Y Combinator vs Techstars
How Y Combinator and Techstars compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| Y Combinator | Techstars | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $500K | $220K |
| Equity | 7% | 5% |
| Deal terms | $500K: $125K post-money SAFE for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE; pro rata rights; no fees | $220K: $20K for 5% common stock (post-money convertible equity agreement) + $200K uncapped MFN post-money SAFE |
| Format | In-person | Hybrid |
| Headquarters | San Francisco, United States | Boulder, United States |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | pre-seed, seed |
| Sectors | general, ai, b2b saas | general, ai, health, fintech, climate |
| Duration | 3 months | 3 months |
| Application cycle | 4 batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall) | Program-specific; multiple programs run spring and fall cohorts |
| Next deadline | Not published | November 18, 2026 |
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
Techstars
Global pre-seed investor founded in Boulder in 2006, running three-month, mentorship-driven accelerators in cities including Boston, Boulder, Chicago, New York, London and Tokyo, plus the remote Techstars Anywhere and corporate-partnered themed programs. Since 2025 its standard deal is $220K, and some programs, such as New York, now run in a hybrid format.
Notable alumni: SendGrid, DigitalOcean, ClassPass, PillPack
Key differences
Y Combinator or Techstars?
- Does Y Combinator or Techstars invest more?
- Y Combinator invests more: $500K against $220K from Techstars.
- Which takes less equity, Y Combinator or Techstars?
- Techstars takes 5%, against 7% for Y Combinator.
- When are the next Y Combinator and Techstars deadlines?
- Techstars' next published deadline is November 18, 2026. Y Combinator has no upcoming deadline published (application cycle: 4 batches a year (Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall)).
- Do I need to relocate for Y Combinator or Techstars?
- Y Combinator runs in person (headquartered in San Francisco, United States); Techstars runs hybrid (headquartered in Boulder, United States).
For program culture and outcomes, read Y Combinator vs Techstars: which is right for you.
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