- Y Combinator is an incredibly selective startup accelerator — and applications for the winter 2021 batch are due on September 23 by 8 p.m. PDT.
- An impressive application can help you win a spot.
- Business Insider has highlighted below some examples of successful applications from Y Combinator alumni.
- Business Insider regularly interviews founders about their entrepreneurial journeys. You can read about them all by subscribing to BI Prime.
There's still time to apply to Y Combinator.
Since the accelerator opened its doors in 2005, more than 2,500 startups have gone through the program.
Many of those startups have since achieved tremendous success. Think Airbnb, Dropbox, Instacart, Coinbase, and Brex.
The admissions process at Y Combinator is very selective: About 1.5% of the companies that apply make it in. Once they do, those companies receive seed funding, plus advice from seasoned founders. The program culminates in a Demo Day, when founders get to pitch investors on their business. This summer, the accelerator is holding demo day online on August 24 and 25.
The deadline to participate in Y Combinator's winter 2021 batch is September 23. To convince the admissions committee that you deserve a spot in the program, you'll have to craft an impressive pitch.
Business Insider has talked to several founders who have done just that — and we've shared the original applications that got them in.
Below, we've listed those applications, which you can use as inspiration when you're writing your own.
Are you a startup founder who's participated in Y Combinator and wants to share your story? Contact Business Insider correspondent Shana Lebowitz at slebowitz@businessinsider.com.
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