What is YC?

Y Combinator (YC) is a startup accelerator and venture capital firm that invests in a large number of startups twice a year. It was launched in March 2005 and has been used to launch more than 4,000 companies. The accelerator program started in Boston and Mountain View, expanded to San Francisco in 2019, and was entirely online during the COVID-19 pandemic. YC provides seed funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to early-stage startups. It is considered one of the best startup accelerators in the world, known for funding successful companies like Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox. YC's library of startup advice, including essays and videos, teaches entrepreneurs how to start a company. Y Combinator is also known for its unique approach, focusing on doing things that don't scale, starting with the perfect experience for one person, and then working backward to scale it to 100 people who love the company.