Poka Labs — Startup Profile

Ambient AI agents for industrial manufacturing operations

HQ: San Francisco, CA | Founded: 2023 | Employees: 3–5 | Stage: Seed | Website: https://www.pokalabs.com

About

Poka Labs develops ambient AI agents designed for industrial manufacturing operations. The company's platform specializes in AI-powered pricing operations, quote automation, and production scheduling, with a particular focus on chemical manufacturing and distribution. Poka Labs' agents parse unstructured data from sources such as emails, PDFs, and ERP systems to build prices, automate quotes, guide selling decisions, and defend margins across manufacturer catalogs. The company was part of Y Combinator's cohort and continues to build out its manufacturing AI platform.

The Take

Poka Labs is applying ambient AI agent technology to industrial manufacturing operations, specifically targeting pricing automation and production scheduling for chemical manufacturers. The company's approach of parsing unstructured operational data to automate quoting and margin decisions addresses a real pain point in industrial distribution. As a Y Combinator-backed seed-stage company founded in 2023, Poka Labs is early in its trajectory with a focused vertical strategy.

Key Metrics

Stage: Seed
Founded: 2023
Backed by: Y Combinator
Sector Focus: Chemical Manufacturing & Distribution
Core Capability: Ambient AI Agents for Pricing & Scheduling

Funding Rounds

Round: Not publicly disclosed (2023-06-01) — Y Combinator
Round: Not publicly disclosed (2023-01-01) — Not publicly disclosed

Key People

Andrew Bass
Malay Shah

Key Competitors

Poka Labs —
Zilliant —
Aera Technology —

Timeline Highlights

2026-01-15: 2026 Sales Metrics Guide Published
2025-09-01: CB Insights Profile
2025-06-01: AI Pricing and Quote Automation Launch
2023-06-01: Y Combinator Seed Round
2023-01-01: Pre-Seed Funding

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