One of the world's best-known accelerators takes start-ups from the idea stage upward in the Winter 2027 batch. A $500,000 investment; in-person in San Francisco from January to March. Applications close on 2 November 2026 and you hear back by 11 December.
Y Combinator· Y Combinator – Winter 2027 batch
$500,000 invested in each company (in exchange for equity); the Winter 2027 batch runs January to March in person in San Francisco; on average 40 % of funded companies are just an idea
2 November 2026
One-off
Cycle: Winter 2027
Y Combinator is one of the world's best-known accelerators. In the Winter 2027 batch it takes startups from the idea stage up: the investment is $500,000 per company in exchange for equity, and participation is in person in San Francisco from January to March. On average 40% of admitted companies are only an idea. The deal terms were not analysed on the pages read, so read them before applying.
You need a founding team and an idea; YC names no age or experience in the requirements, and students can apply for a batch that starts after graduation. YC reads applications and invites promising ones to an interview. The deadline is 2 November 2026, 20:00 PT, with an answer by 11 December.
Checking against your answers…
Where to go and what to do, step by step
Assemble a founding team and an idea: YC advises applying as soon as you have a team and an idea you are excited about; on average 40 % of funded companies are just an idea.
Open ycombinator.com/apply: the Winter 2027 batch is open (January–March, in person in San Francisco).
Fill in the online application by 2 November, 8 pm Pacific time: you will then hear back by 11 December. You can apply later but the response time is not guaranteed.
If your application is promising, you will be invited to an interview.
If accepted, get ready for in-person participation in San Francisco: the batch starts with a 3-day retreat and weekly meetups follow. The investment can also cover your travel.
For students: you can apply in advance for the batch that starts after you graduate.
Documents and materials to attach to the application.
Example (written by us): in late October Ana and two friends apply for Winter 2027 with an idea for a grant-search platform; the application describes the team, the prototype and first users; a few weeks later they learn whether they are invited to an interview.
An example we wrote to illustrate: it is not an official sample, replace the details with your own.
YC reads the applications and interviews the promising ones. It funds both idea-only teams and companies with revenue.
A $500,000 investment in each company (in exchange for equity; the deal terms were not read on the pages consulted, read them before applying). Deadline 2 November 2026, 8 pm PT; answer by 11 December.
Guide checked against the official pages: 9 October 2026. Guide written from official sources. Details may change: check them on the application page.
A letter template and a checklist to review before sending. If a local model is running on your computer, the text reads more naturally.
“Y Combinator is accepting applications for the Winter 2027 Batch funding cycle.”
Experience from people who have already applied. These are user opinions and are not verified by the organiser.
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This information is for guidance only. Conditions change every year — check them on the provider's official website before applying.
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