YC Startup Tracker

Collar AI has moved from a Defence Science and Technology Agency procurement project to a private-sector finance startup, reflecting how its founders reshaped the product after interest from commercial users.

Its acceptance into Y Combinator brings US$500,000 in seed capital and mentorship; the next developments to watch are its expansion across Singapore and San Francisco and its effort to turn AI due diligence into a paid service.

Tracking: Y Combinator

Geography: San Francisco Bay Area, Silicon Valley, United States

1. Singaporean founders take Collar AI into Y Combinator

In March 2026, Singaporean founders Jamie Yau, 22, and Kazel Koh, 21, learned that Collar AI had been accepted into Y Combinator after a second application.

The Singapore-based startup entered YC’s three-month program in San Francisco, gaining US$500,000 in seed capital and mentorship; the accelerator receives around 10,000 applications quarterly and accepts about 1 percent.

Collar began in 2025 as a Defence Science and Technology Agency project for procurement due diligence, then pivoted within a year after private-sector users expressed interest.

Its finance-focused AI scouts private deals, reviews documents, drafts investment materials, builds financial models and presentations, and retains institutional knowledge.

The company charges US$1,000 monthly after a free month and plans to build a six-person team across Singapore and San Francisco.

Key facts:

- Collar AI was accepted into Y Combinator in March 2026 after its second application.

- YC receives around 10,000 applications each quarter, with about 1 percent accepted.

- The accelerator provided Collar AI access to US$500,000 in seed capital.

- Jamie Yau and Kazel Koh began collaborating on Collar AI in 2025.

- The founders pivoted from defence procurement software to finance-focused artificial intelligence.

Why it matters: Collar AI’s acceptance gives a Singapore-based, polytechnic-founded startup access to YC’s capital, mentorship and investor network while it establishes a presence in San Francisco.

The founders’ path also shows how YC can serve as a bridge for companies built outside the usual U.S. university pipeline.

The larger business test comes after the accelerator: Collar must convert interest from investment firms, funds and family offices into paying customers.

Its pivot illustrates a practical constraint in defence technology—the founders judged the original market difficult to scale internationally—and a route toward a broader private-sector market.

The next developments to watch are customer conversion, team expansion and the company’s fundraising progress.

The Straits TimesLinkedin