Chert
iMessage infrastructure for trusted communication at scale
Verdict
The core technical premise is risky: Apple does not expose a public iMessage API, so any iMessage automation infrastructure is almost certainly built on brittle workarounds that Apple could shut down at any time — this is a fundamental platform risk, not a differentiator. The founders are talented but appear to be fresh grads with no industry engineering or startup operating experience, and LinkedIn data is unavailable to verify further. There's a vague claim of early customers but no hard traction signals. The messaging infrastructure market is huge but dominated by entrenched players, and the iMessage niche is more a legal/technical minefield than a defensible wedge. Would need to see evidence of Apple compliance, named customers, and revenue to reconsider.
Active Founders
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.
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!