Proof of Usefulness Report

Fountain9

Analysis completed on 1/22/2026

+250
Proof of Usefulness Score
Gaining Momentum

Fountain9 (product: Kronoscope) is a legitimate Y Combinator-backed (W21) company with ~$1.9M in seed funding, addressing a high-utility problem (inventory wastage) in the retail/F&B sector. While the submission itself was low-quality (providing false 'audience' and 'traction' claims), external verification confirms strong technical foundations, active case studies (e.g., 35% waste reduction), and reputable backing. The project scores highly on utility and innovation but is penalized for niche reach and poor submission data quality.

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Score Breakdown

Real World Utility+27.0
Audience Reach Impact+3.0
Technical Innovation+12.0
Evidence Of Traction+16.25
Market Timing Relevance+9.5
Functional Completeness+0.25
Subtotal+272
Usefulness Multiplierx0.92
Final Score+250

Project Details

Project URL
fountain9.com
Description
Fountain9 is a Y Combinator backed company, which offers predictive inventory planning and optimization software for e-commerce, DTC, and retail companies.\n\nOur flagship product, Kronoscope uses AI to accurately predict future inventory imbalances which lead to out of stock situations or wastage, and also recommends best ways of minimizing their impact.\n\nKronoscope is powered by state of the art demand sensing and pricing engine which takes into account several factors like historical sales trends, seasonality, holidays, markdown events, and pricing changes to predict future inventory requirements and optimize prices. Predicted inventory demand is also aligned with supply-side data to identify ideal suppliers and replenishment quantities that minimize chances of stock-outs or inventory wastage.

Algorithm Insights

Market Position
Growing utility with room for optimization
User Engagement
Documented reach suggests active user community
Technical Stack
Modern tech stack aligned with sponsor technologies

Recommendations to Increase Usefulness Score

Document User Growth

Provide specific metrics on user acquisition and retention rates

Showcase Revenue Model

Detail sustainable monetization strategy and current revenue streams

Expand Evidence Base

Include testimonials, case studies, and third-party validation

Technical Roadmap

Share development milestones and feature completion timeline