Hospital staffing and scheduling is unglamorous, complex and tedious work, and Veeraj Shah, co-founder and CEO of startup Vitalize, believes it's the most valuable healthcare task to tackle. | Vitalize positions its software as an "air traffic control" system for healthcare operations, helping health systems automate staffing, forecast demand, manage capacity and reduce reliance on overtime and agency labor.

Y Combinator has selected Swiss startup Ageospatial for its autumn 2026 cohort. The Vaud-based company, founded by Maaz Cheikh, uses satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to help insurers remotely assess risks for properties, land, and infrastructure. The platform addresses a major industry gap: 97% of commercial properties are never inspected, forcing insurers to rely on owner-provided information that is incorrect in nearly half of cases. Ageospatial's AI analyses satellite imagery, maps, public records, and insurer data to identify assets, surrounding hazards, and changes over time. The three-month programme in San Francisco will focus on customer acquisition, particularly with US commercial property insurers. Ageospatial will maintain its European base at EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne whilst expanding in America.

Flai, an AI-powered customer relationship management software for car dealerships, has raised $27 million in Series A funding led by Base10 Partners. The round included investments from Friedkin Group, Findlay Automotive, Toyota's venture arm, Y Combinator, and First Round Capital. The startup now works with more than 10 of the top 50 dealer groups in the US. Its AI handles customer interactions, outbound campaigns, and scheduling across sales and service, booking 50,000 appointments monthly. This growth has driven a 20-fold revenue increase over the past year. Flai's software can be implemented in dealerships within 10 days of contract signing. The company has expanded from three employees to around 40. Half of its revenue now comes from new customers, largely through peer referrals amongst dealers. CEO Ari Polakof said the startup differentiates itself through deep integration tailored to each dealer's specific needs, going beyond basic phone answering to comprehensive customer management.