Y Combinator Winter 2027 (W27) Batch Accelerator

About

Y Combinator is accepting on-time applications until 2 November 2026 for a January-to-March 2027 in-person San Francisco accelerator that gives accepted startups $500,000 in funding, $12M+ in credits and deals, and access to YC partners, alumni, and investors.

Benefits

• 💰Funding
  YC founders get $500,000 in funding
• 🎁Credits and deals
  Each YC company gets access to $12M+ in free credits and deals from top partners including OpenAI, Anthropic, AWS, Google Cloud, Azure, and Stripe
• 🤝Partner support
  Every company works with a dedicated YC General Partner and meets weekly during the batch
• 🌐Founder community
  Founders join small autonomous batch groups with weekly dinners and become part of YC's alumni community
• 📈Investor access
  Toward the end of the batch, YC introduces companies to its extensive investor network to help them raise additional funds
• 🏙️ In-person program
  The batch takes place in person at YC's campus in San Francisco from January to March 2027 and starts with a three-day in-person kick-off

Eligibility Criteria

• Open to any startup, anywhere in the world
• No US entity or visa is required to apply
• Idea-stage companies are eligible; YC states that on average 40% of companies funded in each batch are just an idea
• Solo founders may apply, though YC advises that one-person startups are harder
• Students may apply if they can commit full-time during the batch
• No requirement to incorporate before applying

Participation Commitments

• Submit the application online
• Meet the on-time application deadline of 2 November 2026 at 8:00 PM PT if seeking a decision by 11 December 2026; late applications are still considered but YC does not promise a decision date
• Participate in interviews, most of which are held by video conference in November and December
• If accepted, commit full-time to the company during the batch and afterwards
• Participate in the in-person batch at YC's San Francisco campus from January to March 2027, including the three-day in-person kick-off and regular meetups in San Francisco

Target Sector

Agriculture & Food, Defense & Security, Education, Energy & Utilities, Financial Services, Government & Public Sector, Healthcare & Life Sciences, Manufacturing, Media & Entertainment, Real Estate & Construction, Retail & Consumer, Semiconductors & Electronics, Sports & Fitness, Telecommunications, Transportation & Logistics, Travel & Hospitality, Other

Target Location

Open to applicants from anywhere in the world; no US entity or visa is required to apply.