Y Combinator W26

Y Combinator's Winter 2026 batch is considered the strongest cohort in YC history, comprising 199 exceptional founders building transformative companies. Each company receives $125,000 for 7% equity on a post-money SAFE, plus an additional $375,000 uncapped MFN SAFE, totaling $500,000. The W26 batch stands out for the exceptional quality of founders, their ambition, and their execution capability. The cohort includes companies working on foundational AI infrastructure, climate solutions, biotechnology, fintech, healthcare innovation, B2B software, and consumer applications. What distinguishes W26 is the concentration of founders with deep technical expertise, previous successful exits, or significant industry experience who are now tackling the hardest problems in their respective fields. The batch reflects the maturation of the AI ecosystem: founders are moving beyond applications of existing models toward building novel AI techniques, infrastructure, and capabilities. The cohort also demonstrates the increasing focus on deep technology and hard problems: many W26 companies are addressing challenges that require significant technical depth and long-term capital commitments. The W26 batch is notable for geographic diversity and founder background diversity: YC's reputation as the world's premier accelerator attracts top talent from every continent and background. For investors, founders, and anyone interested in understanding the frontier of startup innovation and the future of technology, the W26 batch represents the state-of-the-art in founder quality and ambition. This batch is essential study material for anyone serious about startup investing or entrepreneurship.