YC Startup Tracker

Both Y Combinator-backed startups are pushing aggressive, fast-paced market entries—Corgi with a flurry of 88 ETFs and plans for 300 in under a year, and Ploy with a $27M seed round for an autonomous AI marketing platform.

The tension lies in speed versus sustainability: Corgi’s tiny funds risk liquidity and closure despite low fees, while Ploy bets on fully automated marketing to replace human workflows.

Readers should watch whether either can overcome trust and operational hurdles to match the scale of their ambitions.

Tracking: Y Combinator

Geography: Mountain View, Silicon Valley, San Francisco, United States

1. Y Combinator-backed Corgi launches 88 ETFs, aims for 300 in under a year

Y Combinator-backed Corgi Investments has launched 88 ETFs since December and aims for 300 products in under a year, Reuters reports. That pace far exceeds BlackRock, which took over a decade to reach 300.

The company enters a booming ETF market that attracted $837 billion in net inflows in the first five months of 2026. But most Corgi funds remain tiny, with many holding $3 million to $6 million in assets.

The firm's $562 million total is dominated by one fund, the Lithography & Semiconductor Photonics ETF, which holds $273 million.

Corgi bets on low fees and social media to stand out, but thin trading in small funds can create wide bid-ask spreads and risk of closure. Analysts note that advisors steer much ETF money and trust takes time to build.

For investors, the real cost may be liquidity and survivability, not the headline fee.

Key facts:

- Corgi launched 88 ETFs since December 2025.

- It aims to reach 300 products in under a year.

- Many Corgi ETFs have $3 million to $6 million in assets.

- Corgi's largest ETF alone holds $273 million of $562 million total.

Why it matters: Corgi's high-volume, low-fee strategy pressures established issuers like BlackRock to cut costs, potentially benefiting investors through lower expense ratios.

However, investors in Corgi's tiny funds may face hidden costs from wide bid-ask spreads and potential closures, outweighing savings.

The reliance on social media rather than financial advisors represents a gamble: if it works, it could reshape ETF distribution; if not, many funds may languish.

Watch whether Corgi's largest fund can sustain its lead and whether regulators scrutinize rapid launches.

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2. Ploy raises $27M seed from First Round Capital and Y Combinator

Ploy, a San Francisco-based AI marketing and website automation platform, emerged from stealth on June 17, 2026, with $27 million in seed funding. The round was co-led by First Round Capital and Y Combinator.

Founded by former Webflow CTO and co-founder Bryant Chou, Ploy offers an autonomous marketing engine that designs pages, writes copy, runs campaigns, and syncs with CRM systems without manual intervention.

The company will use the capital to launch its platform to general availability and scale operations for marketing teams and agencies.

Key facts:

- Ploy raised $27 million in seed funding.

- First Round Capital and Y Combinator co-led the round.

- Company founded in 2026 by Bryant Chou, former Webflow CTO.

- Ploy is an AI-powered growth platform for website and marketing automation.

- Funds will support general availability and scaling operations.

Why it matters: Y Combinator's co-leadership of this seed round signals continued bet on AI-driven marketing automation, a rapidly crowded space. Bryant Chou's exit from Webflow to build Ploy highlights the talent flow from successful startups into new ventures.

The platform's promise of fully autonomous website-to-CRM workflows could reshape how startups and agencies allocate marketing spend, potentially displacing traditional point solutions.

Watch for whether Ploy’s deep integration with CRM systems creates sticky enterprise adoption or faces competition from incumbents like HubSpot.

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