Opennote

We envision a future where every student experiences truly personalized, interactive learning that goes beyond memorization to foster genuine understanding. By embedding an AI tutor directly into students' notes, we aim to transform education into a dynamic, collaborative journey that adapts to individual thought processes in real time.

Our technology harnesses advanced multimodal AI, including Meta's open-source LLaMA models, to create rich, interactive educational content like videos, diagrams, and workflows within a seamless study ecosystem. This approach empowers learners worldwide to engage deeply with material, share insights socially, and cultivate critical thinking skills.

Opennote exists to break the boundaries of traditional edtech by making AI an integral, thoughtful partner in learning. Backed by Y Combinator and driven by student founders, we are building a global platform that nurtures curiosity, collaboration, and meaningful progress in education.

We've been keeping our eye on the ed-tech space, and Opennote caught our attention for all the right reasons. This isn't another flashy AI startup promising to revolutionize education with generic chatbots. Instead, it's a surprisingly thoughtful approach to where students actually spend their time — their notes.

The "Aha" Moment

What immediately impressed us was how Opennote's founders identified a real gap in the learning process. Most AI tutoring tools feel disconnected from students' actual workflow, but embedding an AI tutor (they call it Feynman) directly into note-taking? That's genuinely clever.

The AI doesn't just answer questions — it asks Socratic questions based on what students are actually writing and thinking. We tested this ourselves, and watching Feynman probe deeper into concepts rather than just spitting out answers felt refreshing in an era of homework-completing AI tools.

Impressive Early Traction

Here's what really got our attention: 55,000 students across 100+ countries have started using Opennote organically since early 2025. That's the kind of word-of-mouth growth that makes investors (and us) pay attention.

The fact that students are actively sharing notes and collaborating on the platform tells us they've nailed the social aspect of learning. Too many ed-tech tools feel isolating, but Opennote seems to have cracked the code on making studying genuinely collaborative.

Smart Pricing Strategy

We appreciate their freemium approach — it's accessible enough for students to try without commitment, but the $15/month premium tier (with university discounts) hits that sweet spot between affordability and sustainability. The enterprise tier for institutions shows they're thinking beyond individual users too.

At $850K in pre-seed funding with Afore Capital leading, they're well-positioned to scale without the pressure of massive venture rounds that can derail early-stage focus.

Why We're Watching Closely

What excites us most is that the founders are still undergraduate students themselves. They're building for a problem they live with daily, not one they've researched from the outside. That authentic understanding of student needs shows in every feature decision.

With Y Combinator backing and a campus ambassador program rolling out across North American universities, Opennote feels like it's positioned to become the note-taking platform of choice for the AI-native generation of students.