Engage Bio YC Application

Winter 2022Acquired

Engage Bio went through Y Combinator in the Winter 2022 batch as a Healthcare 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: Winter 2022
Industry: HealthcareTherapeutics
Team size: 10
Status: Acquired
Launched: 2022

Founders

Will OlsenFounder

What Engage Bio does

Engage Bio has developed Tethosomes, a new class of non-viral DNA which finally unleashes potent, durable, redosable, and scalable genetic medicine. In 2026 Engage was acquired by Eli Lilly.

Engage Bio's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Engage Bio, Winter 2022 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Engage Bio

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Non-viral durable genetic medicines

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

We make Tethosomes, a new class of non-viral DNA vehicle for genetic medicine. It delivers DNA potently, durably, and can be redosed safely, enabling scalable genetic therapies without the risks of viral vectors.

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

We live and work in San Francisco, CA and would keep the company based here after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

San Francisco is where our team and biotech resources are located. It's the best place for access to talent and partnerships in healthcare and therapeutics.

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 Engage Bio YC application?

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