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I'm trying to understand what if any overlap a pharmaceutical nonprofit has with any value YC could add, from the scale of funds required, to product advice, to

I'm trying to understand what if any overlap a pharmaceutical nonprofit has with any value YC could add, from the scale of funds required, to product advice, to business model - everything seems entirely out of the range of YC's expertise.

darklegend 13y ago
Just had the same thoughts... They try to get crowdfunding - so this is maybe just a kind of good PR ;-) [Edit] Just to make it clear: Nothing against the project itself. Any chance of getting a HIV vaccine should be used!
- crystaln 13y ago
  I agree it seems on the surface like a mutually beneficial PR stunt, which would be pathetically shallow. On the other hand, this could be YC's foot in the door to disrupt the high margin, high investment, treatment over cure model of the health industry, in which case more power to them. We can expect to see YC spinning off a health division. That seems like quite the challenge - hope they know what they are getting themselves into. We do need more altruism in the health research market that will bring unpatentable cures to market instead of expensive long term treatments.
yapcguy 13y ago
Yeah... Anyone know how much YC is contributing and what they get in exchange? Some kind of ownership of the company? Do people taking part in the $482,000 fund raiser get ownership of the company? Why doesn't YC just donate money as part of the fund raiser?
- TheMakeA 13y ago
  They don't get anything. http://ycombinator.com/np.html http://ycombinator.com/np.html
  - yapcguy 13y ago
    Seems strange that non-profits have to "pitch" to validate themselves. If they have a mission, and believe in it, why do they need a bunch of money from men in suits? Looks like easy PR and Goodwill for YC. Reminds me of all the big banks who take out full-page ads every Christmas and send out press releases touting how they're helping society by taking part in a Christmas fund raiser.
- crystaln 13y ago
  Non-profits don't have shareholders.
cocoflunchy 13y ago
I think exposure and access to investors is a pretty big one. I also think that YC should be able to bring some of the 'startup culture' to a domain that has historically been very enterprise-y (perhaps for good reasons of heavy capital needs).

darklegend 13y ago

Just had the same thoughts... They try to get crowdfunding - so this is maybe just a kind of good PR ;-) [Edit] Just to make it clear: Nothing against the project itself. Any chance of getting a HIV vaccine should be used!

crystaln 13y ago
I agree it seems on the surface like a mutually beneficial PR stunt, which would be pathetically shallow. On the other hand, this could be YC's foot in the door to disrupt the high margin, high investment, treatment over cure model of the health industry, in which case more power to them. We can expect to see YC spinning off a health division. That seems like quite the challenge - hope they know what they are getting themselves into. We do need more altruism in the health research market that will bring unpatentable cures to market instead of expensive long term treatments.

yapcguy 13y ago

Yeah... Anyone know how much YC is contributing and what they get in exchange? Some kind of ownership of the company? Do people taking part in the $482,000 fund raiser get ownership of the company? Why doesn't YC just donate money as part of the fund raiser?

TheMakeA 13y ago
They don't get anything. http://ycombinator.com/np.html http://ycombinator.com/np.html
- yapcguy 13y ago
  Seems strange that non-profits have to "pitch" to validate themselves. If they have a mission, and believe in it, why do they need a bunch of money from men in suits? Looks like easy PR and Goodwill for YC. Reminds me of all the big banks who take out full-page ads every Christmas and send out press releases touting how they're helping society by taking part in a Christmas fund raiser.
crystaln 13y ago
Non-profits don't have shareholders.

cocoflunchy 13y ago

I think exposure and access to investors is a pretty big one. I also think that YC should be able to bring some of the 'startup culture' to a domain that has historically been very enterprise-y (perhaps for good reasons of heavy capital needs).