Where are YC founders now? A quick glance at a 2026 database shows that most former Y Combinator entrepreneurs are now staff at the world’s leading AI labs. OpenAI and Anthropic dominate the table, with 70 and 35 founders respectively, while 105 total founders have some note. The table is sortable by founder, startup, and current role, letting you hover to see each person’s original venture. Sam Altman, the Loopt founder, remains CEO of OpenAI; Emmett Shear, formerly of Twitch, briefly guided OpenAI in 2023; Brian Fioca moved from Rescue Time to OpenAI’s Applied Evaluations team, and so on. Even founders of smaller YC companies—Crocodoc, Gaze Hawk, and Hack Pad—now work on Claude APIs or OpenAI’s GPT‑4V.

The data also reveals a shift in titles. While early YC leaders were CEOs and CTOs, today almost everyone is a Member of Technical Staff, accounting for 60 % of the group, followed by Research & Safety at 10 %. The trend mirrors a broader industry pattern of talent flowing into AI labs for scale and resources.

If you’re a founder or an aspiring entrepreneur, this snapshot underscores the value of a solid YC network. Exploring the “Startups RIP” database can help you find validated ideas ready for a second life.