Cognito YC Application
Cognito went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2014 batch as a B2B company. Below: what the company does, who founded it, and its application to YC, reconstructed question by question in the real YC form.
- YC batch
- Summer 2014
- Industry
- B2BEngineering, Product and Design
- Team size
- 12
- Status
- Acquired
- Launched
- 2014
Founders
Alain MeierFounder/CEO
John BackusFounder/CTO
Christopher MortonFounder/President and COO
What Cognito does
Cognito is the highest converting ID verification system on the market. By starting with just a user's phone number, Cognito can verify their name, date of birth, address, phone, and Social Security Number. The strong link formed between a user and their phone number builds trust while reducing friction.
Cognito's YC application, reconstructed
Y Combinator application
Cognito, Summer 2014 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.
- Founders2
- Company7
- Progress7
- Idea4
- Equity3
- Curious2
- Batch Preference1
Company
Cognito
Identity verification starting with a phone number
We built an ID verification system that starts by verifying a user's phone number, then uses that strong link to confirm their name, birthdate, address, and Social Security Number. This reduces friction for businesses that need to verify identities without complicated steps or extra user effort.
We are based in Palo Alto, CA, and the company operates remotely as well. After YC, we'll continue to be based in Palo Alto and leverage remote work.
We chose Palo Alto because that's where we are founded and where the core team lives. It's close to key partners and talent for fintech and identity verification. Remote work lets us broaden reach without relocating.
21 more answers in the full application
Founders, Progress, Idea, Equity, Curious, Batch Preference are in the full version. Create a free account to open it in YC Insights, next to every other YC batch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this the real Cognito YC application?
No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from Cognito's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like Cognito would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.
What YC batch was Cognito in?
Cognito was part of the Y Combinator Summer 2014 batch.
Who founded Cognito?
Cognito was founded by Alain Meier, John Backus, Christopher Morton.
What does Cognito do?
Frictionless, modern identity verification that starts with just a…
How do I read the full reconstructed application?
Create a free Round Funded account. The full 26-answer version of Cognito's application, and every other YC batch, is in YC Insights.
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