# Y Combinator Companies Scraper — Batches, Founders, Socials (`chorelet/yc-companies-scraper`) Actor

The whole YC directory (~6,000 startups) filtered by batch, status, industry, tag, region, team size or keyword — with website, one-liner, description, team size, locations, and optionally founders with LinkedIn, socials, year founded and open jobs. CSV/JSON export and API.

- **URL**: https://apify.com/chorelet/yc-companies-scraper.md
- **Developed by:** [Chorelet](https://apify.com/chorelet) (community)
- **Categories:** Lead generation, Business, Automation
- **Stats:** 2 total users, 1 monthly users, 100.0% runs succeeded, 0 bookmarks
- **User rating**: No ratings yet

## Pricing

from $1.40 / 1,000 companies

This Actor is paid per event. You are not charged for the Apify platform usage, but only a fixed price for specific events.
Since this Actor supports Apify Store discounts, the price gets lower the higher subscription plan you have.

Learn more: https://docs.apify.com/actors/running/actors-in-store.md#pay-per-event

## What's an Apify Actor?

An Actor is a serverless cloud program that runs on the Apify platform. It has two run modes.
In Batch mode, an Actor accepts a well-defined JSON input, performs an action which can take anything from a few seconds to a few hours,
and optionally produces a well-defined JSON output, datasets with results, or files in key-value store.
In Standby mode, an Actor provides a web server which can be used as a website, API, or an MCP server.

Apify vocabulary and the platform model are defined once, in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md.

## How to integrate an Actor?

If asked about integration, you help developers integrate Actors into their projects.
You adapt to their stack and deliver integrations that are safe, well-documented, and production-ready.

Do not guess an integration path. Every one of them is in the agent quickstart at https://apify.com/agents.md: the Apify MCP server, Agent Skills with the Apify CLI, the JavaScript and Python clients, the REST API, and the account-free path for an agent with no human to sign in. It also carries the rule on stating cost before the first paid run.

For examples already wired to this Actor's own input schema, see the [API](#api) section below.

Each client library has reference documentation the quickstart does not restate: [JavaScript/TypeScript](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs.md) (`npm install apify-client`) and [Python](https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs.md) (`pip install apify-client`).

# README

## Y Combinator Companies Scraper — Batches, Founders, Socials

Every company in the Y Combinator directory — about 6,000 startups from 2005 to the current batch — filtered by **batch, status, industry, tag, region or city, team size and keywords**, with website, one-liner, description, team size, locations and badges. Turn on **Fetch founders and socials** to add the founders (name, title, LinkedIn, X), year founded, the company's LinkedIn/X/GitHub/Crunchbase links and open jobs. JSON, CSV, Excel or API.

Directory data comes from YC's public companies API; founder and social details from the public company pages. No login.

### Why this Actor

- The whole directory (~6,000 companies) read on every run, so filters see everything
- Batch, status, industry, tag, region, team-size and keyword filters combined
- Founders with LinkedIn and X, company socials, year founded and open jobs on request
- Newest batch first; YC's public API plus public company pages
- Checked every day by an automated run

### Sample output

One item of the dataset (long values shortened):

```json
{
  "name": "Agent 37",
  "batch": "F26",
  "status": "Active",
  "website": "https://www.agent37.com/cloud",
  "oneLiner": "Persistent sandboxes for agents like hermes, openclaw, claude code",
  "industries": [
    "B2B",
    "Infrastructure"
  ],
  "tags": [
    "Developer Tools",
    "SaaS",
    "B2B",
    "…"
  ],
  "teamSize": 0,
  "locations": [
    "New York City"
  ],
  "founders": [
    {
      "name": "VISHNU KRISHNAPRASAD",
      "title": "Founder/CEO",
      "bio": "Founder at Agent 37. Previously Senior Software Engineer at Amazon and Engineering Manager at Quantcast. Founded Real Voxel and Dota2Conn…",
      "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishnukrishnaprasad/",
      "twitter": "https://x.com/an_engineer_log"
    }
  ],
  "linkedin": "https://www.linkedin.com/company/agent37",
  "url": "https://www.ycombinator.com/companies/agent-37"
}
```

### What you get

| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| `id`, `name`, `slug`, `url`, `website`, `logo` | Identity |
| `oneLiner`, `description` | Pitch |
| `batch`, `status`, `industries`, `tags`, `teamSize`, `locations`, `regions`, `badges`, `isHiring` | Classification |
| `founders[]`, `yearFounded`, `linkedin`, `twitter`, `github`, `crunchbase`, `facebook`, `jobs[]` | With details |

Companies come newest batch first. A summary (directory size, matched, saved, details fetched) is saved as `SUMMARY`.

### Input

- **Batches** (`F26`, `S26`, `W26`…), **Statuses**, **Industries**, **Tags**, **Regions or cities**, **Keywords**, **Min/Max team size** — all optional, combined with AND; lists match any value.
- **Max companies**, **Fetch founders and socials**.

### Limits and notes

- The directory is read in full on every run (about a minute) so filters apply to all companies; details add roughly one second per company.
- Team size and status are what YC publishes; some older companies have no team size.
- Public data only; the Actor stores nothing beyond the dataset of your run.

### Input example

```json
{
  "batches": [
    "F26",
    "S26"
  ],
  "maxCompanies": 100,
  "fetchDetails": true
}
```

### How much does it cost?

Pay per company — no subscription, no minimum, no charge for platform usage.

| Volume | Price |
|---|---|
| 1,000 companies | $2.00 (+ $2.00 with `details`) |
| 10,000 companies | $20.00 (+ $20.00 with `details`) |
| 100,000 companies | $200.00 (+ $200.00 with `details`) |

The Apify **free plan includes $5 of usage every month** — about 2,500 companies with this Actor, no card needed. Nothing else is charged: platform usage is included in the price, and Apify Bronze, Silver and Gold subscribers get 10%, 20% and 30% off these prices.

### Use it from code, n8n, Make, Zapier or an AI agent

Run the Actor and download the dataset in one call (JSON by default; add `&format=csv` or `xlsx`):

```bash
curl -X POST "https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/chorelet~yc-companies-scraper/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=$APIFY_TOKEN" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"batches": ["F26", "S26"], "maxCompanies": 100, "fetchDetails": true}'
```

Python:

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

client = ApifyClient("YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN")
run = client.actor("chorelet/yc-companies-scraper").call(run_input={"batches": ["F26", "S26"], "maxCompanies": 100, "fetchDetails": true})
for item in client.dataset(run["defaultDatasetId"]).iterate_items():
    print(item)
```

- **n8n, Make, Zapier** — use the Apify node/module: run the Actor, then "get dataset items".
- **Google Sheets, Slack, webhooks** — add an integration on the run's *Integrations* tab.
- **AI agents** — the Actor is available as a tool through the Apify MCP server; the dataset schema describes every field for the model.
- **Schedules** — run it hourly, daily or weekly from the *Schedules* tab.

### FAQ

**How do I get founders and LinkedIn profiles?**

Turn on `fetchDetails` — each company's YC page is read for founders (name, title, LinkedIn, X), year founded, company socials and open jobs.

**Which batch codes are valid?**

`W26`, `S26`, `F26`, `X25` and older: W = winter, S = summer, F = fall, X = spring.

**Can I filter by industry or location?**

Yes — `industries`, `tags`, `regions` (regions or cities), `statuses`, team size and free-text `keywords`, all combined.

**Is the data complete?**

It is what YC publishes: status, batch, team size, locations and descriptions come straight from YC's directory API.

**What does a run cost?**

$2 per 1,000 companies, plus $2 per 1,000 companies when founder details are fetched. The free plan's $5 a month covers the whole directory without details.

### Support

Questions, missing fields or a source that changed? Open an issue on the *Issues* tab or write to support@chorelet.app — problems are usually fixed within a day, and the Actor is checked every morning by an automated test run. If the Actor saved you time, a short review on its Store page helps other people find it.

# Actor input Schema

## `batches` (type: `array`):

YC batch codes, e.g. `F26`, `S26`, `W26`, `X25` (W = winter, S = summer, F = fall, X = spring). Empty = all batches.

## `statuses` (type: `array`):

`Active`, `Acquired`, `Public`, `Inactive`. Empty = all.

## `industries` (type: `array`):

As YC labels them: `B2B`, `Consumer`, `Fintech`, `Healthcare`, `Industrials`, `Real Estate and Construction`, `Education`, `Government`, `Unspecified`, plus sub-industries like `Security`, `Infrastructure`. Empty = all.

## `tags` (type: `array`):

YC tags such as `AI`, `SaaS`, `Developer Tools`, `Fintech`, `Marketplace`, `Climate`, `Robotics`. Empty = all.

## `regions` (type: `array`):

`United States of America`, `Europe`, `India`, `Latin America`, or cities like `San Francisco`, `New York City`, `London`, `Berlin`. Empty = all.

## `keywords` (type: `array`):

Keep only companies whose name, one-liner, description, industries or tags contain any of these (case-insensitive).

## `minTeamSize` (type: `integer`):

Skip smaller teams.

## `maxTeamSize` (type: `integer`):

Skip larger teams.

## `maxCompanies` (type: `integer`):

Newest batches first. The whole directory is about 6,000 companies.

## `fetchDetails` (type: `boolean`):

Open each company's YC page for founders (name, title, LinkedIn, X), year founded, company LinkedIn/X/GitHub/Crunchbase and open jobs. One extra request per company, charged separately.

## Actor input object example

```json
{
  "batches": [
    "F26",
    "S26"
  ],
  "statuses": [],
  "industries": [],
  "tags": [],
  "regions": [],
  "keywords": [],
  "maxCompanies": 100,
  "fetchDetails": true
}
```

# Actor output Schema

## `companies` (type: `string`):

All companies — items of the default dataset. Use ?format=csv or xlsx on this URL for spreadsheets.

## `summary` (type: `string`):

No description

# API

You can run this Actor programmatically using our API. Below are code examples in JavaScript, Python, and CLI, as well as the OpenAPI specification and MCP server setup.

## JavaScript example

```javascript
import { ApifyClient } from 'apify-client';

// Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
// Replace the '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token
const client = new ApifyClient({
    token: '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>',
});

// Prepare Actor input
const input = {
    "batches": [
        "F26",
        "S26"
    ],
    "statuses": [],
    "industries": [],
    "tags": [],
    "regions": [],
    "keywords": [],
    "maxCompanies": 100,
    "fetchDetails": true
};

// Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
const run = await client.actor("chorelet/yc-companies-scraper").call(input);

// Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if any)
console.log('Results from dataset');
console.log(`💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/${run.defaultDatasetId}`);
const { items } = await client.dataset(run.defaultDatasetId).listItems();
items.forEach((item) => {
    console.dir(item);
});

// 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/js/docs

```

## Python example

```python
from apify_client import ApifyClient

# Initialize the ApifyClient with your Apify API token
# Replace '<YOUR_API_TOKEN>' with your token.
client = ApifyClient("<YOUR_API_TOKEN>")

# Prepare the Actor input
run_input = {
    "batches": [
        "F26",
        "S26",
    ],
    "statuses": [],
    "industries": [],
    "tags": [],
    "regions": [],
    "keywords": [],
    "maxCompanies": 100,
    "fetchDetails": True,
}

# Run the Actor and wait for it to finish
run = client.actor("chorelet/yc-companies-scraper").call(run_input=run_input)

# Fetch and print Actor results from the run's dataset (if there are any)
print(f"💾 Check your data here: https://console.apify.com/storage/datasets/{run.default_dataset_id}")
for item in client.dataset(run.default_dataset_id).iterate_items():
    print(item)

# 📚 Want to learn more 📖? Go to → https://docs.apify.com/api/client/python/docs/quick-start

```

## CLI example

```bash
echo '{
  "batches": [
    "F26",
    "S26"
  ],
  "statuses": [],
  "industries": [],
  "tags": [],
  "regions": [],
  "keywords": [],
  "maxCompanies": 100,
  "fetchDetails": true
}' |
apify call chorelet/yc-companies-scraper --silent --output-dataset

```

## MCP server setup

```json
{
    "mcpServers": {
        "apify": {
            "type": "http",
            "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=fetch-actor-details,chorelet/yc-companies-scraper"
        }
    }
}
```

The hosted server signs you in with OAuth on first connect, so no API token belongs in this config. Clients without OAuth support can send an `Authorization: Bearer <APIFY_API_TOKEN>` header instead, using a token from API & Integrations in Apify Console (https://console.apify.com/settings/integrations).

## OpenAPI specification

Download the OpenAPI definition: https://api.apify.com/v2/actors/uCSxAFbtJfHO2lMdP/builds/2hYLDGBL62hHZDqtz/openapi.json