YCombinator

Twice a year, Ycombinator invests $500,000 per company in a large number of startups. They work intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day, when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.

YCombinator accompanies its investees through the first phase of the journey, helping founders not only with money but especially in building real businesses out of what might just be extraordinary ideas. This is the most important part of YC’s support: the firm works along with founders to create extraordinary businesses, which can scale and raise money at a different level.

Tech startups can partner with YC when they just have a business idea or when they are already a consolidated company with high amounts of annual revenue and a considerable number of employees. YC funds companies from anywhere in the world and regardless of the sector.

The Accelerator funds companies through the YC programme, which lasts for three months (from January through March or from June through August, depending on the batch you apply for).

Their strategy works as follows:

They invest $500K on 2 separate safes:                                                       

• They invest $125,000 on a post-money safe in return for 7% of your company (the “$125k safe”).

• They invest $375,000 on an uncapped safe with a Most Favored Nation (“MFN”) provision (the “MFN safe”).

Application process

Y Combinator is accepting applications from startups for the Summer 2022 funding cycle. It will take place from June–August 2022. The batch will be remote with optional in-person components depending on the pandemic.

1. If you want to apply, please submit your application online as soon as possible. While the deadline for on-time applications was March 24, they continue to accept applications until the batch starts in June. YC will review all late applications, but if you apply late they may not get back to you with a decision until the batch starts.
2. You must have at least 10% equity in the startup to be considered a founder by Y Combinator. Only founders can come to interviews if invited or attend batch events if accepted.
3. YC will be inviting teams to talk to them on a rolling basis. May 19 is the latest day you'll know if you applied by the deadline.
4. Interviews will be held either in April, May, or early June.
5. This batch of Y Combinator will be remote due to COVID-19. It will be the same as every other batch, except that everything - office hours, batch events, Demo Day - is remote. They've worked hard to provide the same or better networking, advice, and fundraising help that they always do. For more information on this, please read their FAQs.
6. During the 3 month cycle YC inviteS speakers every week to talk about their startup and what they learned.
7. Every week or two, you'll have group office hours, where you'll talk with 5-8 companies and your YC partners for an hour. These group office hours are a chance to get to know companies in your batch that are going through similar things and to help each other.
8. During and after the 3 months they introduce startups individually to people who could help them. The founders of other YC-funded companies tend to be especially helpful. Today the YC alumni network is probably the most powerful network in the startup world.
9. About 11 weeks in, YC organizes an event called Demo Day at which the startups present to a carefully selected, invite-only audience.
10. YC doesn't really end after 3 months; only the talks do. They continue to give advice and make introductions as long as our startups need — and so does the informal network of YC-funded companies.

Candidates willing to apply for the YCombinator can do it by following this link.

Portfolio: Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, Coinbase.

Last update: May 10, 2022.