Thread YC Application

Summer 2012Inactive

Thread went through Y Combinator in the Summer 2012 batch as a Consumer 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 2012
Industry: ConsumerHome and Personal
Team size: 92
Status: Inactive
Launched: 2012

Founders

Kieran O'NeillFounder/CEO
Ben PhillipsFounder/CTO

What Thread does

Thread, a free online personal styling service for men, uses a combination of human stylists and a powerful algorithm to make it easy for guys to dress well. Thread was founded in 2012 by three guys - Kieran, Ben and Ben - who wanted to dress well, but found it difficult or frustrating to do so: they hated shopping on the High Street and were overwhelmed by millions of choices online. Thread combines the best bits of tech with the best bits of personal styling: After signing up by completing a short questionnaire and uploading photos of yourself, you’re paired with a stylist who reviews your information and uses Thread’s proprietary algorithm to sort through thousands of items to create the best outfits for you. When you log onto Thread, everything you see is tailored to your sizes, budget, preferences and tastes. We’ve raised $16 mm in funding from investors in the realms of tech, Artificial Intelligence and fashion, including Beringea, Balderton Capital, Demis Hassabis and Mustafa Suleyman (co-founders of Google-owned DeepMind), Andrew Jennings (former president of Saks 5th Avenue), Edgar Bronfman Jr. (former owner of Warner Music), Guy Hipwell (former head of online at Harrods and Liberty) and Shakil Kahn (founding investor in Spotify).

Thread's YC application, reconstructed

Y Combinator application

Thread, Summer 2012 batch. The real form questions, answered from public data.

Founders2
Company7
Progress7
Idea4
Equity3
Curious2
Batch Preference1

Company

Company name

Thread

Describe what your company does in 50 characters or less.

Thread makes it incredibly easy to dress well

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

We built Thread to combine human stylists with an algorithm that sifts through thousands of clothing items. Users complete a simple profile and upload photos, then our stylists and AI pick clothes tailored to their size, taste, and budget - making it easy for men to dress well without the hassle of shopping.

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

We live in England, United Kingdom, and plan to keep the company based here after YC.

Explain your decision regarding location.

Our users and team are mainly in the UK, and the fashion market we're targeting is here. It makes sense to base the company where we understand the culture and customer preferences best.

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 Thread YC application?

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