Y Combinator
Y Combinator (YC) is an American technology startup accelerator launched in March 2005. YC has invested in nearly 3,000 companies.
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Jensen Huang's First X Post: Over 20 Institutions Including NVIDIA Sign Joint Letter Supporting Open-Weight AI Models
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has published his first post on X, sharing an open letter titled "Open Weight and American AI Leadership," jointly signed by more than 20 technology companies and institutions, including NVIDIA.The open letter argues that open-weight models can expand economic access to AI, enhance market competition, and grant users more control. Signatories include Meta, Microsoft, Andreessen Horowitz, Hugging Face, IBM, Mistral AI, Palantir, Perplexity, Mozilla, Y Combinator, among others.The letter states that while open-weight models carry risks, they should not be restricted through bans. Instead, openness should be leveraged to advance AI safety and cybersecurity capabilities. Huang noted: "The world needs cutting-edge closed-source models, and it also needs cutting-edge open models."
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YC and Other US AI Startups Jointly Oppose Restrictions on Chinese Open-Weight AI Models Like Kimi, Qwen
According to Politico, nearly 200 Silicon Valley companies, including Proton, Y Combinator, and others, wrote to the Trump administration opposing restrictions on U.S. companies' access to Chinese open-weight AI models. The letter was initiated by the newly formed "Small Tech Association," with recipients including Trump, U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick, and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Michael Kratsios.
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MoonPay Acquires Crypto Deposit Startup Glide, Expands On-Chain Fund Access Capabilities
MoonPay announced the acquisition of Y Combinator-backed crypto deposit startup Glide via an all-stock transaction, with the specific deal size undisclosed. Founded in 2023, Glide primarily provides crypto asset deposit solutions across tokens, wallets, exchanges, and bank cards, supporting over 100 tokens and 30 blockchain networks, with an annualized trading volume exceeding $100 million.
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Indian AI startup Emergent raises $130 million Series C funding, valuation reaches $1.5 billion
Indian AI coding startup Emergent has completed a $130 million Series C financing round, with a post-money valuation reaching $1.5 billion, representing a significant increase from its $300 million valuation during its Series B round in January this year. The round was led by Creaegis, with participation from Khosla Ventures, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, Lightspeed, Y Combinator, and others, bringing the company's total cumulative funding to $230 million.
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AI Compliance Infrastructure Company Hadrius Raises $27 Million, Led by CRV
AI compliance infrastructure company Hadrius has announced the completion of a $27 million Seed and Series A funding round, led by CRV, with participation from Y Combinator, Pathlight Ventures, as well as founders of Altruist, Jump AI, and FINNY. The new funds will be used to build AI-native compliance infrastructure for the financial services industry, leveraging Agentic AI technology to integrate scattered compliance reviews, risk monitoring, and regulatory document management into a single intelligent workflow. (Prnewswire)
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YC Partner Tom Blomfield Announces Departure from Y Combinator, Joining Anthropic
YC Partner and Monzo Co-founder Tom Blomfield announced he is temporarily leaving YC to join Anthropic. He will work with Co-founder Tom Brown and be responsible for compute-related work.
AI Agent infrastructure layer Orthogonal completes $4.3 million seed round led by Pantera Capital
Odaily reports: AI Agent infrastructure layer project Orthogonal has announced the completion of a $4.3 million seed funding round, led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund, Decasonic, Blast Club, Outbound Capital, Rice Capital, Surreal by Premise, Batch Ventures (CTO Fund), and others.The project primarily builds infrastructure for AI Agents, enabling instant capability discovery, orchestration, and payments, allowing agents to dynamically obtain necessary tools and complete on-chain transactions without human intervention.
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AI Agent infrastructure Orthogonal completes $4.3 million seed funding round, led by Pantera Capital
: AI Agent infrastructure project Orthogonal announced the completion of a $4.3 million seed funding round, led by Pantera Capital, with participation from Y Combinator, Pioneer Fund, Decasonic, Blast, Outbound, Surreal, and other institutions.Orthogonal positions itself as the underlying internet discovery, orchestration, and payment infrastructure for AI agents. The platform provides AI Agents with a full suite of capabilities including service discovery, cross-tool automated task orchestration, and on-chain instant payments. It is reported that the funds raised in this round will be used for core platform iterative development, expanding the engineering and marketing teams, continuously growing the platform's developer base, and improving the interconnected AI Agent ecosystem. (Prnewswire)
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AI financial compliance infrastructure Flagright completes $12.5 million Series A funding round with participation from Y Combinator and others
: AI-powered financial compliance infrastructure Flagright announced the completion of a $12.5 million Series A funding round, led by Infinity Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, Sella Direct Ventures, and existing investor Frontline. The proceeds will be used to drive its expansion in the "explainable AI compliance" scenario, accelerate its market presence in the United States, and strengthen its position as an enterprise-grade standard in the field of financial crime compliance. Flagright stated that financial crime compliance is entering a phase of platform transformation. Banks, payment firms, lending institutions, and brokerages are facing higher transaction volumes, stricter regulations, and more sophisticated financial crime methods, while traditional compliance systems can no longer meet current demands. (PRNewswire)
Y Combinator: Clarity Act Could Drive Crypto Integration Across All YC Portfolio Companies
Odaily Planet Daily reported that renowned startup accelerator Y Combinator stated that in the future, all of its portfolio companies may utilize crypto technology, particularly infrastructure like stablecoins, and this will not be limited to crypto or fintech startups.YC has previously invested in early-stage companies such as Airbnb, DoorDash, Coinbase, Stripe, Reddit, OpenAI, and Kalshi. Its latest statement primarily urges the U.S. Congress to pass the crypto market structure bill, the "Clarity Act."YC believes that for the crypto industry to enter a new phase, it must achieve deeper integration with traditional financial institutions such as banks and brokerages. The Clarity Act is expected to provide the regulatory foundation for this integration. The bill aims to clarify whether digital assets are securities or commodities, establish a registration pathway with the CFTC, and stipulate that customer assets belong to the customers in the event of bankruptcy.However, the prospects for the bill remain uncertain. Supporters argue that it has a bipartisan foundation, while opponents point out limited support from Democrats, the approaching midterm elections, and ethical controversies arising from Trump's direct association with the crypto industry. These factors could all increase legislative resistance.
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YC-backed prediction market derivative layer Totalis has officially launched, supporting parlay trading
yesterday, YC official posted on X platform that the prediction market derivative layer Totalis has officially launched. The market allows users to conduct parlay trades on any subject, combining multiple event markets (such as politics, cryptocurrency, stocks, sports, weather, and macro) into a single trade. Starting with parlay bets, it will expand to structured products.Previously, Totalis completed a $500,000 seed round in April, with Y Combinator participating. It is also the first enterprise to receive Y Combinator investment entirely in USDC, with the funds settled via the Solana network and custodied by Ramp.
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Y Combinator officially launches the YC Crypto Accelerator Program to comprehensively support entrepreneurs building crypto infrastructure
According to an official announcement by Y Combinator, YC has officially launched the YC Crypto initiative—a dedicated program for crypto and fintech startups—offering portfolio companies specialized support and discounted access to core infrastructure tools, including wallets, fiat on-ramps, smart contract auditing, blockchain nodes, and on-chain data services.
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Y Combinator launches YC Crypto Deals program, with Solana Foundation and others participating
Odaily Y Combinator has launched the YC Crypto Deals program to help startups secure grants, Gas fee credits, and crypto infrastructure support from partners such as the Solana Foundation, QuickNode, Helius, and Phantom.
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OpenAI CEO Offers $2 Million in OpenAI Tokens to YC Founder in Exchange for Equity
According to The Information, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman offered Y Combinator founders $2 million worth of OpenAI tokens in exchange for equity, further strengthening ties with the early-stage startup ecosystem.
Patent AI company Stilta raises $10.5 million, led by a16z
According to Stilta’s official press release, on May 19, 2026, Stilta—a litigation-focused, agent-style AI company—announced it had raised $10.5 million in funding, led by Andreessen Horowitz (a16z), with participation from founders and operators of Sana, Legora, OpenAI, Lovable, and Listen Labs, as well as Y Combinator. Founded in 2026 by four former members of McKinsey’s AI practice, Stilta’s AI platform performs reasoning and analysis across 180 million patents, 250 million scientific papers, and over one trillion web archives, helping enterprises conduct patent infringement evidence gathering, clear commercialization pathways, and uncover the value of patent portfolios. Since its launch in February this year, Stilta has signed contracts with companies including Roche, Alfa Laval, and Maersk, as well as three of the world’s top five intellectual property law firms.
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AI social app Status AI completes $17 million seed and Series A funding round, with General Catalyst among participants
AI social app Status AI has announced the completion of a $17 million seed and Series A funding round, with participation from General Catalyst, Y Combinator, LightShed Partners, and Abstract.The project primarily focuses on developing a gamified AI social media application that allows users to play any role in a virtual world, transforming social media into an interactive entertainment experience. (TechCrunch)
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Daniela Amodei, Co-Founder of Anthropic: “When selecting a co-founder, go on a trip together first—shared living is the best litmus test.”
According to Fortune, Daniela Amodei, co-founder and president of Anthropic, shared insights on selecting co-founders during a talk at Stanford Graduate School of Business. She advised entrepreneurs to take a trip with potential co-founders before formalizing the partnership—to assess compatibility in real-life, unfiltered interactions. If both parties feel energized and eager for more after the trip ends, that person is likely an ideal co-founder; if instead they need to “recover from the vacation,” it’s a red flag worth serious consideration. Amodei noted that most of Anthropic’s seven co-founders had worked together for up to 15 years—many previously at OpenAI—where they developed mature feedback mechanisms and shared strong alignment on the company’s vision, forming the core foundation of the team’s success. Paul Graham, co-founder of Y Combinator, likewise observed that in failed startups, founders often overlooked their co-founders’ character and commitment—not their competence. Andy Dunn, co-founder of Bonobos, proposed five concrete evaluation methods: stress testing, time testing, role division, among others. Jeff Rosenthal, co-founder of CIV, recommended that both parties independently draft their visions for the company in writing, then engage in “pen-pal-style” correspondence to ensure strategic alignment and shared expectations.
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Y Combinator to Hold Its First-Ever Interview Day for Crypto Startups in New York, Focusing on Fintech and Cryptocurrency
According to The Block, Y Combinator will hold its first interview event in New York focused on startups in the cryptocurrency and fintech sectors, aiming to support more companies in these fields. Selected teams will join YC’s Summer 2026 batch and travel to San Francisco to participate in the program, receiving YC’s standard $500,000 investment offer—funds that can optionally be disbursed in Circle’s USDC stablecoin.
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Y Combinator holds its first-ever interview for crypto startups in New York
Odaily Startup Incubator Y Combinator will hold its first-ever interview session specifically for fintech and crypto startups in New York City, aiming to support more companies in this sector. The interviews will be held offline on May 21st. Selected startups will join the Summer 2026 batch and receive a standard investment of $500,000. Chosen projects can opt to receive funding in the form of USDC stablecoins. To date, Y Combinator has invested in over 150 crypto and fintech companies, including Coinbase, OpenSea, and Kalshi.
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Y Combinator completes its first funding round using stablecoins, paying $500,000 in USDC to prediction market startup Totalis
According to The Block, renowned startup accelerator Y Combinator has completed its first fully stablecoin investment, paying $500,000 in USDC to prediction market startup Totalis via three on-chain transactions on Solana. The funds are held in custody by Ramp, a financial operations platform. Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan stated that the accelerator will make stablecoin payments available to all YC-backed startups—not limited to crypto-related companies. Totalis plans to use Ramp to execute both stablecoin and fiat transactions simultaneously and to pay credit card bills from its stablecoin account.
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