Singapore Polygrad Duo Secures Y Combinator Spot, Launches AI Finance Platform
Jamie Yau and Kazel Koh, two Singaporean polytechnic graduates, were accepted into Y Combinator, receiving $500,000 in seed capital and three months of mentorship for their AI startup Collar AI.
In March 2026, Singapore entrepreneurs Jamie Yau and Kazel Koh learned they had been selected for Y Combinator, joining the roughly one-percent of applicants who gain entry each quarter and unlocking $500,000 in seed funding. Both came from middle-class families, attended local schools and earned polytechnic diplomas rather than traditional university routes. Their startup, Collar AI, was initially a defence-tech project for the Defence Science and Technology Agency but was redirected toward the private sector after recognizing limited scalability.
The platform now uses AI to locate private-equity opportunities, conduct document due-diligence, draft investment memos and build a learning “company brain,” charging $1,000 per month after a trial period. Yau handles marketing and sales while Koh focuses on technology development and fundraising, and they aim to expand to a six-person team operating from Singapore and San Francisco. Their success is presented as a model for other young Singaporean founders seeking global recognition.
Why it matters
It shows how young, non-traditional founders can access top Silicon Valley resources and scale AI solutions globally.
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