25 dead startups.
$32.5B vanished.
3 worth reviving.
Est. 2026 · Updated weekly · No tombstones for companies still breathing.
Today's autopsy
Today we autopsy Yik Yak.
2013–2017 · socialYik Yak
Yik Yak captured the college-anonymous-forum slot in 18 months, lost it in another 18 after moderation failure and a mandatory handle feature killed both the core behavior and the brand — the 2021 relaunch is a different company.
4.6/ 10Partial signal
Cause of death
Where the capital goes to die.
hardware32%Manufacturing burned the runway.
social20%Network effects went the other way.
media8%Content treadmill outlasted the capital.
automotive8%2 tombstones
healthcare8%Science refused to cooperate.
Top revival
Rebuildable now.
Recently analyzed