About
Ari Polakof is co-founder and CEO of Flai. He previously worked as a founding engineer at Happyrobot, a Y Combinator S23 company.
Founder at FlaiYC S25
Intro paths
YC
Ari went through Y Combinator (Summer 2025) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.
GP
Their group partner at YC was Andrew Miklas, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Flai's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗
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In turn, Ari can intro founders to Flai's investors below.
Flai's investors · 5
Co-founders at Flai
JA
Juan AlzugarayFounder
AP
Alen PolakofFounder
Experience
- FlaiCo-Foundercurrent2025 — presentSan Francisco, California, United States
- HappyrobotFounding Engineer2024 — 2025San Francisco, California, United States
- AppFolioMachine Learning Engineer II2024San Francisco, California, United States
- AppFolioSoftware Engineer II2024San Francisco, California, United States
- AppFolioSoftware Engineer2022 — 2024San Francisco, California, United States
- AppFolioSoftware Engineer Intern2022
- AppFolio, Inc.Software Engineer Intern2021
Education
- Y CombinatorS25
- Georgia Institute of TechnologyMaster's degree, Computer Science2022 — 2024
- UC Santa BarbaraBachelor of Science - BS, Computer Science2018 — 2022
- UC Santa BarbaraBachelor of Arts - BA, Statistics2018 — 2022
- UC Santa BarbaraMinor, Physics2018 — 2022
- The University of EdinburghInformatics2021
Skills & more
AWS12Nextjs12React9Python4PyTorch2SQL1Ruby on Rails2React.js1Java1C++2JavaScript1Golang3
+1 more
TypeScriptFrom Ari's professional profile.
Founder mafias
Y Combinator mafia8,668
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Sam AltmanPresidentFounded LooptFred EhrsamYC Summer 2012Founded CoinbaseMatt HuangYC Winter 2011Founded HotspotsTrae StephensYC Winter 2022Founded PursuitDelian AsparouhovYC Summer 2014Founded Nightingale +1Justin KanYC Winter 2018Founded Rye +3
+ 8,661 more
Georgia Institute of Technology mafia155
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Aamir PoonawallaMastersFounded Understudy Labs +1Jonathan FriedmanBachelor of Science (B.Sc.)Founded Assembly +1Royce ArockiasamyBachelor of Science - BSFounded Pleom +1Prama YudhistiraBachelor of Science - BSFounded Parameter +1Ethan ByrdB.S.C.S.Founded Actual +1Lu ZhangMaterials Science and Engineering(Exchange program)Founded Fusionfund
+ 148 more
UC Santa Barbara mafia52
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Nils ReggeBAFounded Developx +2Brett GibsonBAFounded Slinkset +1Ivan BercovichPhDFounded Unwrap +1Arthur ChangBachelor of ScienceFounded Priime +1Brandon FooFounded Polymail +1Chase AdamBachelor of Arts (B.A.)Founded Watsi
+ 45 more
The University of Edinburgh mafia28
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Jeff ChangGraduate StudiesFounded Doblet +1Martin SchrimpffMechanical Engineering with Management TechniquesFounded KocomoDavid MlčochMaster's degree with DistinctionFounded AsteroidNicolas HourcardMsc Finance & InvestmentFounded QuestDBKarolis NarkeviciusMScFounded HumaansJohn TambuntingStudy Abroad ProgramFounded Pangea.app
+ 21 more
HappyRobot mafia3
Also came through, then founded or led a company.
Same school
Also attended Y Combinator2,000
Leo LuInvestor at Foundation CapitalMaroof AhmedFounder at Octopus VenturesJustin SwartPartner at Bitkraft Esports VenturesVictor SantosVictor Scout at One Way VenturesSwapnil JainCEO, Observe.AI at EMERGENT VENTURESChase AdamPartner at Very Serious Ventures
+ 1,994 more
Also attended Georgia Institute of Technology318
Brando De CourtenData Engineer at P101 VenturesTom DyalCo-Founder at Redpoint VenturesWouter Van de PutteInvestment Director at Capricorn Venture PartnersWill McGinnisEntrepreneur and data science executive working at the intersection of AI/ML, technology, and business strategyJaya GuptaInvestor at Foundation CapitalJames WangGeneral Partner at Creative Ventures
+ 312 more
Also attended UC Santa Barbara225
Arturo LitvinHead of Global Portfolio Development at Intel CapitalKevin ThauInvestor at Spark CapitalErica DelamareInvestor at DaphniTiffany ChandraVice President, Head of Talent Network at Sapphire VenturesStephanie DuranInvestor at True VenturesLouis BernemanFounding Partner at Osage University Partners
+ 219 more
Also attended The University of Edinburgh187
Sofia DolfeInvestor at Index VenturesFreya Svedberg-KeatingInvestor at MedicxiKevin JohnsonInvestor at MedicxiPatrick NorrisGeneral Partner at Notion CapitalEmily PawlakVice President at Volition CapitalTom FergusonFounder and Managing Partner at BURNT ISLAND VENTURES
+ 181 more
