Program · Ideas

YC Request for Startups — the 15 ideas YC wants funded in 2026.

YC's RFS is the closest thing to a public brief on where the partners are writing checks. It's not a filter — most funded companies don't match an RFS. But if your application maps to one of these ideas, it gets flagged for extra reviewer attention.

What an RFS actually is

A Request for Startups is a published wishlist. YC partners write it based on three inputs: markets they've seen chronically under-served in office hours, technical shifts that just opened new categories (LLMs, cheap satellite, autonomous hardware), and macro / policy tailwinds they believe in (energy, defense, US reshoring).

RFS entries are intentionally broad. "Company Brain" isn't one product — it's a category invitation. Ten different founders can apply against the same RFS with ten different approaches.

The 15 RFS 2026 categories

  1. Company Brain — enterprise AI memory & retrieval layer
  2. DevTools for AI agents
  3. Vertical AI for compliance-heavy industries (healthcare, legal, financial)
  4. AI-native replacements for the SaaS incumbents
  5. Robotics & autonomous hardware
  6. Defense tech
  7. New energy — nuclear, storage, geothermal
  8. Infrastructure for AI workloads (inference, memory, cooling)
  9. Manufacturing software & US reshoring
  10. Small modular / distributed systems
  11. Voice-first consumer products
  12. Founder-led SMB software
  13. Space & satellite economy
  14. Novel biotech platforms
  15. Public sector productivity software

Full playbook for each idea — market sizing, founder edge, application angle →

How to use RFS in your application

  • Don't force-fit. Reviewers can tell within 30 seconds when an RFS reference is bolted on. If your idea genuinely maps, say so in one sentence and move on.
  • Name the RFS by number. "This is RFS #5 (Robotics)." Reviewers scan.
  • Show why now. RFS ideas are published because YC thinks a shift just made them possible. Your application should confirm you understand the shift.

FAQ

What does RFS stand for at YC?

RFS stands for Request for Startups — Y Combinator's published wishlist of company ideas the partners actively want to fund. 'YC RFS' and 'YC Request for Startups' refer to the same list, published at ycombinator.com/rfs and refreshed roughly every 12–18 months.

What is Company Brain in the YC RFS?

Company Brain is the most-discussed entry in the YC RFS 2026 list: an enterprise AI memory and retrieval layer that indexes everything a company knows — docs, tickets, calls, code — and answers questions across it. YC's thesis is that every company will run one, and none of the incumbents own it yet.

What are the 2026 YC Requests for Startups?

The 2026 RFS lists 15 ideas including Company Brain (an enterprise AI memory layer), DevTools for AI agents, defense tech, vertical AI for compliance-heavy industries, robotics, energy, and infrastructure for AI workloads. See our full RFS Playbook 2026 for founder-ready breakdowns of each.

Do I have to build an RFS idea to get into YC?

No. Most YC-funded companies don't match a specific RFS idea. RFS is a signal boost, not a filter — if reviewers see your application solves an RFS problem, it gets prioritized. But 60%+ of every batch is still outside the RFS list.

How does YC choose Requests for Startups?

YC partners write RFS ideas based on (1) markets they've seen consistently under-served in office hours, (2) technical shifts that just unlocked new possibilities (e.g., LLMs, cheap satellite launch), and (3) policy or macro tailwinds the partners believe in.

Where can I find the official YC RFS list?

YC publishes the current RFS at ycombinator.com/rfs. Our RFS Playbook 2026 extends each entry with market sizing, founder profiles who've built similar companies, and reverse-engineered application angles.

Free tools for this

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Playbook

YC RFS Playbook 2026 →

All 15 YC Request for Startups ideas, turned into founder playbooks.

RFS

YC Company Brain →

Tom Blomfield's enterprise AI layer — decoded.

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Batch

YC W26 Batch →

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