Y Combinator co-founder, Michael Seibel announced late Wednesday on X that he is transitioning to a “partner emeritus” role, marking the end of his 12-year tenure at the renowned startup accelerator.
Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan confirmed the news in a company blog post, reflecting on Seibel’s deep ties with YC. Seibel first joined the program as a founder, participating twice—first with Justin.TV, the streaming startup that later became Twitch, and later Socialcam, a mobile video-sharing app. He went on to serve in several leadership roles at YC, including group partner, managing director, and CEO of the accelerator.
Seibel had already begun stepping back in recent months. In a 2023 YC blog post, he announced plans to hand over his leadership responsibilities, with the transition becoming fully effective after YC’s Winter 2024 batch completed the program.
While Seibel’s departure may seem like a natural progression, it has been speculated that his exit was set in motion as early as 2022, when Tan was unexpectedly appointed President and CEO. At the time, some YC employees had reportedly assumed that Seibel would be next in line for the role.
Seibel has not yet provided further comment, but in his X post, he shared plans to take the summer off before shifting focus to public service.
“Government was the passion of my youth, and I’m excited to reengage,” he wrote, adding his gratitude to Y Combinator co-founders Paul Graham and Jessica Livingston for their influence on his career.
His announcement comes just weeks before YC’s Spring 2024 batch begins its program, which runs from April through June.
