YC Founder Verification

A secure way to verify Y Combinator founder status

How it works

YC founders can create verification links that prove their participation in Y Combinator. These links display:

  • The founder's name and profile picture
  • Which YC company they founded and which batch they participated in (optional)
  • Contact information (optional)
  • Any additional information the founder wishes to verify

For YC Founders

To create your verification link, visit Bookface:

Create Verification Link

For Partners & Service Providers

When you need to verify someone's YC founder status, ask them to share their verification link with you. The link will look like:

https://www.ycombinator.com/verify/[unique-code]

Each verification link is unique and controlled by the founder. They can update what information is displayed or disable the link at any time.

Instructions to Send to Founders

To request a founder provide a verification link, send them something like this:

To verify your Y Combinator founder status, could you please share your YC verification link?

You can create one by visiting https://bookface.ycombinator.com/verify and clicking "Create Verification Link". This will generate a unique link that proves your participation in Y Combinator.

The verification link is completely under your control - you choose what information to display and can disable it at any time.

Thanks!

API Access

Append .json to any verification URL to get a machine-readable version:

https://www.ycombinator.com/verify/[unique-code].json
View API Response Schema
{
  verified: boolean;
  name: string;
  message: string;
  batches?: Array<{
    name: string;
    tag?: "current_batch" | "future_batch";
  }>;
  companies?: Array<{
    name: string;
    url?: string;
    batch?: string;
    title?: string;
    directory_url?: string;
    tags?: ("active_founder" | "inactive_founder" | 
           "active_company" | "inactive_company" | 
           "current_batch" | "future_batch")[];
  }>;
  email?: string;
  cell?: string;
  linkedin?: string;
  twitter?: string;
  facebook?: string;
  note?: string;
}

Important Notes

  • Verification links only confirm YC participation, not the level of current involvement with any company
  • Founders control what information is displayed and can disable links at any time
  • For questions about the verification system, please contact us