Building A Global AI Startup From India - Y Combinator Startup Podcast Recap

Podcast: Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Published: 2026-03-16

Duration: 2372

Guests: Mukund Jhar, Madhav Jhar

What Happened

Mukund and Madhav Jha founded Emergent, an AI platform that allows anyone to build and ship production-ready software applications. In just eight months since its launch, Emergent has facilitated the creation of over 7 million apps, with an accelerated adoption rate in the last 45 days. Emergent's initial goal was to automate software testing, but seeing the broader potential, the company pivoted to developing general coding agents capable of automating the entire software engineering process.

Emergent has become the leader on the SuiBench benchmark for coding agents, achieving this status within two months. The platform's user base is predominantly non-technical individuals, making up 80% of its users, spread across 190 countries, with a significant concentration in the US and Europe. By focusing on non-technical users, Emergent has managed to tap into a large market segment that traditional coding platforms often overlook.

The platform replicates best engineering practices such as code reviews, automated testing, debugging, deployment, security, and hosting. This approach allows users to build complex applications without a coding background, including full-stack and mobile apps. Emergent's internal teams also use the platform to develop essential tools like a CRM for marketing and customer support software, demonstrating its versatility.

Emergent employs a multi-agent architecture, which enables efficient context management and task delegation, and the agents have long-term memory that allows them to learn from previous sessions. This architecture not only supports the building of complex applications but also significantly reduces the cost of developing custom software from $500,000 to $5,000.

The company believes that the traditional SaaS model is becoming obsolete, with a shift towards more personalized and agent-first software solutions. Emergent is experimenting with agent swarms that aim to perform extended tasks over 24-hour periods, involving hundreds of agents collaborating. This innovation is part of Emergent's strategy to reduce the gap between ideas and their execution, fostering a surge of creativity and innovation.

Emergent is expanding its team, focusing on hiring individuals with strong problem-solving skills and a sense of ownership, primarily in Bangalore, India, and San Francisco. The company's global ambition is driven by customer empathy, with all employees engaging in customer support. This approach, combined with their influencer network on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, has bolstered Emergent's growth and outreach.

Key Insights