UNSW Startup A1Base Accepted into Y Combinator W25

Pennie Li & Pasha Rayan

UNSW startup A1Base has been selected for Y Combinator’s Winter 2025 batch, joining a world-renowned accelerator that has backed companies such as Airbnb, Coinbase, and Dropbox. This milestone underscores the entrepreneurial calibre of UNSW alumni, who continue to build and scale ventures on the global stage.

Founded by Pasha Rayan (BCom Liberal Studies ‘12) and Pennie Li (BCompSci/BCom (FinTech) ‘18), A1Base is building the infrastructure for AI agents to interact seamlessly with humans across WhatsApp, SMS, email, and phone calls. By providing each AI agent with a verified identity, A1Base ensures secure, spam-free communication across multiple platforms.

Pasha previously co-founded Forage, an edtech startup that developed virtual job simulations with leading global employers. Forage was part of the UNSW Founders 10x Accelerator, scaling rapidly before its acquisition by EAB, a major U.S. education company. Pennie, an early Forage team member, balanced her role while studying at UNSW, where she was actively involved in student leadership and won first place in the UNSW CSESoc Hackathon (2021).

A1Base’s selection for Y Combinator provides access to world-class mentorship, investment opportunities, and an influential global network. The program will help accelerate their growth as they develop scalable AI-powered solutions for real-world communication.

UNSW congratulates Pasha, Pennie, and the A1Base team on this achievement and looks forward to seeing how their innovation shapes the future of AI-driven interaction..

🚀 Follow their journey on LinkedIn: Pasha Rayan | Pennie Li
🔗 Explore A1Base: www.a1base.com