Y Combinator removes Indian startup from batch over ‘irregularities’ | TechCrunch

Storied venture firm Y Combinator has terminated its association with Medobed, an Indian startup that promises medicine delivery in 10 minutes, after discovering “irregularities” at the firm, several people familiar with the matter told TechCrunch.

A YC partner has also warned many investors in recent days about its discovery of “irregularities” at the firm and cautioned them to not engage with the startup, according to two people familiar with the matter and a copy of the email seen by TechCrunch.

In the email, the YC partner said the venture firm “discovered irregularities that broke our ethics policy,” but did not elaborate.

“If you have anything outstanding with this company,” the YC partner wrote in the email, “our recommendation is to disengage completely with the company.” He added, “they are not longer part of YC, won’t do YC demo day, and, as far as we know, haven’t raised any money as part of this process.”

YC and founders of Medobed, which was initially selected in the S23 batch, didn’t respond to requests for comment on August 29. YC has also removed mentions of Medobed from its website.

An investor who had been separately pitched by Medobed said a founder’s claims sounded suspicious. The founder frequently altered his account of his educational history and the company’s growth metrics appeared inconsistent, said the investor, who requested anonymity to speak candidly.

It’s very rare for Y Combinator, which selects a few hundred startups from tens of thousands of pitches, to remove a firm from its coveted batch. India has emerged as a key market for YC in the past half decade.