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#02 · Core Databases

Failed YC Startups: Why Companies Shut Down

Research YC shutdowns by market, product, team, and capital failure instead of relying on survivor stories alone.

Every documented YC shutdown — cause of death by market, product, team, or capital. Plus what the founder built next.

View free sample →Free preview · Full database with Pro

Live sample · source linked · no signup

Three company records used in outcome research

The public record establishes the company and outcome. Pro adds the sourced shutdown cause, warning signs, founder response, and what happened next.

CompanyBatchCategoryPublic recordSource
HipmunkS10Consumer / TravelAcquired by SAP Concur (2016).Verify ↗
PosterousS08Consumer / BloggingAcquired by Twitter (2012).Verify ↗
ZenefitsW13HR / SaaSAcquired by TriNet (2022).Verify ↗

3 representative records · Full analysis and complete dataset in Pro

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What's inside

  • · Structured rows — searchable, filterable, exportable
  • · Source link on every entry — verifiable in one click
  • · Founder, batch, category and outcome tagging
  • · Updated as new public information emerges
  • · Web-readable + PDF download
  • · Complete database included with YC Insights Pro

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FAQ

What can I learn from this free failed YC startups sample?
The public record establishes the company and outcome. Pro adds the sourced shutdown cause, warning signs, founder response, and what happened next. The sample rows are live, source-linked records you can verify without signing up.
What is the YC Graveyard?
Every documented YC shutdown — cause of death by market, product, team, or capital. Plus what the founder built next. It's part of the YC Insights database — the largest open library of Y Combinator learnings, built entirely from publicly available essays, batch pages, founder interviews and S-1 filings.
Who is the YC Graveyard for?
Founders, operators and investors who want a structured view of the core databases side of the YC ecosystem. Whether you're applying to YC, picking an idea, or studying what's worked, this database compresses hundreds of hours of public research into one place.
Where does the data come from?
Everything is sourced from publicly available material: YC's own website, batch pages, founder interviews, partner talks, S-1 filings, and long-form podcasts. Every claim is linkable to a public source — no insider data, no leaks.
How do I access the full YC Graveyard?
The live sample is available on this page with no signup. YC Insights Pro members get the complete searchable database, every source link, filters, and future updates for $19/month or $190/year.
Is YC Insights affiliated with Y Combinator?
No. YC Insights is an independent research project. We are not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Y Combinator. Everything we publish is built from publicly available Y Combinator material with sources linked.
What else is in the YC Insights database?
46 databases in total across founder origins, pivots, first-1000-customer stories, batch packs, vertical packs, deep reports and master playbooks. Browse them all at /database.

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YC Insights is an independent resource. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Y Combinator. Built from publicly available material.