Since 2005, Y Combinator has backed more than 5,000 companies whose combined valuation exceeds $800 billion. That outcome reflects a long pattern of early decisions that compound over time, including choices around naming and domain names. With the Winter 2026 batch now open for applications, the Fall 2025 cohort provides a useful snapshot of how current founders approach brand infrastructure at inception.
The Fall 2025 batch includes roughly 150 startups operating across multiple sectors, with a pronounced concentration in B2B software. Enterprise platforms, developer tooling, applied artificial intelligence, and infrastructure products dominate the group. Companies selling into organisations rather than consumers face higher scrutiny earlier in the lifecycle, which elevates the importance of credible and durable domain names from the outset.
Domain Name Highlights
73 companies operate on .com domain names. The .com extension continues to dominate as the default for credibility and long-term positioning.
48 companies use .ai domain names. While widely adopted among technology brands and strongly associated with artificial intelligence, .ai is a country code top-level domain. Use of this extension can introduce structural limitations over time and remains subject to government policy and regulatory decisions, factors founders may need to account for as companies scale and expand internationally.
34 companies rely on other extensions such as .io, .dev, .app, and niche TLDs, choices that often favour speed and availability but may require reassessment as companies expand beyond early adopters.
34 companies launched on Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain names. An EBM domain name supports clear recall, reduces friction in introductions, and aligns naturally with how customers, partners, and investors expect serious companies to present themselves. Founders in this group can focus on building product and distribution without carrying unresolved naming decisions forward.
Only 5 domain names include a dash, confirming that hyphenation remains largely avoided due to its impact on recall and verbal clarity. While rare, its presence still introduces an additional layer of complexity in brand communication.
Prefixes and Suffixes
22 companies rely on domain names with an added prefix or suffix to the brand name. Using verbs or functional modifiers can weaken recall and increase repetition during conversations and referrals. Use of such structures often points to a temporary solution, with founders later seeking the unmodified brand name to simplify ownership, communication, and long-term brand control.
Risk and Market Positioning
Domain names function as long-term brand infrastructure. Early compromises around extension, spelling, or structure can introduce ongoing costs related to traffic leakage, misdirected communication, and brand dilution. Market positioning benefits from domain names that travel well across geographies, languages, and buyer contexts. Names requiring explanation or correction impose a cumulative tax on growth. Founders with experience navigating acquisitions and brand transitions tend to internalise these dynamics earlier.
Naming Trends in Y Combinator’s Fall 2025 list
Short and Phonetically Efficient Names
The Fall 2025 batch shows a consistent preference for short names that compress easily into memory and conversation. Rivet, Item, Bear, Moss, Iris, and Dome illustrate this approach. Short names reduce friction in sales discussions, internal usage, and referrals. For B2B software companies, recall efficiency often outweighs descriptive precision during early market entry.
Abstract and Flexible Naming
A distinct group of startups favours abstract or semi abstract names that avoid constraining future product scope. Mantle, Lemma, Nexus, Sanctum, and Locus reflect this pattern. Abstract naming preserves optionality as companies expand offerings, enter adjacent markets, or reposition over time. Flexibility becomes particularly valuable for venture backed companies navigating uncertain product trajectories.
Compound Names for Clarity
Compound naming appears where immediate category understanding outweighs brevity. Forge Robotics, Freeport Markets, Stratus Aviation, Parametric Robots, and Kaigo Health support comprehension in technical or regulated environments and often align more closely with available domain names.
Explicit Technology Signalling
Certain companies incorporate AI directly into the company name, including Boom AI, Cortex AI, Spatial AI, and Semble AI. Others omit explicit technology references despite similar technical foundations. Inclusion of AI functions as a positioning signal to investors and early adopters, but can narrow perception as methods evolve or commoditise. Founders omitting such markers often prioritise longevity over immediate categorisation.
Namepicks
Hyperspell
Hyperspell builds memory for AI agents. The platform connects agents to tools such as Slack, Gmail, Notion, and Drive, allowing them to recall, reason, and operate across company knowledge rather than act in isolation. Developers use Hyperspell’s API to transform disconnected agents into AI coworkers that maintain context and continuity across daily work. Hyperspell operates on the EBM domain name Hyperspell.com, signalling long-term intent that aligns the brand with infrastructure-level expectations. Investing in an exact brand match .com at the founding stage supports trust as adoption broadens and positions the company for scale without the need for future domain name consolidation.
JSX Tool
JSX Tool focuses on improving how developers interact with React code inside the browser. The company has developed a product that operates as a browser extension that connects directly to a React project, allowing developers to locate components and source files with a single interaction. Visual context becomes actionable, making it easier to express precise changes to language models without relying on vague descriptions or fragmented code snippets.
JSX Tool operates under the Exact Brand Match domain JSXTool.com, simplifying the company’s online presence and reinforcing brand consistency. The professional domain enhances credibility, making it easy for global clients to recognise and engage with the company.
Uplane
Uplane replaces traditional marketing agencies with an AI-driven system that generates and manages advertising end to end. The platform produces large volumes of ads with corresponding landing pages and dynamically allocates spend across channels such as Meta, Google, and LinkedIn. Uplane learns which campaigns drive actual profit and continuously refines performance, by integrating with CRM and ERP systems.
Uplane.com is the domain name this startup has chosen to operate on, it is perfectly matching their brand name and the .com extension is what visitors intuitively lean towards when typing a web address.
Fifth Door
Fifth Door focuses on lowering the barriers to creating and sharing games. The platform enables people to build, distribute, and play games across devices and contexts, removing technical constraints that traditionally limit who can participate in game creation. Emphasis sits on accessibility rather than tooling complexity, allowing creativity to take precedence over infrastructure.
Fifth Door has a domain name exactly matching their brand name – FifthDoor.com. The majority of successful global brands operate on similar names that communicate trust and authority.
Rovi Health
Rovi Health delivers healthcare to employees through a text-based model focused on access, efficiency, and cost control. Employers reduce healthcare spend by ten to twenty percent while employees receive concierge-level care designed to improve outcomes and engagement. The approach simplifies how care is initiated and managed, replacing traditional intake and navigation processes with direct communication.
Rovi Health operates on RoviHealth.com, an Exact Brand Match (EBM) domain that aligns with its global ambitions and strengthens its online presence. A clear and direct domain name enhances visibility, builds trust, and supports long-term brand recognition.
YC fall 2025
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The right domain name is an important consideration when it comes to building and protecting your brand. If you’re ready to take the next step and invest in a perfect domain name for your business, contact us to learn more about our available options and how we can help you get started.
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