Y Combinator funding: $500,000 for founders ready for San Francisco
Y Combinator invests US$500,000 in every company it accepts, and it takes applications from founders anywhere, including Nigeria.
Plenty of Nigerian founders assume Y Combinator funding is for people who already live abroad. It is not. YC accepts applications from founders anywhere in the world, including solo founders and companies that are still only an idea on paper.
What you need to know is that this is an investment, not a grant. You receive US$500,000, and YC receives a share of your company. So read the terms before you dream.
At a glance
- What you get: US$500,000 in investment, plus more than US$12m in partner credits and deals.
- Who qualifies: startups anywhere in the world, at any stage, solo founders included. You do not need to incorporate or hold a visa before applying.
- Deadline: 2 November 2026 at 8:00pm Pacific Time for the Winter 2027 batch, which is about 5:00am on 3 November here in Nigeria.
- Decision: apply before the deadline and you hear back by 11 December.
- Duration and attendance: three months, January to March 2027, in person in San Francisco.
- Application fee: none stated.
Who can apply for Y Combinator funding?
Y Combinator funding goes to startups from anywhere, and YC says about 40% of the companies in each batch are accepted on an idea alone. Solo founders get in regularly too, although YC advises that going alone is harder. Above all, you are expected to be able to build the product yourselves, which usually means a technical founder on the team. Accepted founders must then work on the company full time.
What you could gain
Y Combinator funding arrives in two parts. First, US$125,000 buys 7% of your company on a post money SAFE. Then the remaining US$375,000 comes on an uncapped MFN SAFE, which converts later on the best terms you give any other investor in the meantime. As a result, your final dilution depends on the round you raise next, not on today’s number.
If you are accepted, YC also helps with incorporation and with visas. That support matters, because the batch itself happens in San Francisco.
How to apply
- Open the application and read the current batch details.
- Complete the form: the problem, who has it, what you are building, and why your team can deliver it.
- Then submit before 8:00pm Pacific on 2 November 2026.
Before you apply
First, plan travel and immigration from today, not after a decision lands. Next, sit down and work out what 7% now, plus an uncapped conversion later, means for your ownership in two years. Finally, a working demonstration and real evidence that customers want this will make your case far more concrete than a polished deck.
Before you give away equity, know what your own numbers look like. Our free money tools help with that, and more verified openings sit in Opportunities.
Sources: Y Combinator application, the standard deal and the YC FAQ. Last checked: 26 October 2026.