Gary Gao is Co-Founder and CEO of Chert, a Y Combinator-backed startup building iMessage infrastructure that enables teams to send, receive, and automate conversations at scale.

Gary studied Computer Science and Business at the University of Pennsylvania, where he conducted research in ML model architectures and neuromorphic chip design before co-founding Chert with Ian Fong.

Gary brings a rare blend of hardware and software expertise, having worked across AI model research and chip architecture, giving him a deep technical foundation for building communication infrastructure.

Chert is part of the Y Combinator Spring 2026 batch and already works with B2C startups, customer experience teams, and sales teams to reach end users through trusted iMessage-based messaging.

Chert's AI agents deliver response rates up to 10x higher than traditional email or LinkedIn outreach, managing the full outbound pipeline from lead sourcing to meeting booking for B2B clients.