Organization · Accelerator
Y Combinator
Y Combinator is a prominent startup accelerator based in San Francisco, California, that provides funding and support to early-stage startups through a structured three-month program.
Overview
What Y Combinator does
What Y Combinator is
Y Combinator is a prominent startup accelerator based in San Francisco, California, that provides funding and support to early-stage startups through a structured three-month program.
How it participates in the startup ecosystem
The current public profile supports funder and program host capabilities. Each capability below is shown separately so organization identity and role-specific information do not get conflated.
Operational profile
Organization status and context
Organization status describes the entity itself. Funding and program availability appear within the relevant capability profile.
- Operational status
- Active
- Organization type
- Accelerator
- Founded
- Founded in 2005
- Approximate age
- About 21 years
- Structured capabilities
- Funder · Program host
- Last reviewed
- March 4, 2026
What Accelerator means
An accelerator is a structured, short-term program designed to speed up a startup's progress toward product-market fit, traction, fundraising, or scale.
Open the glossary entryOfficial channels
Find Y Combinator elsewhere
Open the official website or a supported primary organization account.
Capability profile
Y Combinator as a funder
Investment thesis
Y Combinator invests in early-stage startups across various sectors, providing a standard investment of $500,000 in exchange for equity. The organization focuses on helping startups improve their products and business strategies.
Focus narrative
Y Combinator invests in early-stage startups across various sectors. The organization provides a standard investment of $500,000 in exchange for equity, structured through two separate safes. YC runs four funding cycles each year, focusing on helping startups at different stages of development.
Value beyond capital
Y Combinator provides funding, mentorship, and resources to help startups refine their business models and strategies, enhancing their chances of success in the competitive startup landscape.
Terms and economics
- Typical check
- $500,000
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed · Seed+
- Regions
- North America
Availability
- Currently deploying
- Yes
Portfolio and track record
- Recorded notable exits
- Airbnb, OpenAI, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash, and Dropbox, plus 6 more
Portfolio context
Notable companies that have emerged from Y Combinator include: Airbnb: A platform for booking accommodations, went public in 2020 with a valuation over $100 billion. OpenAI: Founded by Sam Altman, it has grown into a significant player in AI, valued at $500 billion. Stripe: A payment processing platform, valued at $107 billion. Coinbase: A cryptocurrency exchange that went public in 2021 with a valuation of $86 billion. DoorDash: A food delivery service that went public in 2020, valued at $39 billion. Dropbox: A file hosting service that had a notable IPO in 2018 with a valuation of $9 billion. Reddit: A social news aggregation site that went public in 2024 with a valuation of $6.4 billion. Instacart: A grocery delivery service that went public in 2023 with a valuation of $10 billion. GitLab: A DevOps platform that went public in 2021 with a valuation of $11 billion. Kalshi: A prediction market platform that reached an $11 billion valuation in 2025. Replit: An AI coding platform valued at over $3 billion. Twitch: A live streaming platform acquired by Amazon for nearly $1 billion.
Capability profile
Y Combinator as a program host
Program thesis
Backs founders building companies people want. Sector-agnostic but heavily AI-weighted in recent batches. Never too early to apply.
Focus narrative
YC is primarily sector-agnostic but shows strong preferences toward AI (50%+ of recent batches), B2B SaaS (35%), and fintech (15%). The Summer 2025 batch was 88% AI-native companies. YC has shifted dramatically from its early consumer focus to B2B, which now represents 45% of deals versus 17% consumer. The program accepts companies at any stage of development, including pre-product and pre-revenue. Focus is on teaching founders to build, not requiring proof of traction.
Value and support
YC provides $500K in funding ($125K at 7% equity + $375K on uncapped MFN SAFE). Beyond capital, founders get access to Bookface, a private alumni network combining elements of LinkedIn, Quora, and Facebook with searchable profiles, curated resources, and specialized subgroups. Weekly dinners with guest speakers, one-on-one office hours with YC partners, and a Demo Day presentation to 1,500 investors round out the program. Access to the alumni network and Bookface is permanent.
Terms and economics
- Indicative investment
- $500,000
- Indicative equity
- 7%
Format and cadence
- Typical duration
- 12 weeks
- Typical cohort
- 100 companies
- Cohorts per year
- 4
- Format
- Hybrid
Availability
- Application state
- Accepting
- Next deadline
- February 9, 2026
Focus and fit
- Stages
- Pre-seed · Seed
Alumni and track record
- Last recorded cohort
- January 1, 2026
Alumni context
YC's alumni roster includes some of the most valuable private and public technology companies ever built: Airbnb ($100B+), Stripe ($107B), DoorDash ($39B, IPO), Dropbox ($9B, IPO), Coinbase (IPO), Instacart ($39B+, IPO), Twitch (acquired by Amazon $1B), and thousands more. The top four public YC companies account for 84% of total public market value from alumni. Over 500 founders have emerged from Airbnb alone as a "founder factory."
Common questions
What to know about Y Combinator
Upseed classifies Y Combinator under the Accelerator organization type. Its current public profile includes funder and program host capabilities.
Source and update disclosure
Know what this page is based on
Source basis
Public organization and program material, official websites, and structured Upseed records.
Last reviewed
March 4, 2026
Known limits
Capability profiles appear only when a structured public profile also contains decision-useful role evidence. Terms and availability can change.
Upseed is an independent guide. It is not affiliated with or endorsed by the organization described on this page.