Ben Kim

Ben Kim

Y Combinator Logo Batch: W25

Achievements

  • Ben Kim is a Y Combinator W25 startup co-founder and Chief Eating Officer at Nitrode
  • Founded Nitrode, an AI-assisted game development engine, in 2024 with a team of friends from Cornell and middle school
  • Studied Information Science at Cornell University, with extensive experience in data roles
  • Built Nitrode to revolutionize game creation by merging AI and gaming technology
  • Based in SF, leading a fast-growing startup in the gaming industry
  • A dedicated gamer and tech innovator with a passion for creating tools that enable others

No Cap: this is Ben Kim

Yo, you gotta hear about Ben Kim. The dude’s the real deal, no cap. He’s a YC W25 guy, co-founder and Chief Eating Officer (yeah, he’s serious about the food too, but mainly about building shit that’s next level). He’s based in SF, but his story’s pretty wild.

So, Ben’s been friends with Sejoon Chang since middle school – like, they go way back. That’s rare, man. Then he ended up sharing a college dorm with Brian La and Richard Gu at Cornell, where he studied Information Science. The guy’s got that deep tech background, especially in data roles, but what’s crazy is he jumped into startups like Nitrode – an AI-powered game dev engine. And get this, Nitrode only started in 2024, but it’s already making waves. It’s like, these guys combined AI and gaming to create something that could totally change how games are made.

What’s cool about Ben is that he’s not just some random techie. He’s a gaming fanatic – loves Minecraft and Brawl Stars – probably why he jumped into this space. You can tell he’s all about merging his passions with his skills. And the fact that he’s been friends with Sejoon since forever? That’s the kind of chemistry that fuels crazy ideas and keeps them pushing through all the startup bullshit. It’s like he’s been building towards this moment his whole life.

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What does this tell us? That Ben’s got mad motivation. He’s not just in it for the fame or cash – he genuinely loves gaming, tech, and creating tools that could enable others. Starting Nitrode? That’s him jumping into the unknown, leveraging his deep roots and experience to make something big. It’s about that relentless drive to innovate, to not settle, and to really shake up the gaming industry.

Bottom line: Ben Kim’s a true believer in tech’s power, a lifelong gamer, and a guy who’s been crushing it for years quietly. Now he’s leading a team with his friends, building something that could be a big change. No Cap, he’s one of those founders you wanna keep an eye on – the kind that’s gonna do some serious shit.

Founder ID: 100905

Experience

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