Michael Seibel

Managing Director at Y Combinator and Co-founder of Twitch and Socialcam

Michael Seibel is a prominent figure in the startup ecosystem, currently serving as a Group Partner at Y Combinator (YC), where he has been instrumental in mentoring and advising numerous startups. He joined YC in 2013 and became its first African-American partner in 2014. Seibel previously held the position of Managing Director of the YC startup accelerator from 2016 until March 2024, when he transitioned back to a partner role after leading the accelerator for eight years.1 3 5

Background and Education

Born on October 7, 1982, in Brooklyn, New York, Seibel moved to East Brunswick, New Jersey, during his pre-teen years. He graduated from Yale University in 2005 with a BA in Political Science. Before entering the tech industry, he worked as a finance director for Kweisi Mfume's campaign for the U.S. Senate in 2006.1 4

Entrepreneurial Ventures

Seibel co-founded Justin.tv in 2007, which later evolved into Twitch, a leading live-streaming platform for gamers. Under his leadership, Twitch was sold to Amazon in 2014 for approximately $970 million. Additionally, he co-founded Socialcam, a social video-sharing app that was sold to Autodesk for $60 million in 2012.1 2 3 4

Contributions to Y Combinator

At Y Combinator, Seibel has evaluated thousands of startup applications, providing mentorship and guidance to many successful companies. He has been involved in advising notable startups, including Airbnb, and has participated in over 3,100 interviews and 6,500 office hours with startups.3 4 His work has significantly impacted the growth and success of numerous companies in the tech industry, with the startups he has worked with collectively valued at over $192 billion.3

Board Memberships

In addition to his role at Y Combinator, Seibel serves on the boards of Reddit and Dropbox, further extending his influence in the tech community. He was appointed as Reddit's first Black board member in June 2020, following a push for increased diversity on the board.1 2 3

Seibel's extensive experience in the startup landscape, combined with his commitment to promoting diversity and supporting new entrepreneurs, makes him a key player in the ongoing evolution of the tech industry.