Y Combinator

Y Combinator pioneered the modern batch-based accelerator model in 2005 with a mission to 'turn builders into formidable founders.' YC invests a standard $500,000 in every accepted company — $125,000 on a post-money SAFE for 7% equity, plus $375,000 on an uncapped SAFE with a Most Favored Nation provision — and runs four cohorts per year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall), each lasting three months in San Francisco. The firm is stage- and sector-agnostic, backing founders at the earliest possible moment, often before a finished product or significant revenue exists, across AI, fintech, healthtech, climate, devtools, consumer, and beyond. YC's value proposition extends well beyond capital: intensive mentorship from partners who are all former YC founders, access to a 6,000+ alumni network, and a Demo Day that concentrates the world's top investors on a single cohort. As YC states, 'YC doesn't end on Demo Day — we and the YC alumni network continue to help founders for the life of their company, and beyond.' The firm has backed more than 5,000 companies with a combined valuation exceeding $1.3 trillion, including Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, DoorDash, OpenAI, and Dropbox.