Y Combinator Batch Statistics 2026: AI Share, B2B Share and Top Niches
November 10, 2026 · Nicheloom · 5 min read · Data reports
Across the four Y Combinator batches of 2026 in our data (795 companies), 74.2% are AI-native and 84.5% use AI in some form. 75.0% sell to businesses, 14.5% to developers and just 8.4% to consumers. The largest single niche is robotics software and platforms with 41 companies. Robotics and manufacturing grew as a share of each batch from Winter to Summer, while healthcare fell.
All numbers below come from the companies listed in the YC directory with a 2026 batch tag, labeled by niche, audience and AI use.
The numbers at a glance
| Question | Answer | Based on |
|---|---|---|
| Companies in the four 2026 batches | 795 | Winter, Spring, Summer, Fall |
| AI-native share | 74.2% | 795 companies |
| Any AI use (native or a feature) | 84.5% | 795 companies |
| Sell to businesses | 75.0% | 795 companies |
| Sell to developers | 14.5% | 795 companies |
| Sell to consumers | 8.4% | 795 companies |
| Website ends in .com | 47.9% | 795 companies |
| Website ends in .ai | 27.5% | 795 companies |
| Largest niche | Robotics software and platforms, 41 | 795 companies |
| Distinct niches | 207, of which 87 have one company | 795 companies |
How do the four 2026 batches compare?
| Batch | Companies | AI-native | AI feature | Not AI | B2B | Developers | Consumers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Winter 2026 | 200 | 74.0% | 11.0% | 15.0% | 73.5% | 16.5% | 6.5% |
| Spring 2026 | 198 | 73.7% | 11.1% | 15.2% | 78.3% | 12.6% | 8.1% |
| Summer 2026 | 243 | 75.3% | 7.8% | 16.0% | 75.7% | 13.6% | 9.5% |
| Fall 2026 | 154 | 73.4% | 12.3% | 13.0% | 71.4% | 15.6% | 9.7% |
The AI share is stable at about three in four in every batch. The Fall 2026 batch is still filling in, so treat its figures as early. The consumer share is small but rose from 6.5% in Winter to about 9.7% in Fall.
Which industries does YC fund?
| Industry | Companies | Share of 2026 batches |
|---|---|---|
| Horizontal, any industry | 319 | 40.1% |
| Fintech | 71 | 8.9% |
| Healthcare | 68 | 8.6% |
| Manufacturing | 60 | 7.5% |
| Security | 39 | 4.9% |
| Energy and climate | 27 | 3.4% |
| Construction | 24 | 3.0% |
| Media | 22 | 2.8% |
| Insurance | 22 | 2.8% |
| Logistics | 21 | 2.6% |
Four in ten companies are horizontal tools that serve any industry. Among specific industries, fintech, healthcare and manufacturing lead.
Which niches have the most YC companies?
| Niche | Companies |
|---|---|
| Robotics software and platforms | 41 |
| AI business operations software | 26 |
| Computational biology and chemistry software | 18 |
| AI compliance and risk monitoring software | 17 |
| AI and robotics training data platforms | 17 |
| AI workflow automation platforms | 16 |
| Aerospace and space exploration technology | 16 |
| Medical practice management software | 16 |
| AI agent development platforms | 14 |
| AI agent security and monitoring tools | 13 |
| Multi-agent frameworks and protocols | 13 |
| Autonomous AI research agents | 13 |
Robotics is the biggest niche by a clear margin, about 1 in 20 companies. The batches are also wide: 207 niches across 795 companies, and 87 niches have exactly one company. Aerospace has 16 companies, including space manufacturing and lunar projects.
How did the mix change from Winter to Fall?
| Share of batch | Winter | Spring | Summer | Fall (so far) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robotics niches | 6.0% | 5.6% | 11.1% | 7.8% |
| Manufacturing industry | 5.0% | 6.6% | 9.5% | 9.1% |
| Healthcare industry | 11.0% | 11.1% | 6.2% | 5.8% |
| Fintech industry | 10.0% | 9.1% | 9.9% | 5.8% |
Manufacturing rose from 5.0% to about 9% and robotics almost doubled in Summer. Healthcare fell from about 11% to about 6%. The moves are a few percentage points each, so read them as a shift in emphasis, not a pivot. Fall is incomplete.
Method and limits
- Source: the YC company directory, using each company's batch tag. We use only the four 2026 batches because earlier batches in our data are incomplete.
- Labels: an AI model reads each company's name, tagline and description to label its niche, industry, audience and AI use. These labels are accurate for large samples but can be wrong on one company.
- What a share means: the share of listed companies in that batch, not of money invested.
- Fall 2026 was still being added when we pulled the data on November 7, 2026.
Data as of November 7, 2026, from Nicheloom's own tracking. To see how YC compares with other launch sources, read product launch statistics 2026 and Hacker News vs Product Hunt: first launch data.
Frequently asked questions
What percentage of Y Combinator companies are AI? In the four 2026 batches, 74.2% are AI-native and 84.5% use AI in some form. The share is stable at about three in four in every batch.
Does YC fund B2B or consumer companies? Mostly B2B. 75.0% of 2026 YC companies sell to businesses, 14.5% to developers and 8.4% to consumers.
What is the biggest niche in recent YC batches? Robotics software and platforms, with 41 companies across the four 2026 batches, followed by AI business operations software (26) and computational biology and chemistry software (18).
How many companies are in a YC batch? In our data, Winter 2026 has 200 companies, Spring 2026 has 198 and Summer 2026 has 243. Fall 2026 has 154 so far and was still being added.
Did the mix of YC companies change in 2026? Manufacturing grew from 5.0% of Winter to about 9% of Summer and Fall, robotics roughly doubled in Summer, and healthcare fell from about 11% to about 6%.
What share of YC companies use a .ai domain? 27.5%. A .com domain is still the most common at 47.9%.