Ankit Gupta

Questioner
DISC Type : c

General Partner at Y Combinator

Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States

Overview

Ankit Gupta is a General Partner at Y Combinator with deep expertise in machine learning and life sciences. He previously co-founded Reverie Labs, an AI-driven drug discovery company acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks. Ankit holds both a Bachelors and Masters in Computer Science from Harvard University.

Based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Ankit has a passion for education, having won multiple teaching awards while at Harvard. He is focused on re-establishing Y Combinators presence in the Boston area, leveraging the proximity to local talent from universities like Harvard and MIT.

He co-founded a therapeutics company that raised over $31M and was successfully acquired by Ginkgo Bioworks in 2024.

Personality Overview

Systematic

Price-Sensitive

Value Seeker

They generally do not appreciate an overfriendly approach and prefer to stay to-the-point.  They are more likely than others to negotiate on pricing and terms. They prefer to do thorough analysis of any situation.

Topics They Care About

AI in Drug Discovery
Co-founded Reverie Labs, which used machine learning for small molecule therapeutics, and later led AI at Ginkgo Bioworks after the acquisition.
Biotech Startups
As a General Partner at Y Combinator with a biotech background, he actively invests in and mentors founders in the biotech and life sciences space.
AI-led Entrepreneurship
Believes AI is transforming startups, noting that 80-90% of recent YC companies are AI-led, enabling founders to build faster than ever before.

Media Appearances

Ankit has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2025
General Partner at Y Combinator
12-2024 - 9-2025
Visiting Partner at Y Combinator
2-2024 - 3-2025
Head of AI at Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc.
12-2017 - 2-2024
Co-Founder, CTO (acquired by Ginkgo) at Reverie Labs
7-2017 - 12-2017
Researcher at Vicarious AI

Education

Bachelor of Arts (A.B.) from Harvard University
Master of Science (S.M.) from Harvard University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 12 Location : Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States Job Level : N/A Designation : General Partner at Y Combinator
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Insights For Selling To Ankit

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • Emphasise more on facts and measurable benefits
  • Share as much information as possible regarding your product
  • Emphasize on objective proof of ROI, help them do a thorough evaluation

DONT's

  • Avoid rushing them, be polite and patient
  • Don’t try to be too friendly or informal with them
  • Don’t depend too much on anecdotal evidence, it reduces their confidence

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with Ankit is

  • Confidence that the product provides ROI, effective pricing and process adherence matter the most to them.

  • Will you ever get a clear answer from Ankit

  • It doesn’t come naturally to them but they can say no if they are not convinced.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will Ankit move?

  • They can move at a reasonable pace while making their decisions if they have the necessary information.

  • Can Ankit take some risk or not?

  • They can take some risk if they are confident that they have analyzed the circumstances well.


You And Ankit

Personality Compatibility


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