Y Combinator S25 Batch Analysis: Complete Startup & Founder Intelligence

Interactive Data Tables

Explore comprehensive company and founder data from the Y Combinator Summer 2025 batch through our interactive tables below.

Explore Interactive Tables

Research Methodology

We compiled data on the Y Combinator Summer 2025 batch (S25) from two complementary datasets:

• Company dataset: includes structured details about all startups in the batch (name, website, industry, HQ, founding year, employee count, funding, descriptions, etc.).
• Founder dataset: profiles of individual founders (education, professional experience, repeat vs first-time, previous employers, LinkedIn).

The combined dataset allows for both company-level and founder-level analysis, such as industry distribution, AI adoption, experience levels, and alma maters.

Dataset Specifications

• Companies: 160 startups
• Founders: 231 individuals
• 102 companies with complete founder profiles mapped to our people dataset
• Columns (fields): 17 (companies) + 12 (founders)

Company fields

1. Company Name / Website – startup name and URL.
2. One-Liner – short YC description.
3. Industry – sector tags.
4. HQ Country – headquarters location.
5. Employee Count – team size range.
6. Founding Year – numeric, sometimes missing.
7. YC Page – link to YC company profile.
8. Founders – names and LinkedIn links.
9. Total Money Raised – disclosed funding.
10. LinkedIn / GitHub URLs – company social presence.
11. YC Partner – YC partner assigned.
12. Product Description – extended description.
13. AI Category – tags (AI-native, AI-adjacent, non-AI).
14. Go-To-Market Strategy – PLG vs sales-led.
15. Founder Roles – mapped to people dataset.

Founder fields

1. Full Name – founder identity.
2. Role – e.g., CEO, Co-Founder, CTO.
3. LinkedIn Profile – social presence.
4. Repeat Founder vs First-Timer – classification [need to polish the prompt]
5. Years of Professional Experience – narrative and computed months.
6. Total Professional Experience (months) – numeric.
7. Field of Study – university + degree (parsed to normalized field).
8. Previous Employers – notable work history (Big Tech, startups).

Key Insights from Y Combinator Summer 2025 Batch Analysis

Our comprehensive analysis of the Y Combinator S25 batch reveals significant trends in the startup ecosystem, particularly around artificial intelligence adoption and founder backgrounds. Here are the most important findings:

AI Dominance in YC S25 Startups

The Y Combinator Summer 2025 batch demonstrates unprecedented AI adoption, with 141 startups (88%) classified as AI-native companies. Only 9 startups are AI-adjacent, while just 10 companies operate without AI integration. This represents the highest concentration of AI startups in Y Combinator history.

Industry Distribution and Market Focus

B2B software companies dominate the YC S25 batch with 108 startups focusing on enterprise solutions. The remaining companies are distributed across:

• Deep technology startups: 17 companies developing advanced technical solutions
• B2C consumer applications: 12 companies targeting end consumers
• Industrial technology: 6 companies focusing on manufacturing and industrial applications
• Fintech, logistics, and govtech: 17 companies across various emerging sectors

Geographic Distribution of YC S25 Companies

The majority of Y Combinator S25 startups are headquartered in the United States (126 companies, 79%), reinforcing Silicon Valley's continued dominance in the startup ecosystem. International presence includes companies from the UK (3), Germany (2), France (1), Canada (1), and Singapore (1).

Startup Funding and Team Size Trends

Most YC S25 startups are in early-stage funding rounds, primarily at seed and pre-seed levels. Some companies report $500K funding rounds, with limited Series A activity. Team sizes remain lean, with the majority maintaining 1-10 employees, consistent with early-stage startup operations.

YC S25 Founder Experience and Background Analysis

Y Combinator S25 founders bring substantial professional experience, with a mean of 6.5 years and median of 5 years. Key findings include:

• Big Tech experience: 48 startups have founders from Google, Meta, Amazon, and other major technology companies
• First-time entrepreneurs: Only 8 founders have 12 months or less professional experience
• Experienced leadership: The majority of founders bring proven track records from established companies

Top Universities Represented in YC S25

Elite universities dominate Y Combinator S25 founder education, with the strongest representation from:

• UC Berkeley: 7 founders (leading representation)
• University of Michigan: 6 founders
• Stanford University: 5 founders
• Dartmouth College: 5 founders
• Wharton School (UPenn): 4 founders
• Technical University of Munich (TUM): 3 founders
• University of Toronto: 3 founders
• Harvard University: 3 founders

Computer Science and Software Engineering backgrounds predominate, followed by Business Administration and Engineering disciplines.

Emerging Defense Technology Sector

A notable trend in YC S25 is the emergence of defense-focused startups, with 5 companies (including Perseus Defense, Juxta, and Normal Factory) developing solutions for drones, compliance, and dual-use analytics applications.

About Extruct AI

Extruct AI is an AI-native company and people data provider. The platform transforms complex queries into precise lists of high-fit companies while uncovering unique data points that traditional platforms such as ZoomInfo or Apollo often miss.

Most existing GTM tools rely on rigid filters and break down when exploring nuanced industry taxonomies and industry-specific data points. As well as targeting companies in less digitalized sectors.