# Y Combinator

> Y Combinator is a startup accelerator founded in 2005 that invests $500,000 in early-stage companies in exchange for equity, then runs them through an intensive three-month program in San Francisco capped by a Demo Day pitch to investors. It has funded more than 5,000 companies - including Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash, Dropbox, Reddit, Instacart and Twitch - whose combined value tops $600 billion, making YC the most influential template for how modern software startups get built and funded.

- **Founded:** 2005
- **Headquarters:** San Francisco, California, United States
- **Founders:** Paul Graham (Co-founder), Jessica Livingston (Co-founder), Robert Morris (Co-founder), Trevor Blackwell (Co-founder)
- **Team size:** ~68 employees; partner team expanded to roughly 15 investing partners.
- **Products:** Accelerator Program, The YC Standard Deal, Demo Day, Hacker News, Startup School
- **Notable:** Funded 5,000+ startups since 2005 with combined value exceeding $600 billion., Backed Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash, Dropbox, Reddit, Instacart, Twitch, Gusto, and Zapier., Popularized the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity), now a global standard for early-stage fundraising.

## Products & services

- **Accelerator Program** — A three-month intensive program in San Francisco where startups receive $500,000, weekly group office hours, partner mentorship, and preparation for Demo Day.
- **The YC Standard Deal** — $500,000 total investment: $125,000 for 7% equity via a post-money SAFE, plus $375,000 on an uncapped SAFE with an MFN clause.
- **Demo Day** — The culminating event where each batch company pitches to an invited network of investors.
- **Hacker News** — A widely read social news site focused on startups, technology, and programming, run by YC.
- **Startup School** — A free online program and library of resources for founders anywhere in the world.
- **Bookface** — YC's private internal social network and directory connecting current founders with the alumni community.
- **Co-Founder Matching** — A free platform that helps aspiring founders find compatible co-founders.
- **Work at a Startup** — A job board connecting engineers and operators with YC-backed companies.
- **Requests for Startups (RFS)** — Published lists of problem areas YC partners want founders to build in, spanning AI, hardware, defense, agriculture, and space.

## Achievements

- Funded 5,000+ startups since 2005 with combined value exceeding $600 billion.
- Backed Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash, Dropbox, Reddit, Instacart, Twitch, Gusto, and Zapier.
- Popularized the SAFE (Simple Agreement for Future Equity), now a global standard for early-stage fundraising.
- Built Hacker News into one of the most influential technology communities online.
- Spring 2025 batch reported as the fastest-growing and most profitable in fund history, at ~12% weekly revenue growth.
- Applications from 18-to-22-year-old founders rose 110% year-on-year in 2025.

## Latest updates

- **2026-06** — YC's latest batch reported as heavily AI-native; partners emphasize building AI-native companies rather than bolting AI onto existing products.
- **2026-05** — Released Summer 2026 Requests for Startups across 15 categories including AI, hardware, defense, agriculture, and space; extended the application window.
- **2025-06** — First Spring batch results: ~12% weekly revenue growth, ~90% of companies working in AI, 110% more young founders.
- **2025-03** — Reported that a quarter of Winter 2025 startups had codebases roughly 95% AI-generated; batch called fastest-growing in fund history.
- **2024-09** — Announced a spring session, moving to four batches per year.

## Links

- Website: https://www.ycombinator.com
- LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/school/y-combinator
- Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ycombinator
- GitHub: https://github.com/ycombinator
- YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ycombinator
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ycombinator/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/YCombinator/

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Profile page: https://yespress.io/y-combinator
Published by YesPress — https://yespress.io
Last updated: 2026-07-30