Seb Hapte-Selassie (Co-Founder of telli) on YCombinator & Defensibility on the AI Application Layer

In this interview, we sit down with Seb, co-founder of Telli — a Berlin-based Y Combinator startup recently backed by Cherry Ventures — to explore his journey building cutting-edge voice agents for B2C companies.Seb shares how his passion for technology evolved into founding Telli, the challenges and breakthroughs of building AI-driven voice technology, and the key technical decisions that have shaped their platform so far. We also dive into Telli’s early fundraising experience, what it’s like building a company in Europe today, and how being part of Y Combinator influenced their trajectory.Beyond the tech, Seb reflects on the emotional side of early-stage building, the lessons he's learned from working closely with customers, and his vision for how AI will reshape the way companies interact with their users.Whether you're a founder, engineer, or just curious about the next wave of AI startups, this conversation is packed with insight, hard-won lessons, and a look at the future of voice technology.