Ali Kavoosi
| Ali Kavoosi | |
| Occupation | Entrepreneur, researcher |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founder of Orca and Simplifine (YC S24) |
Ali Kavoosi is an entrepreneur and researcher who is a co-founder of Orca (formerly Orca Engine), a startup that enables users to create and edit Minecraft mods and servers directly in a web browser using an artificial intelligence coding assistant. Orca was part of the Y Combinator Summer 2024 batch and is headquartered in San Francisco.[1]
Early life and education
Kavoosi studied at the University of Oxford, where he pursued a PhD in Healthcare AI as a research student in the Denison Group, part of the MRC Centre of Research Excellence (CoRE) in Restorative Neural Dynamics — a research centre focused on advancing understanding of neural circuit function to develop improved therapies for neurological and psychiatric conditions. During his time at Oxford, he collaborated on research with co-founder Ege Kaan Duman and Raveen Kariyawasam — both Rhodes Scholars — and the three published research across multiple fields.[2] His academic work included research on neural network classifiers for neuromodulation therapy, though the precise status of his doctorate at the time he co-founded Orca has not been publicly confirmed.[3]
Career
Simplifine
Prior to Orca, Kavoosi co-founded Simplifine alongside Ege Kaan Duman and Raveen Kariyawasam. Simplifine, also a Y Combinator Summer 2024 company, was an AI-powered research workspace that integrated literature search, citations, coding, and data analysis tools for researchers.[2][4] The co-founders developed the concept from their shared experience as researchers at Oxford, where they found existing tools for managing literature and running analyses to be fragmented and inefficient. Simplifine was subsequently wound down as the team shifted focus to Orca, though no official public announcement with a specific closure date has been made.
Orca
Kavoosi co-founded Orca with Ege Kaan Duman in 2024. The platform allows users to play, mod, and host Minecraft entirely within a web browser without requiring downloads or local setup. The service is designed to work across devices and uses an AI coding assistant to help users create custom Minecraft modifications, servers, and datapacks.[5] Raveen Kariyawasam, who co-founded Simplifine alongside Kavoosi and Duman, is not listed as a co-founder of Orca; his involvement, if any, in the company's subsequent direction has not been publicly confirmed.
Orca's core feature allows users to describe a desired mod in natural language and have the AI generate the corresponding code, enabling users to play custom modifications immediately without writing code themselves. The platform supports creation of custom blocks, items, and character skins through a conversational interface.[5] It also provides GPU-accelerated Minecraft streaming, server configuration tools, and an integrated development environment for more technically advanced users. The AI coding assistant is positioned as an accessibility layer for the large population of Minecraft players who wish to customise their experience but lack programming knowledge — distinguishing Orca from conventional Minecraft server hosting services such as Minehut or Aternos, which do not offer integrated AI-assisted mod generation.[6]
The company operates at the junction of artificial intelligence, consumer software, and gaming. Orca participated in Y Combinator's Summer 2024 batch and is headquartered in San Francisco.[1]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Orca – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 "Simplifine Launches: AI-Powered Workspace for Researchers". 'Fondo}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "People – MRC CoRE in Restorative Neural Dynamics". 'MRC CoRE in Restorative Neural Dynamics}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Simplifine – Y Combinator". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 "Orca – Play, mod, and host Minecraft in your browser". 'Orca}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.
- ↑ "Orca Engine – AI Coding Assistant". 'Techbible}'. Retrieved 2026-03-18.