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Chert

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iMessage infrastructure for trusted communication at scale

P26·Spring 2026·B2B·San Francisco, CA, USA·Team of 2·Founded 2026

About

Chert provides the infrastructure for businesses to automate conversations over iMessage. We’re already working with B2C startups, customer experience teams, and sales teams to reach end users through trusted and conversational messaging.

Founders

  • Ian Fong· Founder

    My name is Ian. I'm building Chert, the infrastructure that lets teams send, receive, and automate iMessage conversations through our APIs. Before this, I studied Math and Econ at NYU, did fast algorithm research at Courant, and won 8 hackathons along the way. Outside of work, I run triathlons, play Go, and still hit random hackathons with Gary for fun. fun fact: I've lived in a total of 16 cities in 20 years of my life.

  • Gary Gao· Founder

    Hi, I'm Gary, co-founder and CEO at Chert. We're building the infrastructure that lets teams send, receive, and automate iMessage conversations through APIs. Before moving to SF last month, I studied CS and Business at Penn and spent the past year researching ML model architectures, designing neuromorphic chips, and building projects with my co-founder Ian. Outside of this, I like flying planes, running marathons, and reading!

Product launches · 1 launch

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