YC partners launch Standard Capital — is the “AI-native Series A accelerator” the new Seed?
This news caught my eye today: that two Y Combinator partners, Dalton Caldwell (25 batches, 1 K+ startups coached) and Paul Buchheit (the Gmail guy), leave YC (the accelerator behind Airbnb, Stripe, Dropbox) to spin up Standard Capital.
Here’s what they’re offering
Write $5-10 million cheques for about 10 % of a company.
Step in after seed money but before the usual Series A.
Back teams who can build and improve AI products super fast.
YC itself is putting money into the fund.
They say this “middle round” is the spot where many founders get stuck.
Why this matters to me (and maybe to you):
That post-seed gap is real; I’ve seen promising products stall for months searching for the next big cheque.
Standard says iteration speed will weigh as much as revenue, which feels like a fresh lens for AI startups.
With Michael Siebel gone and now two pillar partners leaving, I’m wondering how the classic YC playbook will evolve.
What do you think?
If you’re raising now, would you jump for a big cheque this early or keep stacking smaller rounds?
Founders/investors who’ve been here, does a cohort program still help at Series A, or is a bespoke approach better?
Wildcard: Besides revenue, what simple sign tells you an AI startup is on the right track?
Drop your thoughts below—curious to hear real-world takes!
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