These 10 YC-backed, Harvard-founded Startups are Worth $164B+
10 Harvard-founded startups represent over one-quarter of the total value of all YC-backed startups!
Phoenix is a pre/seed stage venture capital firm investing in Harvard- and HBS-founded startups. Subscribe below to stay up-to-date on the latest insights, research and happenings from the Harvard/HBS’ startup ecosystem.
Founded in 2005, Y Combinator is an iconic startup accelerator behind some of our most beloved technology startups, including Airbnb, Stripe, Cruise, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Reddit and Twitch, among many others. Twice a year, and now three times annually with the launch of their new Fall batch, YC invests in a large number of startups and hosts a 3-month program with the goal of “helping startups really take off.”
According to their website, YC has funded 5,000+ startups which collectively have achieved a combined valuation of $600B+. In this post, I quantify the incredible success of Harvard founders who were also backed by YC.
Know a Harvard founder raising or looking to start a company? Enjoying Phoenix Fund Research? Interested in chatting? Feel free to share a note: devon@phoenixclub.vc
Top 10 YC <> Harvard Startups
10 YC-backed startups founded by Harvard students and alumni achieved an incredible combined valuation of $164B+, representing over one-quarter of the total value of all YC-backed startups!
Airbnb (W09). Co-founded by Nathan Blecharczyk (College, 2005), Airbnb is a trusted community marketplace for people to list, discover, and book unique accommodations around the world.
Stripe (YC S09). Co-founded by John Collison (College), Stripe is a global fintech company that builds economic infrastructure for the internet.
Rippling (YC W17). Co-founded by Parker Conrad (College, 2003), Rippling gives businesses one place to run HR, IT, and Finance.
Modern Treasury (YC S18). Co-founded by Dimitri Dadiomov (HBS, 2015), Modern Treasury offers payment infrastructure that automate the full cycle of money movement—from payment initiation, through approvals, to reconciliation—and are accessible through web application or API.
Apollo io (YC W16). Co-founded by Ray Li (College), Apollo io is a lead intelligence and sales engagement platform.
Zip (YC S20). Co-founded by Rujul Zaparde (College, 2016), Zip is the leading AI-powered procurement orchestration platform.
Truebill (YC W16). Co-founded by Haroon Mokhtarzada (Harvard Law, 2005), Truebill empowers you to save more, spend less, see everything, and take back control of your financial life.
Asher Bio (YC S20). Co-founded by Ivana Djuretic (College, 2008), Asher Bio is a is a biotechnology company developing precisely targeted immunotherapies for cancer and other diseases.
Clever (YC S12). Co-founded by Rafael Garcia (College, 2009) and Dan Carroll (College, 2009), Clever makes powerful educational software easy to build and deploy.
Scribd (YC S06). Co-founded by Jared Friedman (College, 2007) & Trip Adler (College, 2006), Scribd is building the library of the digital age.
Top Sectors + Previous Employers
B2B, Healthcare and Fintech are the the top three sectors of YC-backed, Harvard-founded startups. In terms of founders' previous work experience, the most common employers include Google and McKinsey, followed by other top companies such as Microsoft, Facebook, Goldman Sachs, BCG, and Bain.
Top HQ locations of YC-backed, Harvard-founded startups
As expected, the majority (56%) of YC-backed startups founded by Harvard students and alumni are headquartered in San Francisco. New York City follows with 22%, while Boston and Los Angeles account for 14% and 8% of these startups, respectively.
60+ Phoenix YC-backed, Harvard-founded Investments
To date, Phoenix has invested in 60+ YC-backed startups founded by the Harvard community. We take pride in meeting founders early, mentoring them on their journey to gain acceptance into YC, and investing in their pre-seed and seed rounds.
If you or anyone you know is thinking about applying to YC’s new Fall batch, we are happy to support! Please reach out.
Previous Posts
About Phoenix Fund
We invest in a diversified portfolio of early-stage Harvard startups, harnessing the power of the Harvard ecosystem to provide outsized value through collaboration
We host events, treks, and happy hours to build community among Harvard founders, funders, students, & alumni (subscribe to stay up-to-date)
We research Harvard’s startup and venture ecosystem, bringing the latest updates, insights, and stories directly to your inbox
Best,
The Phoenix Team
Know a Harvard founder raising or looking to start a company? Enjoying Phoenix Fund Research? Interested in chatting? Feel free to share a note: devon@phoenixclub.vc