Early Access · Batch Opening Soon

The YC for Open Source

Not a hackathon. Not a submission contest. A cohort-based accelerator that gives open-source projects the mentorship, network, perks, and recognition they deserve.

● What is Open Contest

An accelerator — not a hackathon.

Open-source projects don't need another weekend sprint. They need sustained momentum: mentorship, visibility, credentials, and a network that compounds.

submit — zsh
$ opencontest submit
Enter your GitHub repo URL:
› github.com/you/your-project
Fetching repo metadata…
✓ 1.2k stars · 14 contributors
✓ Active · MIT license
Submitted to Fall 2026 cohort.

Apply for the batch

Applications open twice a year. Drop your GitHub repo — we pull stars, contributors, commit cadence, and license automatically. No manual forms, no slides, no pitch deck. Just your code.

Get accelerated

Selected projects enter a 10–12 week cohort. Mentor matching, maintainer connections, platform credits, and spotlight showcases — structured like a real accelerator.

Certified, not just showcased

Demo day across our networks. A trackable certificate with a unique ID and verification URL. Add it to LinkedIn. Proof your project was selected from hundreds.

Submit
→
Screen
→
Accelerate
→
Showcase
→
Certify

Six steps. One cohort. Same lifecycle every time.

Two cohorts per year — one in October, one in May. Same rigor, same structure, same outcomes. You always know what's next.

● Your Journey

From side project to selected.

Follow a repo through one cohort — this is exactly what happens, step by step.

yourname/side-project
Public
0 ★ 0 contributors 0 commits
Auto-signals
Human review
✓ Selected — top 20 of 247
KM
Kara M. Maintainer · k8s
98% match
AR
Aria R. OSS · CI/CD
94% match
“Shipping your v0.9 refactor this week — let's pair Thursday.”
$5k sponsor credits
AI vendor certification
Sponsor certification
DEMO DAY
Your project, center stage
devs community press
Certificate of Selection
ID: OC-2026-0117 · verified
Add to LinkedIn Verify URL
01

You submit your repo

One URL. That's it. We auto-pull stars, contributors, and commit cadence while you're grabbing coffee. No pitch deck, no forms, no waiting on paperwork.

What you expected

A long application asking you to explain your project in 500 words.

02

It gets reviewed

Automated signals surface your repo's momentum. Real humans — maintainers and engineers — read the code, not the hype.

What you expected

A black-box algorithm judging your stars count.

03

You get matched with a mentor

A maintainer who has shipped at scale pairs with you. Not advice-from-affar — actual contributions, actual reviews, actual calls.

What you expected

A generic mentor list and a "good luck" email.

04

Perks unlock

Sponsor credits, AI vendor subscriptions, and certifications land in your account. Real budget to build with — not coupons that expire in a month.

What you expected

A sticker pack and a discount code.

05

Demo day

Your project takes center stage across our network — blogs, socials, newsletters, community events. The audience you could never reach on your own.

What you expected

A tweet that gets 3 likes.

06

You walk away with a valid certification

A trackable certificate with a unique ID and verification URL. Recruiters and research programs can verify it in one click. You're in the alumni network now.

What you expected

A PDF nobody can verify.

● The Model

Same playbook. Different league.

YC accelerated startups. We accelerate the open-source projects that power them.

Y Combinator startups

  • ✓ Cohort-based batches, twice a year
  • ✓ Mentor matching & partner connections
  • ✓ Seed funding to build with
  • ✓ Demo day to investors & press
  • ✓ Alumni network that compounds

Open Contest open source

  • ✓ Cohort-based batches, twice a year
  • ✓ Mentor matching & maintainer connections
  • ✓ Sponsor perks, credits & rewards to build with
  • ✓ Demo day to developers, community & press
  • ✓ Certifications + alumni network that compounds
● How It Works

Six steps. One cohort.

Two cohorts per year — one in October, one in May. Same lifecycle, same rigor.

01

Submit

Drop your GitHub repo URL. We auto-pull stars, contributors, commit cadence, license, and topics — no manual forms.

02

Screen

Our screening team reviews every submission. Automated signals plus human judgment. Top projects get selected.

03

Accelerate

10–12 week cohort. Mentor matching, maintainer connections, sponsor perks, platform credits, and spotlight showcases.

04

Showcase

Demo day across our networks. Your project gets the spotlight it deserves — blogs, socials, community events.

05

Certify

Receive a trackable certificate with a unique ID and verification URL. Add it directly to your LinkedIn profile.

06

Grow

Join the alumni network. Down the road, we help you turn your project into a revenue-based product with expert guidance.

● The Certificate

Proof that stays verifiable.

Every selected maintainer receives a trackable certificate with a unique ID and a public verification URL — the kind of credential that stands out forever.

SAMPLE Mock-up shown — your batch, your project, your name.
● What You Get

Everything that comes with the certificate.

The credential is the headline — but it's backed by a full package of goodies, support, and credibility from a recognized open-source organization.

Goodies & rewards

Tangible rewards, swag, and real recognition for contributing to projects that move the needle.

Mentorship

Paired with experienced open-source maintainers and engineers who contribute to your project alongside you.

Hosting & infrastructure

Cloud hosting credits and infra from our sponsor partners — deploy your project on real budget, not free tiers.

LLM & AI subscriptions

Access to AI-based coding subscriptions from top vendors — plus certifications that come with them.

Accelerated program

The 10–12 week cohort itself: structured sprints, reviews, and demo day with real deadlines and real outcomes.

Open source channels

Private cohort channels and the broader open-source community — maintainers, sponsors, and alumni in one network.

Sponsor certifications

Additional certifications and perks from our sponsor partners — credible endorsements from real organizations.

Verifiable forever

Unique ID + public verification URL. Recruiters, research programs, and institutions can check it in one click — for good.

● Cohort Calendar

Two windows per year.

Plan ahead. The next batch is opening soon — join early to be first in line.

Next batch

opening soon
Early access
●
NOW
Early access list open
Join the list to get notified the moment submissions go live.
2
SOON
Submissions open
Drop your GitHub repo. Auto-pulled metadata. No manual forms.
3
~2 WEEKS LATER
Submissions close
Final deadline for the upcoming cohort applications.
4
+2 WEEKS
Screening & selection
Review team evaluates all submissions and selects the cohort.
5
+10–12 WEEKS
Cohort & demo day
Mentor matching, perks, showcase, and certificate issuance.

Following batch

~6 months out
Upcoming
1
~6 MONTHS
Submissions open
Applications for the following cohort open.
2
+2 WEEKS
Submissions close
Final deadline for the following cohort applications.
3
+2 WEEKS
Screening & selection
Review and selection of top projects.
4
+10–12 WEEKS
Cohort & demo day
Mentor matching, perks, showcase, and certificate issuance.
5
ONGOING
Alumni network
Join the alumni. We help you turn your project into a product.
● FAQ

Questions, answered.

Who can apply? +
Anyone with an open-source project on GitHub. Solo maintainers, teams, students, career-switchers — if your repo is public and you're actively building, you're eligible.
Does it cost anything? +
No. The program is free for selected projects. Sponsors fund the perks, credits, and infrastructure. The whole platform is open source under MIT.
What if my project isn't selected? +
You get feedback on why, and you can reapply for the next cohort. Many projects grow significantly between applications.
What does "join early" actually get me? +
First access to the application form the moment it opens, early-bird sponsor perks while supplies last, and a head start on mentor matching. We only use your email to notify you about the cohort — nothing else.
Is this really like YC? +
Structurally, yes — cohorts, mentors, demo day, alumni network, credentials. The difference: we accelerate open-source projects, not equity-backed startups. The currency is contribution, not cap table.

Want in on the next cohort?

Drop your email. We'll notify you the moment applications open — and you'll be first in line.