A complete guide to applying to Y Combinator from Africa — what YC looks for, how to structure your application, and what to do after submitting.
Confirm your startup fits YC’s thesis: software-enabled, scalable, with a global or large regional market.
Form a team of 2-3 co-founders — YC strongly prefers teams over solo founders.
Ensure your company is incorporated or plan to convert to a Delaware C-Corp after acceptance.
Write your application. The most important field is ‘Describe what your company does in 50 words or less.’ Be specific. Avoid jargon.
Record a 1-minute product demo video showing the real product working. No slides.
In the ‘Why us?’ field: be direct about your African market insight and your unique positioning.
Submit and wait 4-8 weeks. If invited for interview, book a mock interview session with a YC alum.
After acceptance: convert to Delaware C-Corp, open Mercury, and prepare to relocate to San Francisco for the 3-month batch.
A practical guide to understanding and complying with Nigeria’s tax obligations as a startup — company income tax, VAT, WHT, PAYE, and how to work with FIRS without it becoming a nightmare.
How to use WhatsApp Business as a customer engagement and support channel for your African startup — from setting up the profile to automating responses and closing sales on WhatsApp.
A step-by-step playbook for expanding your startup from your home market into a second and third African country — when to do it, what to fix first, and how to avoid the most common expansion mistakes.