FounderTrace – Mapping YC startup founder genealogies

Summary: FounderTrace visualizes the founder lineage across over 6,000 Y Combinator startups, showing employment histories and founder connections up to four generations. It identifies key "founder factories" like Stripe and reveals hidden links between YC companies using enriched LinkedIn data.

What it does

FounderTrace maps the entire YC founder genealogy by tracing who worked where before founding which startups, displaying visual family trees and multi-generation chains. It leverages Crustdata APIs to access detailed work histories and company connections.

Who it's for

It is designed for founders, investors, hiring teams, and anyone interested in exploring the professional lineage and networks within YC startups.

Why it matters

FounderTrace helps identify talent sources, founder backgrounds, and patterns in successful startup creation by revealing the hidden connections and generational chains among YC companies.