The ACLU raised $24M over the weekend of the #muslimban, six times its usual annual average, and now it is joining the Winter 2017 class at Y Combinator, a startup accelerator that has emerged a mixed bag of great and terrible companies, which has had to contend with controversy over its ties to Peter Thiel.
It’s a strange move, and possibly a great one (if nothing else, it will expose the rest of the Accelerator class to the ACLU, which can only be a force for good once they’re in business and designing products).
It’s also true that any successful action by ACLU in the next four years will have intensely technological components.
The ACLU will have full access to the Y Combinator network and community, and they will present at Demo Day in March.
We are hopeful that the YC community will join us in supporting this important work. In particular, if you’re an engineer and want to spend some time helping them out, let us know. We’ll keep you updated on opportunities.
Welcome, ACLU
[Y Combinator/Medium]
ACLU joins Silicon Valley startup accelerator Y Combinator
[Natt Garun/The Verge]