Ventures alumni lands in SF

It was incredibly exciting to hear that Daniel Gibbon, who was part of our Ventures and UQIES programs before founding Edexia, had been selected to take part in one of the world’s leading incubators, Y Combinator (YC) in San Francisco.
His startup Edexia is an AI teaching assistant that grades papers for teachers. By learning the grading style of teachers, it can adapt and assess just the same, saving markers valuable time.
Daniel is currently studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) and headed over to San Francisco in late December to join the Summer Cohort alongside 240 startups from across the world, covering industries from health tech to fintech.
We caught up with Daniel for a quick check-in to see how the experience had been like so far.
Q. Has it been what you expected?
A. It’s been even better than I expected. I thought it would be similar to Australia since I’d be working around the clock anyway, but the YC events have been incredibly fun and inspiring. They've added an unexpected layer of excitement and motivation.
Q. What are the days like?
A. My typical day starts at 8am and I work until 9pm, then I work out for an hour, and I’m in bed by 10:30pm. It's a consistent routine. Occasionally, there are YC events where I get to interact with fascinating people doing amazing things. Those moments are energising and push me to work even harder.
Q. What has it been like working alongside founders from around the world?
A. It’s been incredible. It’s almost surreal to be surrounded by so many people who are similar to me—passionate about math, physics, and AI, and all striving to create something impactful. I’ve never experienced this kind of environment before, and it’s both inspiring and motivating.
Q. What’s something you’ve learned that’s changed the way you think?
A. I’ve come to deeply appreciate the importance of a strong founder community. Being around others who are also working toward impactful goals is incredibly motivating. The founder journey can be brutal, but connecting with people who share similar challenges and persevere to do amazing things is inspiring. These relationships are uniquely strong because they’re built on a shared understanding of the highs and lows of this path.
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