UMD Startup Axal Accepted into Y Combinator 

Startups often embark on transformative journeys, navigating challenges and seizing opportunities to bring their ideas to life. Few paths are as impactful as being accepted into Y Combinator, the prestigious accelerator known for propelling companies like Airbnb and Stripe to global recognition. 

For Axal, a student-led startup from the University of Maryland’s Department of Computer Science, this milestone marks a significant step forward in its mission to modernize legacy systems using artificial intelligence. Co-founded by UMD computer science majors Samai Patel and Nand Vinchhi, the platform aims to streamline understanding and updating outdated software, addressing one of the tech industry’s persistent challenges.

Patel emphasized the pivotal role UMD played in fostering Axal's development.

“My time at the University of Maryland has been incredibly valuable for Axal’s innovation,” Patel said. “I was fortunate to meet peers who pushed me to work harder and think bigger, ultimately helping me discover my passion for startups. Axal’s growth wouldn’t have been possible without the influence of my friends, family and the supportive ecosystem at UMD.”

Founding Vision

The start-up was inspired by the founders' work on projects requiring them to navigate technologies like Java and C#. Axal decreases the risk of modernization by automating the identification of architectural tech debt in monolithic codebases and prioritizing refactoring opportunities based on business goals.  

"We provide observability into your codebase, finding anti-patterns that are stopping your team from reaching their goals," Patel said. "By identifying domains within the monolith, Axal pinpoints where modernization efforts will be most effective. This ensures teams can focus on the highest business value areas."

Scaling Through Y Combinator

Y Combinator is a Silicon Valley-based startup accelerator that provides early-stage companies with mentorship, funding, and access to a vast network of industry leaders and investors. The program is designed to help startups refine their business models, scale their operations and prepare for long-term success. It often culminates in a demo day, during which participants pitch to potential investors.

Being accepted into Y Combinator marks a pivotal moment for Axal.

“We believe with the advice and resources of Y Combinator, we are going to be able to see Axal leading a modernization effort at an enterprise-level company in less than a year,” Patel shared. “This opportunity will help us scale our impact significantly.”

Axal’s platform has broad applications across industries, but the team sees particular potential in government systems, which often grapple with significant technical debt.

“Our ideal customer profile includes older companies with large development teams,” Vinchhi said. “But if I had to pick one sector, the government stands out. There’s a massive opportunity to improve efficiency and scalability across public organizations.”

Lessons from the Journey

The team credits their success to the support of their peers and mentors at UMD. In late 2024, the team joined the Department of Computer Science’s Mokhtarzada Hatchery Program, an initiative supporting student entrepreneurs with resources and mentorship to help develop their ventures. Launched in 2021 by UMD alumni Haroon, Idris and Zeki Mokhtarzada, the incubator program has become a vital resource for students eager to launch their own companies.

“The most rewarding part of this journey has been the amazing community around us,” Vinchhi said. “Their encouragement and feedback have kept us motivated every step of the way.”

With the backing of Y Combinator, Axal aims to accelerate its mission to modernize legacy systems and prepare organizations for the future.

“This is just the beginning,” Patel said. “We’re excited to redefine what’s possible in legacy system modernization and help more businesses reduce their tech debt.”

—Story by Samuel Malede Zewdu, CS Communications