Want to learn from the best? Check out this free US-based startup school

US-based accelerator Y Combinator has announced that it has opened registrations for its free online startup school.

“Startup School is completely free. All you need is a device with access to the internet. We believe that all founders should have access to the best startup advice – no matter where in the world you’re building your company”

If the name YC or Y Combinator isn’t familiar, the startup accelerator was founded in 2005 and regularly hosts hubs where it evaluates and invests in startups from across the world. Since its inception, Y Combinator has funded over 3,000 startups, accrued a community of over 7,000 founders and its companies have a combined valuation of US$600 billion.

“Twice a year we invest US$500,000 per company in a large number of startups. We work intensively with the companies for three months, to get them into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day, when the startups present their companies to a carefully selected, invite-only audience”

The Y Combinator Deal

The organisation has announced that startups and founders can now apply to be part of its school which is running from Monday, June 27th to Wednesday, August 10th 2022.

In this program, founders new, old or those who are still thinking about launching their ideas will get:

• Live talks and Q&A over Zoom by YC group partners, covering the core topics all founders should know, from getting and vetting startup ideas to planning your MVP to fundraising
• Live founder stories from YC alumni, including the founders of Replit, Pulley and Boom (featuring a live walk-through of the Boom Supersonic jet hangar).
• Weekly video calls to meet other founders in the course.
• Co-founder matching and networking events for founders looking for a co-founder.
• Local in-person meetups and talks by YC alumni in 50 cities all over the world. (Sadly ZImbabwe is not on the list of local meet-ups)

The curriculum will consist of (but is not limited to) the following topics:

• How to Get Startup Ideas (hosted by Jared Friedman, YC Partner & Co-Founder of Scribd)
• How to Plan your MVP (by Michael Seibel, YC Partner & Co-Founder of Twitch)
• How to Launch your Company (Again and Again) (by Kat Manalac, YC Head of Outreach)
• How to Get Your First Users (hosted by Gustaf Alstromer, YC Partner & Former Head of Growth at Airbnb)
• How Startup Fundraising Works (by Brad Flora, YC Partner & Founder of Perfect Audience)
• How to Apply and Succeed at Y Combinator (by Dalton Caldwell, YC Partner & Head of Admissions)

If you are interested in being part of the Y Startup School then you can find the registration form with the link here.