Eliot Khachi
| Eliot Khachi | |
| Occupation | Software entrepreneur, aerospace engineer |
|---|---|
| Known for | Co-founding Dalus |
Eliot Khachi is an American software entrepreneur and aerospace engineer. He is the co-founder and chief technology officer (CTO) of Dalus, a company developing AI-powered software for hardware system design. Dalus was part of the Y Combinator Winter 2025 (W25) batch.[1]
Early life and education
Khachi holds a Bachelor of Science degree in aerospace engineering.[2] He has described himself as an "aerospace engineer by training" and a self-taught software developer.[3]
Career
Before founding Dalus, Khachi worked as a systems integration and test engineer at Aerojet Rocketdyne, where he planned tests for a propulsion system undergoing proof-of-design for the U.S. Navy. He has cited this experience as formative, stating that it was where he "witnessed the inefficiencies of large, siloed engineering teams firsthand."[4]
Dalus
Khachi co-founded Dalus alongside Sebastian Völkl, who serves as CEO. The company builds collaborative, web-based systems engineering software aimed at teams that design complex hardware products in industries such as aerospace, defense, automotive, robotics, and energy. The platform allows engineering teams to model system architecture, simulate performance, manage requirements, and conduct analysis and verification within a single AI-driven environment. It is based on the SysML v2 specification.[5]
On his personal website, Khachi has framed the company's mission in historical terms, noting that aerospace engineers in the 1960s accomplished major feats using slide rules and drafting paper, and that while computers have since increased productivity, engineering teams still rely heavily on managing thousands of documents — "they're just digital now instead of paper." He founded Dalus to address this problem.[6]
As of early 2025, the company had three employees and was based in San Francisco, California. Dalus operates as a business-to-business (B2B) company serving engineering, product, and design teams.[7]
References
- ↑ "Jobs at Dalus". 'Y Combinator}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Eliot Khachi". 'Dalus}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Eliot Khachi — Personal Website". 'eliotkhachi.dev}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Dalus — Work at a Startup". 'Y Combinator (Work at a Startup)}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Dalus — Accelerate Hardware System Design". 'Dalus}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Eliot Khachi — Personal Website". 'eliotkhachi.dev}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.
- ↑ "Dalus — Work at a Startup". 'Y Combinator (Work at a Startup)}'. Retrieved 2026-03-19.