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Nitrode

YC W25

San Francisco, US · Founded 2024 · 8 employees · Hiring · 8 known investors

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Nitrode builds AI evaluation, data generation, and post-training infrastructure for game development. The company specializes in measuring where AI models fail in game creation tasks, generating training data for improvement, and creating environments where models can learn through real interaction.

Also known as Inception Technologies , Inc. · Inception Technologies · Roach AI · Roach AI, Inception Technologies

AI & Machine LearningDeep TechEnterprise SoftwareGamingArtificial IntelligenceMachine LearningB2BData EngineeringUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W25)

Nitrode was founded in 2024 by Ben Kim, Sejoon Chang, and Brian La.

BKBen Kim
Ben KimCo-Founder & CEOHe previously held data and venture capital/corporate advisory roles at Wilson Sonsini.
SCSejoon Chang
Sejoon ChangCo-Founder & COOSejoon Chang studied computer science and product design at Stanford and is a co-founder at Nitrode.
BLBrian La
Brian LaCo-Founder & CTOBrian La is a Cornell University computer science graduate who previously worked as a data scientist at Nexon and is currently a co-founder at Nitrode.
RGRichard Gu
Richard GuVice President at March Capital Partners

Investors · 8

Eight Capitallisted by Eight CapitalNorwalk

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · eightcapital.com · Not right? Tell us

Maiora Rebel Ventureslisted by Maiora Rebel Ventures

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Rebel Fundlisted by Rebel FundSan Francisco · $100K – $5M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · rebelfund.vc · Not right? Tell us

Y Combinatorlisted by Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

How we know: the Y Combinator directory · funding news · open dataset · 5k.vc investor directory · Not right? Tell us

Clay Capitalreported$3M – $8M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Goodwater CapitalreportedBurlingame · $5M – $50M

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Tekedia CapitalreportedLagos · $1K

How we know: Y Combinator's founder network · Not right? Tell us

Related companies · 6

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SourceressSourceress uses machine learning to match job candidates with open roles by defining job requirements, identifying suitable applicants, and contacting them with personalized messages; hiring managers report satisfaction with recommended candidates over 85% of the time.
SBX RoboticsSBX Robotics creates synthetic training images for robot computer vision systems using simulation, enabling companies to generate large labeled datasets from minimal seed imagery at a fraction of traditional annotation costs.
Zumo LabsZumo Labs creates synthetic training datasets for computer vision applications including autonomous vehicles, robotics, and security systems, offering an alternative to manual data collection and labeling.
DeepAware AI (Robotics Center of Silicon Valley)Silicon Valley Robotics Center is a full-stack robotics infrastructure provider offering hardware procurement, data collection, AI training, and fleet teleoperation services for robot learning and deployment. It serves academic labs, startups, and enterprises developing physical AI systems.
Lariat DataLariat provides data quality monitoring for data engineering teams, detecting data issues before they reach downstream users by tracking metrics across raw data and finished data products.

Companies working in the same space as Nitrode.

Legal entities · 1

corporate structure
Inception Technologies , Inc.

In the news

Nitrode - Advancing AI for Game Developmentycombinator.com · Jul 2026

Frequently asked questions

What does Nitrode do?
Nitrode builds AI evaluation, data generation, and post-training infrastructure for game development. The company specializes in measuring where AI models fail in game creation tasks, generating training data for improvement, and creating environments where models can learn through real interaction.
Who founded Nitrode?
Nitrode was founded by Ben Kim, Sejoon Chang, Brian La in 2024.
Who are Nitrode's investors?
Nitrode's investors include Cosmic Venture Partners, Eight Capital, Maiora Rebel Ventures, Rebel Fund, Y Combinator, Clay Capital, Goodwater Capital, Tekedia Capital.
Where is Nitrode headquartered?
Nitrode is headquartered in San Francisco, US.