Disclaimer & Privacy
Not affiliated with Y Combinator. Disclaimer and privacy information for notbackedbyyc.com.
Last updated: 2026-10-28
Not affiliated with Y Combinator
Not Backed by YC is an independent parody project and directory. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Y Combinator or YC. The badge is a joke for bootstrapped and indie makers. It doesn't claim any relationship with Y Combinator, and listing a company here says nothing about its funding beyond what the company told us.
What we collect
When you submit a startup, we store what you enter in the form: its name, website, one-liner, logo URL and X handle, your email address, and whether you said the badge is on your site.
Everything except your email address appears on your public listing once it's published. We use your email only to tell you about your listing (for example, that it's live, with your badge code). It's never shown on the site.
Your IP address is used briefly to slow down spam submissions. It isn't stored with your submission.
Cookies and analytics
We use a few first-party cookies to remember your language and, if you arrive from a tagged link, which campaign brought you (kept for 30 days). We don't use advertising cookies or sell your data. If we add an analytics tool, it will be a privacy-friendly one, and we'll name it here.
Links to other sites
Listings link to the companies' own websites. We don't control those sites and aren't responsible for their content or how they handle your data.
Changing or removing your listing
Email hello@notbackedbyyc.com from the address you submitted with, and we'll update or remove your listing and delete your submission data. Listings whose badge is taken down may also be removed.
Trademarks
Y Combinator, YC and the YC logo are trademarks of their owner. They appear here, including in our parody badges, only to make the joke clear, and don't imply any endorsement. All other trademarks belong to their owners.