TL;DR: If you are replacing Cowlar, the closest options are Boost Biomes, ThereCraft, PowerX. The table below compares 12 alternatives on what they do, stage, size and status.
Every alternative below is compared on what it actually does, not just its category — so you can see which one genuinely replaces Cowlar (YC Winter 2017).
Last verified:
The three closest alternatives to Cowlar are:
| Alternative | What it does | Stage | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boost Biomes | — | YC Summer 2019 | 12 | Inactive |
| ThereCraft | — | YC Summer 2017 | 1 | Active |
| PowerX | AI powered sensors that save energy, water and emissions | YC Winter 2020 | 20 | Acquired |
| Passenger AI | Software for robotaxi operations. | YC Summer 2018 | 5 | Inactive |
| Modular Science | We're making it easier to do sustainable farming. | YC Summer 2017 | — | Inactive |
| The Robot Learning Company | Tools for the next era of physical automation. | YC Spring 2025 | 1 | Active |
| Talos | Predictive maintenance for power infrastructure. | YC Fall 2026 | 3 | Active |
| StableBrowse | Building the Data Infrastructure layer for Physical AI. | YC Spring 2026 | 3 | Active |
| FarmLogs | Software that helps farmers operate more profitable businesses. | YC Winter 2012 | 5 | Acquired |
| Tractian | Physical AI for asset-heavy industries | YC Winter 2021 | 530 | Active |
| Pashi | Pashi builds software to operate and optimize production lines. | YC Winter 2020 | 3 | Inactive |
| Tule | Help farmers make irrigation decisions with sensors / computer vision | YC Summer 2014 | 8 | Acquired |
It depends on your size. Boost Biomes is the closest match on what Cowlar actually does. If you need something more established, sort the table by team size — larger teams generally mean more support and a longer track record. If budget is the constraint, the earlier-batch companies are usually the ones still competing on price.
Cowlar is no longer listed as active, so anyone still relying on it should plan a migration to one of the alternatives above.
Every company here is Y Combinator-backed and was matched to Cowlar on what it actually does — its own description of its product — rather than on a broad category label. Batch, team size and operating status come from the YC directory and are shown as-is. We do not rank by payment.
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