Instantq YC Application

Summer 2009Inactive

Instantq went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2009 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 2009
Industry: B2BRetail
Team size: 2
Status: Inactive
Launched: 2012

Founders

Dana LevineFounder
Jeffery Xin ShiFounder

What Instantq does

InstantQ is an online platform that enables restaurants to distribute JIT promotions to its customers. It was launched in 2009 by Dana Levine and is based in California.

Instantq's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Instantq, Summer 2009 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Instantq

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Real-time restaurant promotions platform

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

We built InstantQ to let restaurants push just-in-time promotions directly to their customers online. It's a simple platform for restaurants to upload deals and target customers when they're nearby or ready to order. This fills the gap between general advertising and time-sensitive offers that increase foot traffic and sales during slow times.

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

We currently live in San Francisco, CA, and plan to keep InstantQ based here after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

San Francisco offers access to a strong tech talent pool and proximity to early customers in the restaurant and retail sectors. It's where we are rooted and where we see the market for real-time promotions evolving.

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 Instantq YC application?

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