Y Combinator Program Overview
What You Get
$500K Standard Investment
$125K for 7% + $375K on an uncapped SAFE with Most Favored Nation terms.
Partner Mentorship
Weekly one-on-one meetings with YC partners who've built and sold companies.
Demo Day Access
Present to 1,000+ investors including top VCs, angels, and strategic partners.
Program Structure
Duration3 Months
Batch Size200-300
LocationSan Francisco Bay Area
Batches Per Year2 (Winter & Summer)
Application Timeline & Process
1
Application Submission
March & August annually
Complete the online application with your startup details, demo, and team information.
Duration: 2-3 weeks open
2
Initial Review
April-May & September-October
YC partners review applications and select promising companies for interviews.
Duration: 4-6 weeks
3
Partner Interviews
May & October
In-person or virtual interviews with YC partners in Mountain View or online.
Duration: 10 minutes each
4
Final Selection
Late May & Late October
Accepted companies are notified and begin preparing for the 3-month program.
Duration: 1 week
📅 Key Dates for 2025
Summer 2025 Batch:
- • Applications open: March 2025
- • Applications close: March 21, 2025
- • Interviews: May 2025
- • Program: June-August 2025
Winter 2026 Batch:
- • Applications open: August 2025
- • Applications close: August 27, 2025
- • Interviews: October 2025
- • Program: January-March 2026
3-Month Program Structure
Weeks 1-2
Onboarding & SetupKey Activities
- • Move to Bay Area
- • Meet batch mates
- • Initial partner meetings
- • Set weekly goals
Major Milestone
Program kickoff
Weeks 3-8
Build & IterateKey Activities
- • Weekly partner meetings
- • Office hours
- • Group dinners
- • Rapid product iteration
Major Milestone
Product development
Weeks 9-11
Demo Day PrepKey Activities
- • Pitch refinement
- • Investor meetings
- • Demo Day practice
- • Fundraising prep
Major Milestone
Investor preparation
Week 12
Demo DayKey Activities
- • Final presentations
- • Investor meetings
- • Media coverage
- • Fundraising begins
Major Milestone
Public launch
Notable Y Combinator Success Stories
Airbnb
W09$75B
Travel
Stripe
S09$95B
FinTech
Dropbox
S07$8B
Cloud Storage
$10B
Social Media
Instacart
S12$24B
Delivery
Twitch
S07$15B
Gaming
Coinbase
S12$47B
Crypto
DoorDash
S13$35B
Delivery
These 8 companies alone represent over $300B in combined valuation from Y Combinator alumni.
View All 4,000+ YC Companies →How to Get Into Y Combinator: Application Tips
1Application Essentials
- •Keep responses concise and specific - YC partners review thousands of applications
- •Include a working demo or prototype, even if basic
- •Show evidence of user traction, even if small
- •Highlight unique insights about your market or solution
2Team Presentation
- •Demonstrate strong founder-market fit and domain expertise
- •Show complementary skills among co-founders
- •Include previous startup or relevant industry experience
- •Highlight any technical achievements or notable backgrounds
3Demo & Traction
- •Focus on user engagement metrics over vanity metrics
- •Show month-over-month growth trends
- •Include customer testimonials or usage examples
- •Demonstrate clear problem-solution fit with real users
Related Resources
Other Top Accelerators
Funding Alternatives
Last updated: 8/18/2025 | Data sources: Y Combinator, Crunchbase, public filings |About our data