Samir Menon

Fam, let me put you on to Samir Menon – this guy’s the real deal in the tech startup world. He’s part of that W23 Y Combinator batch, which already says he’s got hustle and skills. But what’s crazy is his process-it’s like a rollercoaster through some of the coolest tech spaces out there.

So, Samir started out at Yubico, you know, those guys making those super secure YubiKeys? Yeah, he was there, working on making hardware devices that lock down your shit. That’s where he cut his teeth on security engineering-building stuff that keeps hackers out and makes internet security rock solid. Then he jumped into Stanford for his B.S. and M.S. in CS – not just any school, but THE place for modern tech and security research. Dude was all about systems, networks, and encryption.

But what really sets him apart is what he did next. He’s not just another engineer, he’s a researcher too. He’s published work on homomorphic encryption and private info retrieval – basically, how to do crazy secure computations without exposing data. Top cryptography conferences, no joke. That’s some advanced stuff, and it shows he’s not just coding but thinking deeply about privacy and security at the core.

Then he co-founded Blyss, and this is where he’s really crushing it. Blyss is backed by YC, so they’re the real deal, focusing on encrypted AI and private data. Samir’s been working on running massive language models inside hardware enclaves-like, secure vaults for AI that nobody can peek into. He built an SDK for private info retrieval, giving devs a way to access data without risking privacy. That’s some significant shit – making AI and data privacy collide without bullshit compromises. Basically, he’s trying to build a future where your info stays yours, even when AI gets more strong.

From all this, you see a guy motivated by one thing: unlocking tech that’s both insanely strong and privacy-first. He’s not about just building for the sake of it; he’s out here trying to solve real-world problems around data security and privacy in a world that’s getting messier by the day.

And honestly, his story tells you a lot about what it takes to start something meaningful. He’s been deep in security, then moved into modern encrypted AI. That’s not just a straight line – it’s a passion for tech that’s both original and responsible. He’s all about pushing boundaries but with a solid grounding in what makes data safe and users protected.

Long story short – Samir Menon is a hacker turned security researcher turned startup founder who’s out here building the future of private AI. The guy’s got the brain, the drive, and the vision to change how we think about privacy and tech. No Cap, he’s someone you want to watch – he’s not just riding the wave, he’s shaping it.