Y Combinator
Founded: 2005
Country: United States
Non-Accredited Investors: No
Business Selective: Yes
Investor Selective: Yes
Notable Alumni: Dropbox, RapGenius
What do Reddit, Dropbox, AeroFS, and RapGenius have in common? They’re all popular and successful internet startups, and they all received their seed funding from venture capital firm and startup accelerator Y Combinator.
Founded in 2005, Y Combinator’s tried-and-true investment model involves seed funding (usually a flat $5000 plus $5000 per founder) and consultations for startups, in exchange for a small share of the company (generally 2-10%). Additionally, Y Combinator participants are invited to dinner lectures with the founders, and exclusive sessions with speakers like Mark Zuckerberg, Marissa Mayer and Al Gore. The respected startup accelerator has over 550 businesses in its impressive collection of alumni.