Ask YC: We applied to S2020 and nobody looked at our videos?

Thanks for the suggestion.

> If you're super early stage, I'd recommend trying to find out if there are any accelerators sponsored by your local government, they tend to have way less applications since they're only pulling from a local pool.

Not sure how to self-characterize. We've probably invested somewhere in the order of $300K of our own funds in this to get where we are. Keep in mind this is hardware (+software), which means the monetary scale is very different.

We are at the stage where we are going to start showing our pre-production prototype to potential customers sometime next month. Frankly, the closer we get to a sale the less interesting VC money or an incubator becomes. In other words, if I close a $5MM sale next month (which is in the realm of possibilities) there is no way anyone is getting 7% of the business for $150K.

> There is probably a value-add to YC besides just money

Definitely. Not interested in money for the sake of money. Money by itself is useless and easy to waste.

> Someone outside of the startup world asked me "what is YC" and my reply was "the accelerator that rejects you."

I don't take that as a negative but rather more as a reality. They get so many applications it is inevitable that the vast majority of applicants will not be accepted. That's just reality.

> literally hundreds of accelerators

Yeah. But $150K/7% is a superb cool deal. A couple of alternatives give you $100K. And then its down to "$25K stipends" even pay-to-play (e.g. OnDeck?!). Am i wrong ?

YC also has (perceived?) network value, u r competing with full-traction or YoY-revenue-growth companies. SAD !!

That's alright. We are moving forward on our own and haven't been waiting for investors at all. Our project is likely to end-up in the news by the end of May (hopefully because we booked orders). We were also asked by the White House to submit technology details. So...we are moving forward, which is good.