Meet the YC Winter 2022 Batch

by Michael Seibel3/29/2022

For the Winter 2022 batch, we received 17,000 applications from founders around the world and funded 414. Even more significant than the number of applications is the caliber of teams that applied. Today, these founders will present their companies to an invite-only audience of investors at Y Combinator’s 34th Demo Day.

When funding, we consider startups at any stage and in any field. Here’s what we saw in the W22 batch:

  • 57% of the batch applied more than once
  • 29% of the batch were accepted with only an idea
  • 55% of the batch raised money before YC
  • 10% had more than $50k of monthly revenue when accepted

W22 companies are building in more than 80 sectors. There isn’t an industry being touched by software that we don’t fund. At a high level:

  • B2B/Enterprise – 34%
  • Fintech (including consumer fintech) – 24%
  • Consumer (including consumer healthcare) – 13%
  • DevTools – 7%
  • Bio/Healthcare (Diagnostics/Therapeutics/Med Device) – 11%
  • Education – 2%
  • Climate/Energy/Sustainability – 4%
  • Proptech – 4%
  • Aerospace – 1%

We strive to be a bridge for everyone – no matter who they are, where they live, or what demographic they belong to – to enter the startup world. We have a long track record of funding founders who historically would never be given a chance. Here are stats on the W22 batch:

  • 42 countries represented
  • About 50% of the companies are based outside the US
  • New Zealand, Sudan, Uganda, and Costa Rica are represented for the first time
  • The top countries represented, excluding the US, include: India (32), Nigeria (18), Indonesia (16), Canada (16), UK (13), Singapore (10), Mexico (10), Colombia (7)
  • 26% of founders are underrepresented (which we define as Black, Latino, or Women), and 36% of the companies have one or more underrepresented founder
  • 18% of the companies have a woman founder, 10% of the founders are women
  • Founder demographics:
    • 18% Asian founders
    • 6% Black founders
    • 12% Latino founders
    • 5% Middle Eastern or North African
    • .25% Native American or Native Hawaiian
    • 15% South Asian
    • 34% White

Author

  • Michael Seibel

    Michael Seibel is a Group Partner and Managing Director, Early Stage at YC. He was the cofounder and CEO Justin.tv and Socialcam. Socialcam sold to Autodesk in 2012 and Justin.tv became Twitch.