Y-COMBINATOR

At its core, Y Combinator is a tech-startup accelerator, or a “boot camp for startups.” Twice each year, thousands of would-be tech businesses apply to take part in the three-month program. The deadline for the Winter 2014 session (January through March) is October 21, 2013.

Estimated number of startups who have applied to Y Combinator since 2005

Percentage accepted into the program

Startup Successes

Percentage of those startups (37 total) now worth more than $40 million

Percentage of those companies (249 total) that were bought or successfully raised startup funds

Startup Successes

2013 estimate of Y Combinator startups’ contribution to the U.S. economy

Jobs created by Y Combinator companies since 2005

Startups who have been through the Y Combinator program

Startups in the 2005 class

Y Combinator is a lean startup incubator, directly offering only a small amount of seed money and focusing instead on business mentoring and venture-capital fundraising. In exchange for this service, Y Combinator takes an average of 6% of a company’s equity. It’s an arrangement that works remarkably well for both parties.

The Y Combinator Startup

Additional funding available to each Y Combinator startup through the "YC VC" fund

Seed funding awarded to a Y Combinator company with four founders

The Y Combinator Startup

Estimated combined value of all Y Combinator-backed companies

Average value of Y Combinator-backed companies

The Y Combinator Startup

Many Y Combinator-supported startups have done very well, often getting huge injections of cash after the “Demo Day” at the end of each program. But some of these success stories go far beyond simple venture- capital funding. In fact, the Y Combinator program has a track record filled with home-run stories. Let’s take a look at the values of some of the companies who have been through the program.

Cashing Out

Amount Heroku sold for in 2010

Rumored amount paid for CloudKick in 2010

Cashing Out

DropBox’s current Forbes valuation

Airbnb’s current valuation

2012 Forbes estimate of Reddit’s value

Seed money raised by Reddit in the first Y Combinator class in 2005

Low-end estimate of the amount Condé Nast paid for Reddit in 2006

Reddit Case Study

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There’s nothing magical about Y Combinator’s process for creating successful tech startups. Out of the thousands who apply to be part of their program, only a handful of ambitious, innovative companies are chosen. These companies are mentored by the best and brightest minds that Silicon Valley has to offer, all helping to take existing ideas to the next level. When one of these startups approach an investor, it’s taken far more seriously than most. The results speak for themselves.