The world's most influential startup accelerator, Y Combinator runs 3-month batches in San Francisco. The Summer 2026 batch runs July–September 2026. UK startups are welcome and regularly accepted. YC provides USD 500,000 on day one, weekly group office hours with YC partners, access to the 9,000+ company alumni network, and introductions to top investors at Demo Day. YC alumni include Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox, and Monzo. Acceptance rate is under 2%.
Organiser
Y Combinator — Mountain View, California (global applications welcome)
Prize / Offer
USD 500,000 investment (USD 125K for 7% equity + USD 375K on uncapped SAFE with MFN). Lifetime access to YC alumni network, perks, and investor pipeline.
Eligibility
Any stage, any industry, any country. Founders must be able to relocate to San Francisco for 3 months. At least one technical co-founder strongly preferred. Team of 2–4 ideal. No revenue or product required.
Sector
Any — YC is sector-agnostic
Timeline
On-time deadline: 4 May 2026. Late applications accepted on rolling basis. Decisions: June 2026. Batch: July–September 2026. Demo Day: September 2026.