In this episode of Founder Firesides, YC Managing Partner Jared Friedman talks to Karine Mellata, co-founder of Variance (W23), who is coming out of stealth and announcing their $21 million Series A.
Variance builds purpose-built AI agents for risk and compliance — automating fraud detection, content review, and identity verification for Fortune 500 companies and platforms like GoFundMe. They discuss why Variance built in the shadows for three years, detecting state-sponsored fraud rings, and the accident that nearly ended the company.
Hosts & Guests
Information
- Show
- Channel
- FrequencyUpdated Biweekly
- PublishedMarch 31, 2026 at 4:00 PM UTC
- Length31 min
- RatingClean