In what year was Y Combinator founded?

Y Combinator was founded in 2005.

Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Tappan Morris, and Trevor Blackwell launched the organization in March 2005. Its original model combined seed funding, practical advice, and a short, intensive program designed to help founders build companies quickly. The first programs operated in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Mountain View, California.

Y Combinator is often described as both a startup accelerator and a venture capital firm. The accelerator selects batches of early-stage companies, provides investment and mentorship, and culminates in Demo Day, when founders present to investors. Its alumni include Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, Stripe, Coinbase, and DoorDash.

A common mix-up is 2009, the year YC closed its Cambridge program and consolidated its activities in Silicon Valley. Another is confusing YC’s founding date with the launch dates of companies it funded. The organization’s initial investment terms have also changed substantially over time, so modern deal figures should not be projected backward onto its 2005 origins.