Tailor YC Application

Summer 2022Active

Tailor went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2022 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 2022
Industry: B2B
Team size: 40
Status: Active
Launched: 2022

Founders

Yo ShibataFounder
Misato TakahashiFounder

What Tailor does

Tailor is the headless ERP that gives fast-growing retail brands a composable, API-first platform to run operations with speed, flexibility, and control. 🧱 Legacy ERP is too rigid: Systems like NetSuite and SAP take months (or years) to implement and break with every change. Tailor is modular, headless, and easy to adapt. 🧩 Point solutions don’t scale: Tools like inventory or order management software solve one problem, but can’t talk to each other or keep up with growth. 📊 Spreadsheets are everywhere: From demand planning to purchase orders, even $100M+ brands still rely on Excel. Tailor replaces duct-taped workflows with ops modules you can tweak, combine, or scale ⚡️ Complex workflows need custom logic: Whether it's multi-location inventory, DTC + B2B orders, or light manufacturing (like kitting or lot tracking), Tailor supports flexible automations out of the box. 👟 Operators can move faster: Launch backend modules in minutes, not months. Tailor's low-code tools let teams build, automate, and adapt without waiting on engineering or implementation agencies. Built for composable retail: - Headless backend with GraphQL APIs - 50+ integrations (Shopify, QuickBooks, 3PLs, etc.) - Custom automations via Pipelines, Functions, and Event Triggers - State machines for approvals and multi-step workflows - AI features like OCR and vector search built in Tailor is already powering operations at fast-growing omnichannel brands and modern manufacturers. We’re proud to be the first Japan-based company to join Y Combinator. Learn more at [tailor.tech](

Tailor's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Tailor, Summer 2022 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Tailor

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Headless ERP for retail operations

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

We built Tailor to replace rigid legacy ERP and brittle point solutions retailers use today. It's a composable, API-first backend that lets brands launch and adapt retail operations modules quickly. Operators connect inventory, orders, purchasing, and workflows with flexible automations, using low-code tools instead of spreadsheets or months-long implementations.

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

We live and operate in Tokyo, Japan, and intend to base the company here after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

Japan's retail market has unique needs poorly served by existing ERP. Being based in Tokyo lets us build firsthand with local brands and move faster on product-market fit while expanding globally.

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 Tailor YC application?

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