Responding to COVID-19

by Jared Friedman3/25/2020

In order to confront the COVID-19 crisis, we need to immediately mobilize global scientific and technical talent. There are already a number of YC companies that are helping with the crisis, and we’re looking for more startups that, if successful, could alter the trajectory of COVID-19. We’re particularly interested in startups working on:

  • Tests / diagnostics
  • Treatments and vaccines
  • Equipment for hospitals
  • Monitoring and data infrastructure

We updated our Request for Startups page to reflect the addition of this new RFS. More information at ycombinator.com/rfs#covid.

Please apply to our next batch at ycombinator.com/apply/. We will fast-track a handful of promising COVID-19 startups through our application process and fund them immediately.

Additionally, more than 30 YC bio and healthcare companies are helping with the COVID-19 crisis, whether to produce better tests, treatments and vaccines, or resources for hospitals and health systems. Many of these companies need additional talent, introductions to experts, and capital to rapidly scale up their efforts.

Today, we launched a website — a central hub — to help them reach people who can help. At ycombinator.com/covid, companies have outlined their work, as well as the help they need. Please get in touch with these companies if you can be a resource.

Already, a dozen investment firms have collectively pledged to invest more than $30M in companies pursuing COVID-19 programs in the coming weeks. If you are an investor and interested in participating, please reach out to the companies directly or email jared@ycombinator.com. We are happy to make introductions.

Author

  • Jared Friedman

    Jared is Managing Director, Software and Group Partner at YC. He was cofounder of Scribd, which was funded by Y Combinator in 2006 and grew to be one of the top 100 sites on the web.