Y Combinator vs Entrepreneur First
How Y Combinator and Entrepreneur First compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| Y Combinator | Entrepreneur First | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $500K | $250K |
| Equity | 7% | Not published |
| Deal terms | $500K: $125K post-money SAFE for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE; pro rata rights; no fees | Equity-free stipend during ideation, then up to $250K investment after company formation (third-party sources report $125K post-money SAFE for 8% plus $125K uncapped MFN SAFE; not confirmed on EF's site) |
| Format | In-person | In-person |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | London, United Kingdom |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | pre-idea, pre-seed |
| Sectors | general, ai, b2b saas | general, deep tech, ai |
| Duration | 3 months | Not published |
| Application cycle | 4 batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) | Multiple cohorts a year per location |
Investment is the full standard package; where part of it is an uncapped SAFE, the equity stake covers only the fixed part (see deal terms). Terms change; confirm on each official site before applying.
About
Y Combinator
The largest and best-known startup accelerator, founded in 2005, which now runs four batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) in person at its San Francisco campus. It funds very early founders in any sector, increasingly AI companies, with the same standard deal for every company and no fees, and ends each batch with a Demo Day for investors.
Notable alumni: Airbnb, Stripe, DoorDash, Coinbase, Dropbox
About
Entrepreneur First
Entrepreneur First (EF) is a talent investor that recruits individuals before they have a co-founder or idea, helps them form teams, and funds the resulting companies. It gives an equity-free grant during the ideation phase and invests up to $250K once a company is formed, with follow-on capital available. Current hubs are London, Bangalore and San Francisco, with Demo Day in San Francisco.
Notable alumni: Cleo, Aztec, Magdrive, Omnea, Sonantic
Key differences
Y Combinator or Entrepreneur First?
- Does Y Combinator or Entrepreneur First invest more?
- Y Combinator invests more: $500K against $250K from Entrepreneur First.
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