Fundraising Fox

Gavin Bains

Founder

Co-Founder at Paper Instruments

San Francisco, California, United States

FoundedPaper Instruments · YC

About

Gavin Bains is co-founder of Paper Instruments, which develops AI models and tools designed for knowledge work in professional services and white-collar environments.

LinkedIn ↗X / Twitter ↗
Latest on 𝕏

Gavin Bains @thegavinbains

Diego + team are brilliant! The TLDC logo was special, was emotional to see it go. https://t.co/qcoHNpowPy

Jul 22, 2026 · ♥ 5

Gavin Bains @thegavinbains

mashallah sister minnie now slack renders markdown too https://t.co/eYgLZ3txed

Jun 26, 2026 · ♥ 7

Gavin Bains @thegavinbains

this is december 2025 for open source https://t.co/33SpsuicbH

Jun 26, 2026 · ♥ 5

Co-Founder at Paper InstrumentsYC X25

Intro paths

YC

Gavin went through Y Combinator (Spring 2025) — any YC alum in your network can reach them through the YC community.

GP

Their group partner at YC was Diana Hu, General Partner at Y Combinator — the partner who ran Paper Instruments's batch and knows the company first-hand. YC profile ↗

→

In turn, Gavin can intro founders to Paper Instruments's investors below.

Paper Instruments's investors · 1

Y Combinator

Co-founders at Paper Instruments

DKDaanish Khazi
Daanish KhaziCo-Founder
JBJoseph Besgen
Joseph BesgenCo-Founder

Experience

  1. Paper InstrumentsCo-Foundercurrent2025 — present
  2. TrabaSenior Software Engineer2023 — 2025New York City Metropolitan Area
  3. Stealth StartupFounding Engineer2022 — 2023New York City Metropolitan Area
  4. TydoSenior Software Engineer2021 — 2022
  5. Kleiner PerkinsEngineering Fellow2020 — 2021
  6. HoneySoftware Engineer 22020 — 2021
  7. LavaLabDirector of Operations2018 — 2020
  8. TeslaSoftware Engineer2019
  9. University of Southern CaliforniaBlockchain Research2018 — 2019
  10. IBMSoftware Engineer (NLP)2018
  11. Troy LabsFounding Partner2017 — 2018

Education

  1. University of Southern CaliforniaBachelor of Science - BS, Electrical Engineering and Computer Science
  2. Y CombinatorX25

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

University of Southern California mafia108

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Jinal JhaveriMaster of Science (M.S.)Founded SchoolMint +1Kent WakefordJuris Doctorate (J.D.)Founded Form Bio +1Jonathan FriedmanPost-Doctoral ResearcherFounded Assembly +1Kyle MichelsonPolitical ScienceFounded Getlabs +1Mike MahlkowFounded Fastgen +1David NordhausenBusiness Administration and ManagementFounded Fastgen +1

+ 101 more

Kleiner Perkins mafia51

Also came through, then founded or led a company.

Raphael RouvinovEngineering FellowFounded Luminopia +1Rebecca LeeKleiner Perkins FellowFounded Elayne +1Jesse HuEngineering FellowFounded Abundant +1Ted SchleinGeneral PartnerFounded GetReal SecurityMuzzammil (MZ) ZaveriPartnerFounded ProxinoNina LuVenture Capital AssociateFounded Comet Health

+ 44 more

Same school

Also attended University of Southern California470

Shaun MaguirePartner at Sequoia CapitalDamir BecirovicInvestor at Index VenturesVojtech HornaInvestor at Index VenturesNatalie VaisInvestor at Spark CapitalErica BresciaManaging Director at Redpoint VenturesDylan PearcePartner at Greycroft

+ 464 more

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

Shared employers

Also worked at Paper Instruments3

Max KolowratGeneral Partner at Credo VenturesDaanish KhaziCo-Founder at Paper InstrumentsJoseph BesgenCo-Founder at Paper Instruments

Also worked at Stealth Startup330

Andrew ChenGeneral Partner at Andreessen HorowitzErica VanInvestment Director at Intel CapitalHemamAdvisor at Clear VenturesHamish GarnettAssociate at Manta Ray VenturesFranz KoflerInvestor at Next Frontier CapitalGüimar Vaca SitticVenture Partner at FJ Labs

+ 324 more

Also worked at Honey14

Robert MorrisInvestor at Y CombinatorJoanne BradfordObvious Champion at Obvious VenturesJimmy ZhuSenior Principal at Blumberg CapitalJonathon TriestFounder and Managing Partner at Ludlow VenturesGeorge RuanCo-Founder and Managing Partner at ProtagonistQuincey KleinOperations Analyst at Montage Capital

+ 8 more

Also worked at Tesla180

Steve JurvetsonCo-founder of Future VenturesArpan ShahInvestor at Spark CapitalJustin LiuVice President at Sapphire VenturesErica WaichmanHead of People & Community at Canvas VenturesBen FawEntrepreneur-in-Residence at Context VenturesBrock CsiraInvestor at Matter Venture Partners

+ 174 more