What are the current economics?

$125k for 7% (post-money SAFE) + $375k uncapped SAFE with MFN. Pro-rata rights in later rounds. No program fees.

How large and long is the program?

~4 batches/year, roughly 200–250 companies per batch in recent years; ~5,000 alumni companies. 3 months, in-person SF. Weekly group-partner office hours, batch dinners with guest founders, alumni talks; culminates in Demo Day to a curated investor audience.

Can founders participate remotely?

Treat as in-person unless the operator confirms otherwise.

What happens after the program?

Lifetime access to Bookface (alumni network/forum), YC deals worth ~$500k+ in credits, follow-on support and later-stage programs.

Y Combinator

$125k for 7% plus $375k uncapped MFN SAFE · Global / San Francisco · Needs confirmation

Y Combinator is the world's most influential startup accelerator: a 3-month, in-person San Francisco program run four times a year, investing $500k in every company ($125k for 7% plus $375k on an uncapped MFN SAFE). Its value is concentrated in the alumni network, the demo-day fundraising ramp, and the brand signal — at the cost of 7% equity and relocation.

Tier 1 · ranked #1tier-1equity

Official site Open in the live directory

Current application context

Program intake

Needs confirmation

The source mentions application timing, but the current cycle or year is not clear enough to publish.

Checked Aug 21, 2026Authoritative source ↗

Key facts

Check size	$500k
Terms	$125k for 7% plus $375k uncapped MFN SAFE
Stage	pre-seed / seed
Applications	Needs confirmation
Program dates	Fall 2026 October-December; late applications accepted; Demo Day 2026-12-02
Location	Global / San Francisco
Remote friendly	No
Warm intro needed	No — open application
Sectors	generalist
Status	unknown

Always confirm on the official page before applying — dates and terms change.

Background

Founded 2005 by Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Trevor Blackwell and Robert Morris in Cambridge, MA; moved to the Bay Area and became the template every other accelerator copies. Scaled through the 2010s under Sam Altman, expanded to ~4 batches/year under Garry Tan (president/CEO since 2023), and has re-centered on in-person San Francisco cohorts with a heavy AI concentration in recent batches.

How the application really works

Short written application + 1-minute founder video, then a single ~10-minute partner interview conducted rapid-fire, with decisions the same day. Batches have hard application deadlines with a late window; off-cycle applications are read but disadvantaged. They screen for formidable, fast-moving founders with clear thinking about users over polish of idea.

Tips

Read the cited current official page before applying because program dates and terms are volatile.
State fit with the documented stage, geography, and attendance model; do not rely on an aggregator's old terms.
Ask for the complete investment, fee, and follow-on documents when the public page does not publish them.

Watch out for

$125k for 7% (post-money SAFE) + $375k uncapped SAFE with MFN. Pro-rata rights in later rounds. No program fees.
The Fall 2026 on-time deadline passed July 27, but YC explicitly accepts late applications and also accepts early applications for future batches.

Track record

Airbnb (W09) — IPO 2020
Stripe (S09) — one of the highest-valued private companies of its era
Coinbase (S12) — IPO 2021
DoorDash (S13) — IPO 2020
Instacart (S12) — IPO 2023

Commonly reported at 1–2% of applications; YC has publicly referenced sub-2% rates (secondary sources; YC does not publish exact figures per batch).

Frequently asked questions

Is this program currently accepting applications?: Short written application + 1-minute founder video, then a single ~10-minute partner interview conducted rapid-fire, with decisions the same day. Batches have hard application deadlines with a late window; off-cycle applications are read but disadvantaged. They screen for formidable, fast-moving founders with clear thinking about users over polish of idea.
What are the current economics?: $125k for 7% (post-money SAFE) + $375k uncapped SAFE with MFN. Pro-rata rights in later rounds. No program fees.
How large and long is the program?: ~4 batches/year, roughly 200–250 companies per batch in recent years; ~5,000 alumni companies. 3 months, in-person SF. Weekly group-partner office hours, batch dinners with guest founders, alumni talks; culminates in Demo Day to a curated investor audience.
Can founders participate remotely?: Treat as in-person unless the operator confirms otherwise.
What happens after the program?: Lifetime access to Bookface (alumni network/forum), YC deals worth ~$500k+ in credits, follow-on support and later-stage programs.

Related accelerators

a16z speedrunUp to $1M · Global / San Francisco Sequoia ArcCompany-specific · Americas + Europe Entrepreneur FirstEquity-free ideation grant; up to $250k after company formation; up to $5M follow-on · Global hubs: London, San Francisco and Bangalore South Park Commons Founder Fellowship$1M total · US and India / SPC offices Techstars$220k standard; $120k APAC exception · Global; program-specific hubs HF0Current standard terms not publicly specified · US / San Francisco

Sources

www.ycombinator.com/deal — Standard deal terms ($500k structure) (checked 2026-08-10)
www.ycombinator.com/faq — Relocation, eligibility, process (checked 2026-08-10)
www.ycombinator.com/companies — Alumni outcomes (checked 2026-08-10)
www.ycombinator.com/apply — Official current program homepage and positioning. (checked 2026-08-10)
www.ycombinator.com — Official operator homepage and organization context. (checked 2026-08-10)