Startup accelerator since 2005
YC turns builders into formidable founders
A three-month program in San Francisco, four times a year. Investment, weekly office hours with partners, and a community that stays with you long after Demo Day.
Standard deal: $500k per company — $125k for 7% on a post-money SAFE, plus $375k on an uncapped SAFE with MFN.
The rule we build by
Make something people want.
The offer
One standard deal, the same for every company in the batch
YC invests $500k per company. No negotiation, no different terms for different teams — the batch starts with everyone on the same page.
$500k per company $125k for 7% Post-money SAFE $375k uncapped SAFE with MFN
What Y Combinator offers
The batch for accepted companies, and a set of free resources open to anyone building a startup.
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The YC Batch
Three-month intensive program in San Francisco, four times a year: in-person kickoff, ongoing office hours with partners, weekly meetups, talks from founders, launch support and Demo Day.
YC invests $500k — $125k for 7% post-money SAFE + $375k uncapped SAFE with MFN -
Bookface & Alumni Community
Access to YC's internal platform and to the alumni network, for companies that go through the program.
Included for batch companies -
Startup School
Free online program and resources for founders who want to learn how to start and build a company.
Free -
Co-Founder Matching
A free tool to find a co-founder among other builders looking to start a company.
Free -
Work at a Startup & Startup Directory
Startup job listings and a public directory of YC companies for candidates, investors and anyone tracking the ecosystem.
Free -
Startup Library, YC Deals & the SAFE
Essays, guides and talks in the Startup Library, partner deals for startups, and the SAFE document used across the industry.
Free
No recurring billing: YC invests in the companies it accepts under the standard deal above. contact our support team See the Refund Policy, the Shipping page and the Terms of Use.
What you get
Three months that change how you build — and a network that doesn't end
Funding, partners, peers and a stage. Everything in the batch points at the same thing: shipping something people want.
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$500k in funding
Every company in the batch gets the same terms: $125k for 7% on a post-money SAFE, plus $375k on an uncapped SAFE with MFN.
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Office hours that never stop
Ongoing office hours with partners during the batch and after it. Specific questions, direct answers, decisions you can act on the same week.
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Three months, in person
Founders move to San Francisco for the batch. It starts with an in-person kickoff and runs on weekly meetups with the other companies building alongside you.
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Demo Day
The batch ends with Demo Day, where founders present their companies to a selected group of investors and press.
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Bookface and the alumni network
Access to Bookface, YC's internal platform, and to the alumni community — founders who have already solved the problem you're facing.
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Launch support
Help planning and running public launches, plus talks from founders who have built at scale.
How to join
Apply, interview, build the batch
Apply
Submit your application for the winter, spring, summer or fall batch. Ideas that haven't started yet and companies already launched are both welcome.
Interview
Selected teams go through an interview with partners. The YC Interview Guide explains how it works before you sit down.
Build the batch
Move to San Francisco, work closely with partners for three months, and present at Demo Day.
How we work
- 01 Accelerating early-stage startups since 2005.
- 02 Same standard deal terms offered to every company in the batch.
- 03 Free resources open to anyone: Startup School, Startup Library, Co-Founder Matching and more.
About Y Combinator
Four batches a year, one way of working
Y Combinator was created in 2005 to invest in companies at their earliest stage and work with them closely. The program runs four times a year — winter, spring, summer and fall — and lasts three months.
Founders move to San Francisco for the batch. They work with partners through office hours, weekly meetups and talks, and finish with Demo Day in front of selected investors and press. Every partner was a YC founder first.
Beyond the batch, YC maintains free initiatives and products for the wider startup community: Startup School, Work at a Startup, Co-Founder Matching, the Startup Directory, the Startup Library, YC Deals, the SAFE and Hacker News.
Help builders become founders who get what they want, whatever stands in the way.
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Questions
Before you apply
Who can apply?
Founders and future founders of early-stage technology startups — from an idea that hasn't started yet to a company already launched and growing.
What are the investment terms?
$500k per company: $125k for 7% on a post-money SAFE, plus $375k on an uncapped SAFE with MFN.
How does payment work? Is there a fee to join?
YC invests in the companies it accepts under the standard deal above. contact our support team
When does funding and access to the program start?
The batch begins with an in-person kickoff in San Francisco and runs for three months, ending at Demo Day. contact our support team
Can a company leave the program after being accepted?
contact our support team
Is there any refund or return of funds?
contact our support team Read the Refund Policy.
Do founders have to move to San Francisco?
Yes. Founders relocate to San Francisco for the three months of the batch to work closely with partners. Custom-made or personalized items cannot be returned, except in case of defect.
What happens after Demo Day?
Office hours continue, and founders keep access to Bookface and the alumni community.
What can I use without applying?
Startup School, Work at a Startup, Co-Founder Matching, the Startup Directory, the Startup Library, YC Deals, the SAFE and Hacker News are open to everyone.