Y Combinator vs PearX
How Y Combinator and PearX compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| Y Combinator | PearX | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $500K | $500K |
| Equity | 7% | 7% |
| Deal terms | $500K: $125K post-money SAFE for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE; pro rata rights; no fees | $500K–$2M per company depending on stage; Pear targets ~7% ownership; terms not standardized |
| Format | In-person | In-person |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Menlo Park, United States |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | pre-seed, seed |
| Sectors | general, ai, b2b saas | general, ai |
| Duration | 3 months | 12 weeks |
| Application cycle | 4 batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) | 2 cohorts a year (Winter Jan–Apr, Summer Jul–Oct); applications reviewed on a rolling basis |
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
PearX
PearX is the accelerator run by Pear VC, a pre-seed and seed venture firm in the San Francisco Bay Area. It invests $500K to $2M per company and targets about 7% ownership, running two 12-week cohorts a year of fewer than 25 teams, who must relocate to the Bay Area. Support includes free Pear Studio office space, recruiting help and a kickoff retreat (Camp Pear).
Notable alumni: Vals AI, Bobyard, Andera
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