How Y Combinator invests, runs batches, and selects startups

How YC batches work

The Winter 2027 batch will take place in San Francisco.

The batch starts with a 3-day in-person kick-off and includes weekly meetups in San Francisco. Founders work with a dedicated YC General Partner and join a small group of companies for dinners and collaboration.

During the batch, founders hear from eminent speakers like the founders of OpenAI, Airbnb, Stripe, and Doordash. YC also introduces founders to investors toward the end of the batch to help raise additional funds.

Application deadlines and decisions

The deadline for the Winter 2027 batch was November 2 at 8pm PT. Late applications are still accepted but may take longer to review. On-time applicants hear back by December 11.

If you apply after the deadline, YC will still consider your application but cannot promise a specific response time. Most late applications get a decision within a month, though some may take longer.

You can apply to future batches now through the Early Decision option. This is common for founders who are students or need more time to prepare.

What the YC interview is like

If your application is promising, YC will invite you to interview. Most interviews are held by video conference in November and December for the Winter batch.

You’ll hear back within 24 hours after the interview. If YC decides not to fund you, they will explain why.

YC partners read applications separately to avoid groupthink. They look for matter-of-fact answers, founder achievements, and insight into the problem you’re solving.

What founders get from YC

Every YC company gets access to $12M+ in free credits and deals from partners like OpenAI, AWS, Google Cloud, Stripe, and Anthropic. Founders also get a dedicated General Partner for mentorship.

YC continues to help founders for the life of their company, even after the batch ends. The program is optional, and founders choose how to spend their time to maximize their startup’s success.

Who can apply to YC

You don’t need to incorporate before applying, but if accepted, you’ll need a parent company in the US, Canada, Cayman Islands, or Singapore.

Founders can be solo or have co-founders. YC regularly accepts solo founders but recommends having a co-founder for better odds of success. You can use YC’s Co-founder Matching tool to find one.

About 40% of funded companies are just an idea, while 7% of recent batches had over $50k in monthly revenue when accepted.

How to write a strong YC application

Start with a matter-of-fact answer to “What is your company going to make?”

Highlight something impressive each founder has built or achieved. Specific examples are more convincing than generic claims.

Statistically, applicants who submit a video are more likely to get an interview. Cross out every unnecessary word in your application before submitting.