HelloSign YC Application

Winter 2011Acquired

HelloSign went through Y Combinator in the Winter 2011 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: Winter 2011
Industry: B2BProductivity
Team size: 100
Status: Acquired
Launched: 2012

Founders

Neal O'MaraFounder/CTO

What HelloSign does

We believe that the way business gets done today is broken. That’s why we’re dedicated to simplifying work for everyone - from small startups to large enterprise companies. Millions of individuals and over 65,000 companies world-wide trust the HelloSign platform - which includes eSignature, digital workflow and electronic fax solutions - to automate and manage their most important business transactions. With a sharp focus on user experience and a lust for innovation, HelloSign is on a mission to Simplify Work.

HelloSign's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

HelloSign, Winter 2011 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

HelloSign

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

eSignature software for SMBs

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

We are building HelloSign, a simple eSignature platform tailored for small and mid-market businesses. It lets users sign, send, and manage documents digitally, eliminating paper and fax hassles. Our mission is to simplify how business documents get completed and stored, focusing on user experience and reliability.

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

We live in San Francisco, CA, and after YC the company will be based here as well.

Explain your decision regarding location.

San Francisco is where the product and early users are. Being here keeps us close to customers, investors, and the startup ecosystem we need to grow.

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 HelloSign YC application?

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