Nobody at YC would balk at your applying, and all would probably encourage you. If you're worried about a YC alum at the partner company seeing your applicatio

Nobody at YC would balk at your applying, and all would probably encourage you. If you're worried about a YC alum at the partner company seeing your application, reach out to YC - I'm no longer involved in the software, but there may be a way to ensure your application isn't seen, or bypasses alumni review completely. I think something like this may have even happened before. That said, if you get in, you may lose the partnership. Only you can evaluate how disruptive that will be for you and if it's worth the risk.