Owners Circle YC Application

Summer 2014Inactive

Owners Circle went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2014 batch as a Fintech 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: FintechCredit and Lending
Team size: 2
Status: Inactive
Launched: 2014

Founders

Matthew ChristenFounder
Broderick McClintonFounder
Eric SonnierFounder

What Owners Circle does

OwnersCircle provides small business owners with the online tools and financial information that they need in order to navigate the complex world of business financing. The reality is that there is no easy way to search for small business financial products, which creates a headache for already time-strapped business owners. Recent reports show that owners spend an enormous amount of time (25 hrs on average) searching and applying for loan products, with many focusing on lenders that have high rejection rates and long, complex processes. There's a better way! There are a growing number of banks and alternative lenders that want to work with small businesses and are willing to compete for their business. Our platform provides owners with the information they need in order to identify, compare, and apply for financial products that can help take their business to the next level. Why Use OwnersCircle? 1. Get access to free, online tools to identify financial institutions that actively lend to growing small businesses 2. Shop and compare a variety of lenders and their loan products 3. Use one platform to complete your financing search versus spending countless days researching and completing lender applications only to find out you're not a fit 4. Free access to our team of funding consultants to answer any questions you may have throughout the process What Types of Business Financial Products does OwnersCircle Include? - Lender Types: Local Banks and Alternative Lenders - Product Types: SBA Term Loans, Bank Term Loans, Alternative Term Loans, Asset-based Loans and more Why Would I Need Business Financing? New location or remodel current space Purchase inventory Purchase equipment Hire additional employees Manage cash flow Refinance/consolidate current debt Marketing and advertising

Owners Circle's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Owners Circle, Summer 2014 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Owners Circle

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Kickstarter for local businesses

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

We built an online platform that helps small business owners find, compare, and apply for local bank and alternative lender loans. The site includes tools to identify lenders actively working with growing businesses and lets owners complete financing applications in one place instead of navigating many complex lender sites.

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

We live in Berkeley, CA, and the company would remain based here after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

Berkeley puts us close to a vibrant small business community and a hub of fintech innovation. It's where we live and have network ties, so it's the natural base for Owners Circle.

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 Owners Circle YC application?

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