Y Combinator rank #38

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Y Combinator, LLC is an American technology startup accelerator and venture capital firm. It provides seed funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to early-stage startups through a centralized program that was historically held in person but moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm was founded in 2005 by Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Tappan Morris, and Trevor Blackwell. It has funded over 5,000 companies, including notable alumni such as Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, and DoorDash. In 2009 and 2010, Y Combinator secured significant investment rounds from Sequoia Capital to expand its capacity. Recently, the firm has made operational changes, including removing Canada from its list of countries where it invests.

ycombinator.com

Y Combinator ranks #38 out of leading AI companies with an overall score of 2570.1 on SectorHQ's AI Leaderboard as of February 2026. The company has recorded

8(30 days)

150all-time

AI-related events with 24% positive sentiment. Y Combinator, LLC is an American technology startup accelerator and venture capital firm. It provides seed funding, mentorship, and networking opportunities to early-stage startups through a centralized program that was historically held in person but moved online during the COVID-19 pandemic. The firm was founded in 2005 by Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Tappan Morris, and Trevor Blackwell. It has funded over 5,000 companies, including notable alumni such as Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase, and DoorDash. In 2009 and 2010, Y Combinator secured significant investment rounds from Sequoia Capital to expand its capacity. Recently, the firm has made operational changes, including removing Canada from its list of countries where it invests.

Last updated: Feb 8, 2026, 9:27 PM

Updated just now

Founder: Paul Graham
Website: ycombinator.com

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2.9x growth velocity

Based on 7-day data • Currently rank #38

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Velocity: 2.9x

Overall Score

2570.1

7-Day Events

Events

150 all-time

Last 30 days

Sentiment

24%

🚀Growth Velocity

7d vs 30d Acceleration2.9x

Strong Growth

30d avg

Company is growing 2.9x faster in the last 7 days compared to 30-day average

💬Social Buzz

7-Day Mentions

0.4 per day

30-Day Mentions

0.3 per day

Buzz Trend

+61%Surging

vs 30-day average

Mentions from social media, news articles, and community discussions

Hype vs Reality Analysis

Hype Score

What they say about themselves

8.2

Reality Score

What the community says

11.4

Hype Gap

Minor hype

✅

0.0

balanced

What They Say (Hype)

•vagueness
•product_launch event

What They Ship (Reality)

•product_launch event
•performance metrics
•Provides metrics: 90%, 97%

Based on 5 events analyzed • Trend: stable • Confidence: 25%

Team & Products(1 founder, 2 products)

Founders

Paul Graham

Products & Services

Y Combinator Demo Day Y Combinator Startup School

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Company Overview

Y Combinator ranks #38 in the AI industry with 3 recent events tracked in the General AI category. Y Combinator competes with 5 other companies in this space.

Market sentiment for Y Combinator is currently cautious (24% sentiment score).

Recent Activity

Canadian startups need to stop playing slow

Feb 8, 2026news

Y Combinator Reverses Decision to Stop Investing in Canada Firms

Feb 6, 2026news

Y Combinator Reverses Decision to Stop Investing in Canada Firms

Feb 5, 2026general content

Startup Incubator Y Combinator Cuts Canada from Countries Where It Will Invest

Jan 27, 2026news

Y Combinator website no longer lists Canada as a country it invests in

Jan 26, 2026general content

Startup Incubator Y Combinator Cuts Canada from Countries Where It Will Invest

Jan 26, 2026general content

Sam Altman: Customer love is all you need

Jan 17, 2026news

Sam Altman: Customer love is all you need

Jan 17, 2026news

'College dropout' has become the most coveted startup founder credential | TechCrunch

Jan 1, 2026industry trend

Startup Playbook

Dec 14, 2025product launch

Competitive Landscape

Y Combinator operates in a competitive space alongside 5 related companies.

SAP

Rank #36 • 2 events/week

Volvo

Rank #40 • 2 events/week

Huawei

Rank #35 • 1 events/week

Google Research

Rank #41 • 1 events/week

Coursera

Rank #43 • 2 events/week

Content Enrichment Active

This page has been enhanced with AI-generated insights based on 3 recent events and industry analysis. Content is updated as new events are detected.

Y Combinator Recent AI Activity & Announcements

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📰Latest News about Y Combinator

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Y Combinator's current AI ranking?

Y Combinator is currently ranked #38 on the Sector HQ AI Leaderboard with a score of 2570.1 points, based on 3 events in the last 7 days and a sentiment score of 24%.

What AI products does Y Combinator make?

Y Combinator develops AI products and services tracked on the Sector HQ AI Leaderboard. Their portfolio includes Y Combinator Demo Day, Y Combinator Startup School. View the full product portfolio and detailed specifications in the Products & Services section above.

How does Y Combinator's AI compare to competitors?

At rank #38 with a 2570.1 score, Y Combinator ranks in the top 50 AI companies. Compare Y Combinator with Google AI, Microsoft AI, OpenAI, and other leading companies on the SectorHQ leaderboard.

What is Y Combinator's AI strategy in 2026?

Y Combinator's AI strategy focuses on targeted AI initiatives with a focus on quality over quantity. Track their latest AI announcements, product launches, and strategic developments in the Recent Activity section above.

Is Y Combinator a leader in artificial intelligence?

Y Combinator is a notable player in the AI industry with a current ranking of #38 and 24% positive sentiment from the AI community.

Is Y Combinator overhyped?

Y Combinator has a hype score of 8.2 and a reality score of 11.4, resulting in a Hype Gap of 0.0. This shows fairly honest messaging.

Who founded Y Combinator?

Y Combinator was founded by Paul Graham.

How are companies ranked on the Sector HQ AI Leaderboard?

Companies are ranked based on three key metrics: Events (40%) - recent activity and announcements, Sentiment (35%) - public perception and market sentiment, and Quality (25%) - technical quality and reliability metrics.

Learn more about our methodology →

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Why Y Combinator Matters

Market Position

Y Combinator is an **established player** (#38 globally), competing with industry leaders and carving out market position.

Activity & Innovation

With **3 events in the last 7 days**, Y Combinator shows measured, strategic activity in the AI landscape.

What Sets Them Apart

**Balanced approach**: Marketing claims align with actual technical output, suggesting authentic innovation backed by execution.

Who Should Track This Company

✓Companies seeking competitive AI solutions
✓Investors identifying growth opportunities
✓Analysts tracking market dynamics

#38

Global Rank

Events (7d)

2570

Overall Score

Sentiment

How Y Combinator Is Ranked

Y Combinator's #38 ranking is calculated using our proprietary algorithm that weighs three key factors:

Activity Score (50% weight)

Based on real events: GitHub commits, research papers, product launches, and community engagement.

7-day events:3

30-day events:8

Contribution to score:+5.0 points

Sentiment Score (30% weight)

Community perception from Reddit, Hacker News, and tech forums. Positive feedback drives higher scores.

Current sentiment:24%

Contribution to score:+7.1 points

Reality Score (20% weight)

Hype Detection: Marketing claims vs actual technical output. Higher reality = more substance than hype.

Reality score:11

Hype gap:N/A ✅

Contribution to score:+2.3 points

Final Score Calculation

Activity: 10.0 × 0.5 = 5.0

Sentiment: 23.8 × 0.3 = 7.1

Reality: 11.4 × 0.2 = 2.3

Total Score: 2570.1

Primary ranking driver: Sentiment (7.1 points)

What Could Move Y Combinator's Rank

↗

Increase activity

Ship more features, publish research, engage communities

+5-15 ranks

↗

Improve sentiment

Better developer experience, clearer documentation, community engagement

+3-10 ranks