · 2 sourcesNew York · $120M – $350M

Images

Litmus photo

Competitors · 1

by search overlap
Litmos3 shared keywordsLitmos is a cloud-based learning management and training platform that delivers AI-assisted content creation, contextual microlearning, and ready-to-deploy courses for training a company's workforce, partners, and customers. It serves organizations from high-growth SaaS companies to global enterprises across use cases such as onboarding, compliance, enablement, certification, and customer adoption.

Companies competing with Litmus for the same Google search keywords, organic and paid, via search-intersection analysis.

In the news

Litmus test: Firm in liquidation battle bids for Sh65bn Ketraco deal | Daily Nationnation.africa · Jul 2026Litmus - The industry's most accurate engineering interviewycombinator.com · Jul 2026Litmus Secures Additional Investment Led by Insight Partners to Accelerate Industrial AI | Newswirenewswire.com · Nov 2025Litmus raises $30mn in Series B funding led by Belden - IoT global networkiotglobalnetwork.com · Sep 2022Litmus Raises $30M in Series B Funding to Accelerate Industrial IoT Edge Platform Adoptionprweb.com · Sep 2022Litmus Automation raises USD 30 million in Series B funding - SPEEDA Edgesp-edge.com

Frequently asked questions

What does Litmus do?
Litmus is a hiring platform that evaluates software engineers through practical assessments aligned with how modern engineering teams actually work, replacing traditional interview processes.
Who founded Litmus?
Litmus was founded by Shaivi Rau, Elena Zhao in 2025.
Who are Litmus's investors?
Litmus's investors include Y Combinator, Insight Partners.
Where is Litmus headquartered?
Litmus is headquartered in New York City, US.