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About Linkra

Building a global startup league table through collective intelligence

Our Mission

Linkra is a startup league table built through collective voting. We believe that the wisdom of the crowd can create a more accurate and dynamic ranking of startups than traditional methods. By combining pairwise comparisons with virtual trading, we capture both relative conviction and market sentiment.

How It Works

1. Vote

See two startups side-by-side and vote for which one you believe in more. Every vote contributes to the global ranking algorithm.

2. Rank

Our Elo-based ranking system processes thousands of votes to create an emergent ordering of startups. The more votes a startup receives, the more accurate its ranking becomes.

3. Trade

Back your beliefs with virtual currency. Build a portfolio and track your performance against the market. Prices are derived from Elo ratings, creating a dynamic market that reflects collective conviction.

Ranking Algorithm

Linkra uses an Elo rating system, similar to chess rankings, to determine startup positions:

  • Each startup starts with an Elo rating of 1500
  • When you vote for a startup, its Elo increases while the opponent's decreases
  • The magnitude of change depends on the Elo difference between the two startups
  • Upsets (voting for the lower-rated startup) result in larger rating changes
  • Prices are calculated as Elo rating divided by 100 (e.g., Elo 1500 = $15.00)

This creates a self-correcting system where startups naturally find their position based on collective judgment.

Data Sources

Startup information is sourced from publicly available data. We credit the following:

Y Combinator Companies API: Startup data is provided by the Y Combinator Open Source API, an unofficial API for Y Combinator companies fetched from the Y Combinator website's Algolia search index.

Rankings, prices, and all market data are generated by user activity on the platform and do not reflect official Y Combinator rankings or valuations.

Technology

Linkra is built with modern web technologies:

  • Next.js: React framework for server-side rendering and routing
  • TypeScript: Type-safe JavaScript
  • Supabase: Backend-as-a-Service for authentication, database, and real-time features
  • Tailwind CSS: Utility-first CSS framework
  • Recharts: Charting library for price history visualization