--- canonical: "https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies" name: "The Y Combinator Top companies stack" cohort: "Y Combinator Top companies" companies_listed: 74 companies_in_atlas: 74 benchmark_companies: 60 distinct_tools: 331 updated: "2026-09-15" --- # The Y Combinator Top companies stack ## What this measures Y Combinator's Top Companies list, the highest-valued startups among the 5,000 it has funded since 2005. Of the 74 on the list, 74 exist as a Soft Atlas organization and 60 have at least one tool identified. **Every percentage below is a share of the full 74**, including the 14 Soft Atlas has no tool for. Every figure is therefore a floor: it can only understate how many of the cohort run a tool, never overstate it. A tool is counted for a company only when a source recorded it: a job posting naming it, a vendor listing the company as a customer, Soft Atlas market research, or an employee with a verified work email. It is counted once per company even when several sources agree. An area with no tool means Soft Atlas identified none, not that the company runs none. ## Most adopted tools 20 of 74 companies, 5 tools identified. - [Welcome to the Jungle](https://www.softatlas.io/welcome-to-the-jungle), 26% (19 companies), rated 4/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Ginkgo Bioworks, Honeylove, Instacart, SmartAsset, Twitch - [Tray.io](https://www.softatlas.io/tray-io), 18% (13 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Amplitude, GitLab, Gusto, PagerDuty - [KISSmetrics](https://www.softatlas.io/kissmetrics), 14% (10 companies) - Used by: Optimizely, Rappi, Razorpay, Segment, Stripe - [Ironclad](https://www.softatlas.io/ironclad), 9% (7 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Gusto, PagerDuty, Podium, Reddit - [Anthropic](https://www.softatlas.io/anthropic), 7% (5 companies), rated 4.9/5 on Soft Atlas (17 reviews) - Used by: Algolia, GitLab, Instacart, Stripe, Zapier ## HR & Talent 38 of 74 companies, 29 tools identified. Functions: Employer of Record, HRIS, Payroll, Recruiting / ATS, Employee Engagement & Experience, Performance Management, Learning & Development, Workforce Management. All 29 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/hr-talent - [Welcome to the Jungle](https://www.softatlas.io/welcome-to-the-jungle), 26% (19 companies), rated 4/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Ginkgo Bioworks, Honeylove, Instacart, SmartAsset, Twitch - [Lattice](https://www.softatlas.io/lattice), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Brex, Faire, Gusto, Rippling, Weave - [Wellfound](https://www.softatlas.io/wellfound), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Brex, Faire, Oklo, Scale AI - [BambooHR](https://www.softatlas.io/bamboohr), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Reddit, Scale AI, Zapier - [HackerRank](https://www.softatlas.io/hackerrank), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, DoorDash, Stripe - [Talent](https://www.softatlas.io/talent), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Bonusly](https://www.softatlas.io/bonusly), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Checkr, DoorDash - [Deel](https://www.softatlas.io/deel), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: DoorDash, Lever - [Karat](https://www.softatlas.io/karat), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Scale AI, Webflow - [Remote](https://www.softatlas.io/remote), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: GitLab, Go1 ## Developer & Engineering 37 of 74 companies, 36 tools identified. Functions: DevOps, Integration & iPaaS, CI/CD, API Management, Backend Platforms, Frontend Tools, Observability & Monitoring, IDEs & Code Editors. All 36 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/developer-engineering - [Tray.io](https://www.softatlas.io/tray-io), 18% (13 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Amplitude, GitLab, Gusto, PagerDuty - [Retool](https://www.softatlas.io/retool), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Brex, DoorDash, EquipmentShare, Segment, Stripe - [Sentry](https://www.softatlas.io/sentry), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Flexport, Instacart, Optimizely, Reddit - [Bitbucket](https://www.softatlas.io/bitbucket), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Datadog](https://www.softatlas.io/datadog), 4% (3 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Airbnb, Go1, Sqreen - [Fern](https://www.softatlas.io/fern), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Deel, ShipBob, Webflow - [Linear](https://www.softatlas.io/linear), 4% (3 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Brex, Coinbase, Scale AI - [Replit](https://www.softatlas.io/replit), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Coinbase, Gusto, Stripe - [Vercel](https://www.softatlas.io/vercel-inc), 4% (3 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Scale AI, Stripe, Zapier - [Airtable](https://www.softatlas.io/airtable), 3% (2 companies), rated 4/5 on Soft Atlas (3 reviews) - Used by: Benchling, Dropbox ## Data & Analytics 35 of 74 companies, 37 tools identified. Functions: Business Intelligence, Customer Data Platforms, Data Governance & Catalog, Data Warehousing, Data Integration (ETL/ELT), Data Visualization, Product & Web Analytics. All 37 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/data-analytics - [KISSmetrics](https://www.softatlas.io/kissmetrics), 14% (10 companies) - Used by: Optimizely, Rappi, Razorpay, Segment, Stripe - [Statsig](https://www.softatlas.io/statsig), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Brex, Rippling, Scribd, Webflow, Whatnot - [Middesk](https://www.softatlas.io/middesk), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Brex, Deel, Gusto, Rippling - [Snowflake](https://www.softatlas.io/snowflake-inc), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Coinbase, DoorDash, Flexport, Ginkgo Bioworks - [AppsFlyer](https://www.softatlas.io/appsflyer), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Rappi, Sendwave, Zepto - [Hevo Data](https://www.softatlas.io/hevo-data), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: DoorDash, Meesho, Scale AI - [Hotjar](https://www.softatlas.io/hotjar), 4% (3 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Fivetran, HelloSign, Razorpay - [Salesforce Data Cloud](https://www.softatlas.io/salesforce-data-cloud), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Algolia, Go1, Reddit - [Ashby](https://www.softatlas.io/ashby), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Deel, Zapier - [Contentsquare](https://www.softatlas.io/contentsquare), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Fivetran, HelloSign ## Productivity & Collaboration 32 of 74 companies, 44 tools identified. Functions: Business Phone Systems, Project Management, Team Collaboration, Video Conferencing, Knowledge Management, Team Messaging, Document Management, Scheduling & Calendar, Note-taking Tools, Workflow Automation, Office Productivity. All 44 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/productivity-collaboration - [Jira](https://www.softatlas.io/jira), 7% (5 companies), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit, Sqreen, Stripe - [Confluence](https://www.softatlas.io/confluence), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit, Stripe - [Grain](https://www.softatlas.io/grain), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Podium, Weave, Webflow, Zapier - [Notion](https://www.softatlas.io/notion-labs-inc), 5% (4 companies), rated 4.8/5 on Soft Atlas (17 reviews) - Used by: Codecademy, Deel, Faire, Mixpanel - [Slack](https://www.softatlas.io/slack-technologies-llc), 5% (4 companies), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (25 reviews) - Used by: Algolia, Sqreen, Stripe, Webflow - [Zapier](https://www.softatlas.io/zapier), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, Webflow - [Align](https://www.softatlas.io/align), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Atlassian](https://www.softatlas.io/atlassian-corporation-plc), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Focus](https://www.softatlas.io/focus), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Granola](https://www.softatlas.io/granola), 4% (3 companies), rated 4.8/5 on Soft Atlas (7 reviews) - Used by: Algolia, Brex, Zapier ## Sales 28 of 74 companies, 45 tools identified. Functions: CRM, Sales Enablement, Sales Engagement, Sales Intelligence, Lead Generation, CPQ (Configure Price Quote), Revenue Intelligence. All 45 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/sales - [Qualified](https://www.softatlas.io/qualified), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Brex, Flock Safety, Matterport, Webflow - [FullEnrich](https://www.softatlas.io/fullenrich), 4% (3 companies), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (4 reviews) - Used by: Gusto, Stripe, Zapier - [Highspot](https://www.softatlas.io/highspot), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, GitLab, PagerDuty - [HubSpot](https://www.softatlas.io/hubspot-inc), 4% (3 companies), rated 4.3/5 on Soft Atlas (29 reviews) - Used by: DoorDash, Reddit, Zapier - [Amplemarket](https://www.softatlas.io/amplemarket), 3% (2 companies), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Deel, Fivetran - [Clari](https://www.softatlas.io/clari), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Flock Safety, Webflow - [Clay](https://www.softatlas.io/clay), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Rippling - [Clearbit](https://www.softatlas.io/clearbit), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Heap, Segment - [Common Room](https://www.softatlas.io/common-room), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: GitLab, Webflow - [Gong](https://www.softatlas.io/gong), 3% (2 companies), rated 4.3/5 on Soft Atlas (2 reviews) - Used by: Algolia, Rippling ## Customer Experience 23 of 74 companies, 22 tools identified. Functions: Community Platforms, Customer Support, Live Chat & Messaging, Call Center / Contact Center, Customer Feedback & VoC, Customer Success Platforms, Conversational AI. All 22 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/customer-experience - [Chameleon](https://www.softatlas.io/chameleon), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Amplitude, Fivetran, Heap, Mixpanel - [Survicate](https://www.softatlas.io/survicate), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Amplitude, Mixpanel, Optimizely, Segment, Zapier - [Vitally](https://www.softatlas.io/vitally), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Deel, Heap, Mixpanel, Rippling, Zapier - [Zendesk](https://www.softatlas.io/zendesk-inc), 4% (3 companies), rated 4/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Honeylove, Optimizely, PagerDuty - [Gainsight](https://www.softatlas.io/gainsight), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Matterport, Zapier - [Kickbox](https://www.softatlas.io/kickbox), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Reddit, Zapier - [Solidroad](https://www.softatlas.io/solidroad), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Faire, Podium - [11x](https://www.softatlas.io/11x), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Checkr - [Custplace](https://www.softatlas.io/custplace), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Reddit - [Dialpad](https://www.softatlas.io/dialpad), 1% (1 company) - Used by: PagerDuty ## IT & Security 22 of 74 companies, 20 tools identified. Functions: Identity & Access Management, IT Service & Asset Management, Cybersecurity, Cloud Infrastructure, Compliance & Governance. All 20 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/it-security - [1Password](https://www.softatlas.io/1password), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Amplitude, Reddit, Stripe - [Amazon Web Services (AWS)](https://www.softatlas.io/amazon-web-services-inc), 4% (3 companies), rated 3.5/5 on Soft Atlas (2 reviews) - Used by: Sqreen, Stripe, Zapier - [Cobalt](https://www.softatlas.io/cobalt), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Algolia, Dropbox, Flexport - [HackerOne](https://www.softatlas.io/hackerone), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Coinbase, Flexport - [Jira Service Management](https://www.softatlas.io/jira-service-management), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Ginkgo Bioworks, Reddit - [Okta](https://www.softatlas.io/okta-inc), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Checkr, GitLab - [Vanta](https://www.softatlas.io/vanta), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Newfront, ShipBob - [Veriff](https://www.softatlas.io/veriff), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Deel, Instacart - [Aqua Security](https://www.softatlas.io/aqua-security), 1% (1 company) - Used by: GitLab - [DataDome](https://www.softatlas.io/datadome), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Scentbird ## Marketing 22 of 74 companies, 32 tools identified. Functions: Event Management, Form Builders, Local Marketing, Marketing Automation, Translation & Localization, Email Marketing, SEO, GEO & Content Optimization, Advertising Platforms, Social Media Management, Marketing Analytics. All 32 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/marketing - [AirOps](https://www.softatlas.io/airops), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Amplitude, Brex, Webflow - [Clearscope](https://www.softatlas.io/clearscope), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Algolia, Optimizely, Webflow - [Semrush](https://www.softatlas.io/semrush), 4% (3 companies), rated 3.6/5 on Soft Atlas (5 reviews) - Used by: Airbnb, DoorDash, Dropbox - [Branch](https://www.softatlas.io/branch), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Instacart - [Iterable](https://www.softatlas.io/iterable), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Coinbase, Scribd - [Mailchimp](https://www.softatlas.io/mailchimp), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Stripe, Zapier - [Mailgun](https://www.softatlas.io/mailgun), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Scribd, Zapier - [Marketing Cloud Account Engagement](https://www.softatlas.io/marketing-cloud-account-engagement), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Go1, Reddit - [Surfer](https://www.softatlas.io/surfer), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Deel, Zapier - [Typeform](https://www.softatlas.io/typeform), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Webflow, Zapier ## Finance 19 of 74 companies, 19 tools identified. Functions: Accounting, Spend & Expense Management, Billing & Invoicing, Financial Planning (FP&A), Banking & Accounts. All 19 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/finance - [Brex](https://www.softatlas.io/brex-inc), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: DoorDash, Reddit, Scale AI, Scentbird - [Pigment](https://www.softatlas.io/pigment), 5% (4 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Algolia, Brex, Fivetran, Heap - [Plaid](https://www.softatlas.io/plaid), 5% (4 companies) - Used by: Brex, Coinbase, Deel, Flexport - [Spendesk](https://www.softatlas.io/spendesk), 3% (2 companies), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (2 reviews) - Used by: Deel, Stripe - [Tipalti](https://www.softatlas.io/tipalti), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Matterport, Scribd - [Avalara](https://www.softatlas.io/avalara), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Stripe - [Carta](https://www.softatlas.io/carta), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Scale AI - [ClearBank](https://www.softatlas.io/clearbank), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Coinbase - [Fathom](https://www.softatlas.io/fathom), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Zapier - [HighRadius](https://www.softatlas.io/highradius), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Dropbox ## Artificial Intelligence 16 of 74 companies, 14 tools identified. Functions: AI Agents, LLM Platforms, Machine Learning Platforms, Generative AI Tools. All 14 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/artificial-intelligence - [Anthropic](https://www.softatlas.io/anthropic), 7% (5 companies), rated 4.9/5 on Soft Atlas (17 reviews) - Used by: Algolia, GitLab, Instacart, Stripe, Zapier - [ElevenLabs](https://www.softatlas.io/elevenlabs), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Meesho, Razorpay, Stripe - [Agentforce](https://www.softatlas.io/agentforce), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Go1, Reddit - [Hugging Face](https://www.softatlas.io/hugging-face-inc), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, DoorDash - [WRITER](https://www.softatlas.io/writer), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Go1 - [3Commas](https://www.softatlas.io/3commas), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Coinbase - [Algolia](https://www.softatlas.io/algolia), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Flexport - [Daily](https://www.softatlas.io/daily), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Scale AI - [DataRobot](https://www.softatlas.io/datarobot), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Razorpay - [Fireworks](https://www.softatlas.io/fireworks), 1% (1 company) - Used by: DoorDash ## Commerce 16 of 74 companies, 14 tools identified. Functions: E-commerce Platforms, Payment Platforms, Subscription Management, Order Management. All 14 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/commerce - [Stripe](https://www.softatlas.io/stripe-inc), 7% (5 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (2 reviews) - Used by: Clipboard Health, Instacart, Podium, Weave, Zapier - [Checkout](https://www.softatlas.io/checkout), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, Stripe - [Recurly](https://www.softatlas.io/recurly), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Scentbird, Twitch - [WP Engine](https://www.softatlas.io/wp-engine), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Instacart - [Adyen](https://www.softatlas.io/adyen), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Airbnb - [Akeneo](https://www.softatlas.io/akeneo), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Fivetran - [Belvo](https://www.softatlas.io/belvo), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Rappi - [Bridge](https://www.softatlas.io/bridge), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Stripe - [Chargebee](https://www.softatlas.io/chargebee), 1% (1 company), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Optimizely - [Global Payments](https://www.softatlas.io/global-payments), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Stripe ## Design & Creative 12 of 74 companies, 9 tools identified. Functions: UI/UX Design, Graphic Design, Video & Media Creation. All 9 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/design-creative - [Figma](https://www.softatlas.io/figma), 5% (4 companies), rated 5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Airbnb, Algolia, Dropbox, Stripe - [Framer](https://www.softatlas.io/framer), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: DoorDash, Mixpanel, Zapier - [Photoroom](https://www.softatlas.io/photoroom), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: DoorDash, Rappi, Zepto - [Webflow](https://www.softatlas.io/webflow), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Fivetran, Reddit - [Ocus](https://www.softatlas.io/ocus), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, DoorDash - [Descript](https://www.softatlas.io/descript), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Algolia - [Pitch](https://www.softatlas.io/pitch), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Paystack - [Venngage](https://www.softatlas.io/venngage), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Airbnb - [WordPress.org](https://www.softatlas.io/wordpress-org), 1% (1 company), rated 4.5/5 on Soft Atlas (1 review) - Used by: Stripe ## Legal Tech 11 of 74 companies, 4 tools identified. Functions: Contract Management (CLM), E-Signature. All 4 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/legal-tech - [Ironclad](https://www.softatlas.io/ironclad), 9% (7 companies) - Used by: Dropbox, Gusto, PagerDuty, Podium, Reddit - [Agiloft](https://www.softatlas.io/agiloft), 3% (2 companies) - Used by: Stripe, Twitch - [DocuSign](https://www.softatlas.io/docusign-inc), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Checkr - [SignEasy](https://www.softatlas.io/signeasy), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Rappi ## Operations 5 of 74 companies, 1 tool identified. Functions: ESG & Sustainability. All 1 tool: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/operations - [Watershed](https://www.softatlas.io/watershed), 7% (5 companies) - Used by: Airbnb, DoorDash, Flexport, GitLab, Stripe ## Industry Software 4 of 74 companies, 2 tools identified. Functions: Fintech Platforms. All 2 tools: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies/industry-software - [Checkr](https://www.softatlas.io/checkr), 4% (3 companies) - Used by: Coinbase, Instacart, Rippling - [DFNS](https://www.softatlas.io/dfns), 1% (1 company) - Used by: Stripe Source: https://www.softatlas.io/stacks/benchmark/y-combinator-top-companies