data·hub

Trends · Y Combinator

Y Combinator Batch Survival Rates

For every YC batch year since 2005: how many companies are still active, how many were acquired, went public, or shut down — according to the public YC company directory, queried through the data-hub YC dataset with a single two-dimensional aggregation.

ActiveAcquiredPublicInactive
20059 companies · 0% active
Acquired: 6 (66.7%)Inactive: 3 (33.3%)
200618 companies · 5.6% active
Active: 1 (5.6%)Acquired: 6 (33.3%)Inactive: 11 (61.1%)
200732 companies · 9.4% active
Active: 3 (9.4%)Acquired: 12 (37.5%)Public: 1 (3.1%)Inactive: 16 (50%)
200843 companies · 7% active
Active: 3 (7%)Acquired: 9 (20.9%)Inactive: 31 (72.1%)
200942 companies · 19% active
Active: 8 (19%)Acquired: 12 (28.6%)Public: 1 (2.4%)Inactive: 21 (50%)
201063 companies · 11.1% active
Active: 7 (11.1%)Acquired: 30 (47.6%)Public: 2 (3.2%)Inactive: 24 (38.1%)
2011105 companies · 24.8% active
Active: 26 (24.8%)Acquired: 42 (40%)Inactive: 37 (35.2%)
2012149 companies · 23.5% active
Active: 35 (23.5%)Acquired: 45 (30.2%)Public: 4 (2.7%)Inactive: 65 (43.6%)
201398 companies · 28.6% active
Active: 28 (28.6%)Acquired: 33 (33.7%)Public: 1 (1%)Inactive: 36 (36.7%)
2014152 companies · 32.9% active
Active: 50 (32.9%)Acquired: 53 (34.9%)Public: 4 (2.6%)Inactive: 45 (29.6%)
2015215 companies · 40% active
Active: 86 (40%)Acquired: 62 (28.8%)Public: 4 (1.9%)Inactive: 63 (29.3%)
2016224 companies · 45.1% active
Active: 101 (45.1%)Acquired: 46 (20.5%)Public: 2 (0.9%)Inactive: 75 (33.5%)
2017241 companies · 45.6% active
Active: 110 (45.6%)Acquired: 62 (25.7%)Public: 1 (0.4%)Inactive: 68 (28.2%)
2018277 companies · 57% active
Active: 158 (57%)Acquired: 50 (18.1%)Public: 2 (0.7%)Inactive: 67 (24.2%)
2019371 companies · 61.5% active
Active: 228 (61.5%)Acquired: 57 (15.4%)Inactive: 86 (23.2%)
2020437 companies · 60% active
Active: 262 (60%)Acquired: 72 (16.5%)Public: 1 (0.2%)Inactive: 102 (23.3%)
2021727 companies · 72.2% active
Active: 525 (72.2%)Acquired: 79 (10.9%)Inactive: 123 (16.9%)
2022632 companies · 80.1% active
Active: 506 (80.1%)Acquired: 49 (7.8%)Inactive: 77 (12.2%)
2023493 companies · 80.5% active
Active: 397 (80.5%)Acquired: 43 (8.7%)Inactive: 53 (10.8%)
2024591 companies · 92.6% active
Active: 547 (92.6%)Acquired: 15 (2.5%)Inactive: 29 (4.9%)
2025626 companies · 98.1% active
Active: 614 (98.1%)Acquired: 5 (0.8%)Inactive: 7 (1.1%)
2026409 companies · 99.8% active
Active: 408 (99.8%)Inactive: 1 (0.2%)
20271 companies · 100% active
Active: 1 (100%)

All numbers

Batch yearTotalActiveAcquiredPublicInactive% Active
2005906030%
200618160115.6%
2007323121169.4%
200843390317%
20094281212119%
20106373022411.1%
2011105264203724.8%
2012149354546523.5%
201398283313628.6%
2014152505344532.9%
2015215866246340%
20162241014627545.1%
20172411106216845.6%
20182771585026757%
20193712285708661.5%
202043726272110260%
202172752579012372.2%
20226325064907780.1%
20234933974305380.5%
20245915471502992.6%
202562661450798.1%
202640940800199.8%
202711000100%

Methodology & caveats

  • · Source: the public Y Combinator company directory (launched companies only; stealth companies are not listed).
  • · Status labels (Active / Acquired / Public / Inactive) are YC's own, as published in the directory.
  • · Recent batches naturally show high active rates — most failure happens years later. Compare cohorts of similar age.
  • · One query: POST /v1/yc/companies/search with {"group_by":["batch_year","status"]}. Data as of 2026-06-11.

Slice it differently — by industry, region, tag, or team size — via the YC directory API. AI agents can start from llms.txt.