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Signals

YC W26

San Francisco, US · Founded 2026 · 2 employees · 1 known investors

Find your way into Signals

267 people in our graph share verified history with the Signals team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.

Hal Pazunlockedknows Ilya Valmianski · together at Curaihealth (overlapped)
×6knows the team · via Columbia University
×4knows the team · via Kaiser Permanente
knows the team · via Blueground

Return Signals operates a two-way iMessage communication platform for DTC ecommerce brands, enabling customer support and personalized sales conversations before and after purchase. The service drives repeat purchases, cross-sells, and retention through AI-powered conversations that integrate with existing commerce and support systems.

Also known as Material Model · Return Signals

Direct to ConsumerEnterprise SoftwareSaaSUnited States of AmericaAmerica / Canada

Founders & leadership· Y Combinator alumni (W26)

Signals was founded in 2026 by Ilya Valmianski and Alejandro Zaniolo.

IVIlya Valmianski
Ilya Valmianskiin𝕏CEO & Co-FounderIlya Valmianski holds a PhD in physics and has co-founded multiple healthtech companies, including MDandMe and Signals. He previously worked on AI-driven patient intake systems at Kaiser Permanente and developed conversational medical AI at Curai Health.
AZAlejandro Zaniolo
Alejandro ZanioloinCo-FounderHe previously held early-stage roles at two startups, including one acquired by Blueground and another that scaled to $40M ARR before achieving profitability.

Investors · 1

Y CombinatorSan Francisco · $500K

Funding

SEC filings, press & company announcements

Source: company announcements and press reports — follow each round's link for the claim.

Founder mafia

2 people who came through Signals went on to found or lead other companies.

Sam de BrouwerVolunteerFounded ScanaduLeon FeddenNon Executive Board MemberFounded Literal Labs

Competitors · 2

by search overlap
OuterSignal5 shared keywordsOuterSignal is a customer intelligence platform for eCommerce and DTC brands that enriches customer data to identify VIPs, influencers, and B2B leads within a store's existing order data. It offers persona building, deep analytics, segmentation, and personalization, with integrations to platforms like Meta, Klaviyo, and Shopify CRMs.
Happy Returns4 shared keywordsHappy Returns provides a returns and reverse logistics platform for retailers, offering box-free, label-free drop-offs through a network of 10,000 Return Bar locations along with AI-powered fraud detection, item verification, and consolidated returns to warehouses. It serves ecommerce and retail businesses managing reverse logistics.

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

In the news

Aethon Fund Launches With $50 Million Built on Retail Trading Signals - Startup Fortunestartupfortune.com · Jul 2026Reo.Dev Raises $11.3 Million Series A to Scale AI Signals for Companies Selling to Engineering Teamsprnewswire.com · Jul 2026NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) CFO Stock Sale Raises Questions But Signals No Cause For Alarmforeignpolicyjournal.com · Jul 2026AgriFood Signals: InvestEco closes fourth fund, Bayer consolidates US glyphosate arm, Nestlé ditches artificial colorsagfundernews.com · Jul 2026Vital Signals Raises $15M to Revolutionize Understanding and Management of Blood Pressurefinance.yahoo.com · May 2026Brighter Signals Raises €1.6M in Funding for Smart Sensorstheaiinsider.tech · May 2026Return Signals - proactive high-touch support for e-commerce brandsycombinator.com · Feb 2026

Frequently asked questions

What does Signals do?
Return Signals operates a two-way iMessage communication platform for DTC ecommerce brands, enabling customer support and personalized sales conversations before and after purchase. The service drives repeat purchases, cross-sells, and retention through AI-powered conversations that integrate with existing commerce and support systems.
Who founded Signals?
Signals was founded by Ilya Valmianski, Alejandro Zaniolo in 2026.
Who are Signals's investors?
Signals's investors include Y Combinator.
Where is Signals headquartered?
Signals is headquartered in San Francisco, US.