YC plans to expand to four cohorts per year, adding spring and fall sessions in 2025; each batch will be half the size of the most recent cohort of 256 startups
Biggest Shift Since 2005, and Here's Why it Matters X: Garry Tan / @garrytan : YC is going 4 batches per year @daltonc @harjtaggar @snowmaker and all the YC partners worked very closely with me to make this happen — we're trying to be as responsive as possible to all the future founders in the world. Great ideas are the work of many great partners [image] Antonio García Martínez / @antoniogm : Accelerate.
Context & Ripple Effects
YC is changing its operating cadence after years of scaling cohort reach: its W21 class had 350 companies and a record international component. The new format reverses toward smaller individual groups while creating more entry points during the year.
The move follows reported plans for new funds covering upcoming batches and follow-ons, and comes after YC refreshed its list of startup categories it wants to fund. Investor interest in the winter 2024 class was also tied to its high share of AI companies.
First-order effects
- Founders will have four application and program cycles in 2025 rather than the prior schedule, while each new cohort is set at roughly 128 companies—half the latest 256-company batch.
- YC partners, mentors and its investor network will engage with smaller groups more often, making the program’s calendar and fundraising showcase cadence more continuous.
Second-order effects
- Seed investors will need to evaluate YC-backed companies across more frequent windows instead of concentrating attention around fewer, larger cohorts; the smaller class size may make each company easier to surface within a batch.
- YC’s fund planning gains a steadier deployment and follow-on rhythm, consistent with the reported fundraising plan tied to upcoming batches and follow-on investments.
Third-order effects
- If the model works, major accelerators may increasingly compete on the frequency and intensity of founder support rather than simply the number of startups admitted at once.
- The shift illustrates a broader capacity-allocation trade-off in early-stage investing: maintaining access for more founders while preserving partner attention and investor discovery as AI-heavy startup formation rises.
The trend: Startup accelerators are moving toward more frequent, smaller cohorts to match faster founder formation while managing the finite attention of partners and seed investors.