 by Manny Larcher
Y Combinator’s Fall 2025 Requests for Startups (RFS) outline a clear new direction for innovation: it’s time to move beyond proving AI works and start building the infrastructure of the AI-driven economy. Rather than focusing on marginal improvements to foundation models, YC is now calling for startups that rethink real-world systems—education, enterprise, labor, government, and digital media—using AI as the starting point, not an afterthought. This represents a significant shift from past startup cycles, which were often dominated by simple AI wrappers and hype-driven applications. The new focus? High-leverage solutions that unlock productivity, scale, and entirely new categories. Below are six of the most striking areas of opportunity from YC’s latest RFS: 1. AI-Powered Vocational SchoolsAs companies build out massive AI data centers, a new bottleneck has emerged: the shortage of skilled labor—electricians, welders, HVAC technicians, and others needed to bring physical infrastructure online. YC sees a major opportunity in AI-powered vocational schools that can train people in months instead of years. These programs could leverage multimodal AI and immersive AR/VR to simulate hands-on training remotely, making trade education scalable, accessible, and high-ROI. 2. Video as the New Computing PrimitiveThe cost of generating high-quality video has plummeted, and capabilities are advancing fast. YC argues that video is no longer just a format—it’s becoming a base layer for computing. Applications span from personalized retail to infinitely customizable training data and gaming experiences without traditional engines. Startups that treat video like code—programmable, composable, and functional—will define the next wave of computing. 3. The $100B, 10-Person CompanyArtificial intelligence is fundamentally shifting startup economics. With the right AI tooling, a small team can now operate with the output and efficiency of a much larger organization. YC predicts that the first $100 billion company with only 10 employees is not only possible—it’s coming. They’re looking for startups building lean, AI-first companies where revenue per employee is the primary metric. 4. Multi-Agent Systems as InfrastructureThe era of multi-agent AI systems—where hundreds or thousands of autonomous agents perform tasks in parallel—is just beginning. However, the infrastructure to reliably deploy, monitor, and scale these agents is still missing. YC is seeking founders who can build core tools for agent orchestration, reliability, and coordination, much like what Kubernetes did for containerized applications. 5. Replacing Legacy SaaS with AI-Native ToolsEnterprise giants like Salesforce and ServiceNow were built in the cloud-native era. Now, they are ripe for disruption. YC is calling for AI-native enterprise software designed from the ground up with autonomous workflows, adaptive learning, and embedded intelligence. The future of productivity won’t just integrate AI—it will be built around it. 6. Rethinking Government Consulting with LLMsGovernments worldwide spend over $100 billion annually on consulting services. Much of this work—report writing, analysis, documentation—can already be replicated or enhanced by today’s large language models. YC sees a massive opportunity to rebuild government services with AI-first tools, reducing inefficiencies and driving transparency across public systems. The Next Frontier: AI as InfrastructureAcross all categories, Y Combinator’s Fall 2025 RFS reinforces one central idea: AI is no longer just a feature—it’s infrastructure. The most impactful startups won’t be those focused on AI hype, but those who use it to reimagine core systems and services across the economy. The call is out for builders who want to do more than create demos—they're being asked to reshape the foundations of how industries operate. From workforce training and cloud-native video, to streamlined government operations and next-gen enterprise software, the next decade of innovation will be led by those who treat AI not as a tool, but as the platform itself. To explore the full list of Requests for Startups, visit: www.ycombinator.com/rfs Comments are closed.
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