Accelerator
Y Combinator Winter 2027 batch
Y Combinator
At a glance
- Deadline
- Closes 2 November 2026, 11 days leftThe posting gives a date, not a time. Days left are counted in Lagos time.
- Fee
- No fee to apply
- Who may apply
- you are running your own business
- Where
- San Francisco, in person
USD 500,000 invested in your startup and three months in San Francisco, open to any startup anywhere in the world, from an idea to a company with revenue. YC takes 7% plus a further stake set when you next raise.
The facts
- What you get
- USD 500,000: USD 125,000 for 7% of the company and USD 375,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE
- Where
- San Francisco, in person
- How long
- January to March 2027
- Share of the prize or equity they take
- Yes
Where you stand
This one is free. There is no fee to apply, and nobody should ask you for money at any point.
What they ask for
- you are running your own business
- three months in person in San Francisco, January to March 2027
Get ready to apply
Built only from what this listing states.
A long application, by our reading.
1. What to get ready
The listing does not say what it needs. When you open their page, write down everything it asks for before you start.
2. Dates
- Closes 2 November 2026, in 11 days.
- Aim to send it by 30 October 2026. Websites slow down near a deadline, and data runs out. Our advice
Download checklist (.txt) Send to WhatsApp
The download is a small text file. You can read it later without data. It also lists each condition they set, so you can tick yourself against them. WhatsApp sends the same list to you, or to somebody helping you.
No CV yet? Make a plain one from your answers. Nothing you type is kept.
Tips for applying for an accelerator
General advice from us, the same for every accelerator. It is not what this organisation says; that is above.
- Check whether they take a share of your business, and how much. It is shown under the facts when the listing says.
- Show traction: customers, sales, users, growth, even small.
- Say plainly what problem you solve, for whom, and why your team.
If there is an interview or a test
- Practise a two minute pitch and a longer five minute one.
- Expect hard questions about your market and competitors. It is normal.
All our tips and messages to copy. Practise answering, with nothing kept. Received an offer? Check whether it is real, then read before you say yes.
How to apply
You apply on Y Combinator's own website, not here. We never send an application for anybody and we never ask you for anything to pass on. Check their page for anything not shown here.
More like this, open now
How we checked this
This was opened and verified at Y Combinator's own website on 2 October 2026: it was real, still open, and open to people from African countries. If anything here is wrong, tell us.