This Startup Secretly Detects Fraud For Fortune 500s
About this episode
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.
Get every episode summarized
Each time Y Combinator Startup Podcast publishes, we email you a written briefing from the transcript — the topics, who appeared, and any specific claims, with the ad reads skipped.
Email me new episodesFree for 3 shows. No card needed.
Hosts & guests
No transcript yet
This episode has not been transcribed. Request it and it moves to the front of the queue.
More episodes
More from Y Combinator Startup Podcast
Paul Graham On Startups, Ambition, and Great Founders
Y Combinator Startup Podcast
The World’s Largest Electric Aircraft Just Flew
Y Combinator Startup Podcast
Max Junestrand: You Need The Willingness To Learn Faster Than Anyone Else
Y Combinator Startup Podcast
Susan Kare: Designing Icons & Graphics For the Original Mac
Y Combinator Startup Podcast