Y Combinator: The startup accelerator has an impressive portfolio

3/3/22 7:00PM

Make something people want

Investing in startups is a high-risk business. First you have to get comfortable with the idea that the vast majority of new companies will go broke — then you have to do your best to bet on the ones that don't, which isn't easy.

But Y Combinator makes it look easy.

With a motto of "make something people want" and an unwavering focus on the founders themselves, San Francisco based Y Combinator has now backed more than 3,500 startups since it started in 2005 — and this week it updated its list of "top companies".

Playing the numbers game

Having written more than 3,500 checks, usually for $125k in exchange for 7% of the company (although this changed recently), Y Combinator has spread the risk of early-stage investing, hoping for a few home-runs that can cover the rest of their investments.

We tracked down the data on the 100 most valuable of those companies YC has invested in, estimating that the top 100 alone are worth something north of $600 billion. A lot of that comes from big name successes like Stripe, Airbnb, Reddit and DoorDash - all of which make the top 10 YC-backed companies.

Nia Warfield4h

Amazon doubles down on groceries with new private-label collection, sending grocery stocks lower

Amazon on Wednesday launched Amazon Grocery, a new private-label food brand that combines its Fresh and Happy Belly lines into one collection.

The label covers more than 1,000 staples, from milk and eggs to olive oil and fresh meat, with most items priced under $5. Shares of Amazon were little changed, but grocery-selling rivals Target, Walmart, and Kroger all slipped around 2% following the announcement. Costco also slipped about 1%.

The launch highlights Amazon’s growing push into both grocery and private-label essentials as more customers trade down to cut costs. In August, the e-commerce giant added perishable groceries to same-day delivery in 1,000 cities and towns across the country.

At the same time, Amazon said shoppers purchased 15% more private-brand products in 2024 compared to the previous year across Amazon.com, Whole Foods Market, and Amazon Fresh.

Max Knoblauch4h

Ford sales climb for 7th straight month as EVs hit a quarterly record on tax credit expiration

September marked another banner month for Ford’s electric vehicle business, with EV sales climbing 85% from the same month last year to more than 11,700 units.

For the third quarter as a whole, Ford’s electrified unit sales grew nearly 20%. That’s the division’s best Q3 on record, boosted by the looming end of the $7,500 federal tax credit on Tuesday. Ford, with rival GM, has found some ways to extend that credit in the hopes of keeping sales stable.

Overall, Ford sales rose 8.2% on the quarter, and September was the automaker’s seventh straight month of sales gains. Ford sales have been buoyed this year by panic buying: first from fears of tariff price hikes (and Ford’s strong incentives), and lately from the EV credit expiration.

Tom Jones

WENDY’S TENDYS

Have chicken strips become the fast-food panic button of 2025?

McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and now Wendy’s have all added variations on the theme this year.

Hyunsoo Rim

DUAL CLASS

Co-CEOs are back in Corporate America — and Wall Street isn’t sure what to make of it

Dual leadership has boosted shareholder returns historically, though evidence on operations is thin.

Two businessmen fighting for the managing position (holding rudder conflicting with each other)

Max Knoblauch9/30/25

Some automakers are working accounting magic to extend the EV tax credit beyond today’s deadline

The $7,500 EV tax credit is set to expire after today, September 30. Logically, electric vehicle sales are expected to fall off afterward.

But some automakers, including Ford, GM, and luxury EV maker Lucid, have found ways to effectively extend the credit for some customers.

According to reporting by Reuters, Ford and GM have initiated plans to dealers that would have the automakers themselves put down payments on EVs currently in inventory at dealerships. Those down payments would qualify for the expiring tax credit, and dealers would be able to extend the subsidy to future customers through discounted lease rates.

Reuters reports that the programs were launched following discussions between the automakers and the IRS.

In August, Lucid announced that the company would honor the $7,500 tax credit through the end of the year for lessees who order its Gravity SUV by Tuesday at 11:59 p.m. ET.

Exclusive: Ford, GM launch programs to extend use of $7,500 EV lease credit