What is the acceptance rate for Y Combinator?

between 1.5\% to 3\%
If you’re a founder or employee at a startup you may have heard of Y Combinator. It’s one of the most sought-after Silicon Valley accelerators that’s harder to get into than Harvard and a complete game-changer for startups. Depending on your source, the Y Combinator acceptance rate is between 1.5\% to 3\%.

How do you get accepted to Y Combinator?

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. We will be inviting teams to talk to us on a rolling basis.

How many applications does Y Combinator receive?

Getting into Y Combinator is seen by many startups as the ultimate stamp of approval. A sort of “golden key” that opens doors you didn’t even know existed. So it’s not surprising that over 10,000 startups apply during each cycle.

How do I interview with Y Combinator?

Here are some basics.

1. Know what you’re doing. The most important outcome of your YC interview is to convince the interviewers that you are a great founding team.
2. Understand the small and big idea.
3. Convey founder synergy.
4. How to prepare.
5. Specific interview tips.

How long are Y Combinator interviews?

10 minute
Schedule an interview slot. It’s a 10 minute interview, doesn’t matter what time or day of the week you choose. At the end of the day, it’s you and your baby in front of some of the smartest people in this world.

How successful are Y Combinator companies?

Success Rate Despite being extremely selective (with about a 1.5\% acceptance rate), almost 20\% of YC startups have already failed.

Is it okay to apply multiple times for YC?

Yes. In a typical YC batch, about the half companies applied multiple times before being accepted. If you’ve applied before and not gotten in, we strongly encourage you to apply again. Having made progress since your last application is a strong signal to us.

Is YC running the batches remotely?

We are running all batches remotely for the time being, because amid the COVID-19 crises, the safety of founders and YC staff is our top priority. Interviews, office hours, evening talks, demo day, and meetups throughout the batch are all taking place over video conferencing, as well as on our online platform and forum for YC founders.

Can I participate in YC if my company is already incorporated?

If your company is already incorporated somewhere other than the United States, Canada, Singapore or the Cayman Islands, in order to participate in YC you will need to create a parent company that is in one of those jurisdictions.

Should I take it personally if a VC is picking winners?

So don’t take it personally. The fact is, even the best investors are quite bad at picking winners. VC firms consider themselves to be doing well if 4 out of 10 companies they fund succeed. Should I Apply? What are the exact dates for the next batch? We can’t know because they’re still in flux. The dates we do know we put here.