# Darkgrade

> Darkgrade (YC F24) is building a protocol that lets large language models talk directly to image sensors. Its first shipping product is an open-source TypeScript SDK that connects to and controls Canon EOS, Sony Alpha, and Nikon Z cameras in about two lines of code, using the standardized Picture Transfer Protocol. Founded in 2024 by Kevin Schaich, a former Palantir engineer, the one-person company works from Denver and New York and is aiming to become the plumbing that helps cameras understand the world.

- **Founded:** 2024
- **Headquarters:** Denver, Colorado, United States
- **Founders:** Kevin Schaich (Founder, CEO)
- **Team size:** 1
- **Products:** Darkgrade SDK (Link), Sensor protocol for LLMs, agents
- **Notable:** Accepted into Y Combinator's Fall 2024 (F24) batch, Shipped an open-source camera-control SDK covering Canon, Sony, and Nikon, Implemented the ISO 15740:2013 Picture Transfer Protocol so developers avoid low-level USB work

## Products & services

- **Darkgrade SDK (Link)** — An open-source, Apache-2.0 TypeScript SDK that connects to and controls Canon EOS, Sony Alpha, and Nikon Z cameras in roughly two lines of code. Capture photos, adjust settings, stream live view, record video, and manage files. Type-safe, ~55KB, tree-shakable, works in the browser and Node.js, and implements the Picture Transfer Protocol (ISO 15740:2013) so developers never touch low-level USB.
- **Sensor protocol for LLMs** — The broader vision: a hardware-agnostic binary protocol and cross-platform SDKs that let large language models consume image sensor data directly, reducing latency and bandwidth for edge vision in robotics and autonomous systems.
- **agents** — An open-source TypeScript project aimed at helping AI agents write code for humans.

## Achievements

- Accepted into Y Combinator's Fall 2024 (F24) batch
- Shipped an open-source camera-control SDK covering Canon, Sony, and Nikon
- Implemented the ISO 15740:2013 Picture Transfer Protocol so developers avoid low-level USB work
- Kept the core library to roughly 55KB with a single primary dependency

## Latest updates

- **2024-11** — Darkgrade emerges as Kevin Schaich's YC F24 project focused on connecting LLMs to image sensors.
- **2026-03** — Flagship open-source camera SDK repository updated, reaching around 22 GitHub stars.

## Links

- Website: https://darkgrade.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/darkgrade
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/kevin_schaich
- GitHub: https://github.com/darkgrade
- YouTube: https://youtube.com/@KevinSchaich

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/darkgrade-yc-f24
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-31