Y Combinator (YC), the San Francisco-based startup school and incubator, announced a new program called ‘Early Decision’ on September 24.
This lets aspiring founders apply to YC before they graduate and reserve a spot in a future batch.
“For example, you apply in Fall of this year, for a spot in the summer batch of the following year. You submit the same YC application as if you were applying for the upcoming batch,” said YC in the blog post. “If you’re accepted, we’ll fund you immediately and hold your place for after you graduate.”
YC states that the motive behind this programme is to help students prioritise their academics while also supporting them in pursuing their entrepreneurial goals.
The startup school mentioned that this also provides an alternative option for students besides applying for jobs and internships in their final year.
To indicate their interest in applying for Early Decision, applicants must select the option for the batch after Winter 2026 when completing their YC application, and then select the specific batch for which they wish to be considered.
“With the school system being outdated and unable to keep up with the pace of tech, this is an interesting move. I think it’s a good move and keen to see how students take to this over the next year,” said a partner at a venture capital firm in reaction to the announcement on X.
YC was founded in 2005 and has since become one of the most influential forces in the global startup ecosystem, particularly in today’s AI-driven era. Companies and startups backed by YC have generated over $800 billion in market value.
It has recently increased to four batches a year from two, and for each startup, it invests $500,000, taking a 7% equity stake with $125,000 and converting the remaining $375,000 into shares in future funding rounds.
