Embark YC Application

Summer 2011Acquired

Embark went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2011 batch as a Consumer 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 2011
Industry: ConsumerTransportation Services
Team size: 2
Status: Acquired
Launched: 2012

Founders

Taylor MalloyFounder

What Embark does

Embark is a mobile application designed to make it easy to get around cities using mass transit. Among other features, the iOS and Android application tells users when trains and busses are coming and will send push notifications when services are delayed. With over half a million users and rapid growth, Embark's simple and powerful mobile application is designed to bring urban transportation into the age of the smartphone. Embark is available for twelve major transportation systems in the US and the UK and is expanding rapidly. Embark won best transit and mobility app awards from the New York MTA App Quest and NYC Big Apps 3.0 contests.

Embark's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Embark, Summer 2011 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Embark

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Public transit apps

What is your company going to make? Please describe your product and what it does or will do.

We are building a mobile app that helps people navigate mass transit systems. It shows when buses and trains arrive, sends alerts for delays, and covers major US and UK cities. The goal is to make public transit predictable and easy on smartphones.

Where do you live now, and where would the company be based after YC?

We live in San Francisco and the company is based here.

Explain your decision regarding location.

San Francisco is a hub for mobile technology and startups. Being here connects us to users, transit agencies, and potential partners in the industry.

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.

See full application

Frequently Asked Questions

Is this the real Embark YC application?

No. Y Combinator keeps submitted applications private. This is a reconstruction: the real YC form questions, answered from Embark's public data (launch notes, founder backgrounds, product description). It shows how a company like Embark would present itself to YC, not the text they submitted.