Spring 2026 Y Combinator Cohort Unveiled at Demo Day

The Spring 2026 Y Combinator cohort held its Demo Day on Tuesday, June 16, 2026. TechCrunch interviewed eight investors to identify the most closely watched companies in the batch. At least two startups in the cohort received valuations of $175 million or higher.

Investors said they were willing to pay premiums for companies with proven traction or repeat founders. 9 Mothers develops AI-powered counter-drone systems. 6 million in sales and holds one contract expected to expand to $35 million later in 2026.

It claims a pipeline of $1 billion in contracts. One VC told TechCrunch that 9 Mothers raised funding at a valuation of upwards of $200 million and was the most highly valued startup in the batch. Agra Labs builds digital twin environments for testing AI agents.

The platform creates instant replicas of company software so agents can run tests before code reaches production. Adialante is developing mobile MRI clinics for early cancer detection. The startup plans to charge $250 per scan and transport compact units in small trucks to clinics.

Complir creates AI agents that manage compliance, risk and regulatory changes for physical products shipped internationally. The agents generate required documentation and product labels. Dispatch is building satellites designed to return space-manufactured products to Earth.

The vehicles are intended for multiple refurbishments and reuses rather than single-use burn-up. Lightsprint allows non-engineers to ship and build application features without writing code. Product managers describe desired changes, select visual options, and an AI agent generates the code for engineer review.

Ploy announced a $27 million seed round led by First Round and Y Combinator. The company was founded by Bryant Chou, co-founder and former CTO of Webflow, which was last valued at $4 billion. Ploy’s agents generate landing pages, write marketing copy and launch campaigns.