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On February 2nd, my phone blew up. Every founder, investor, and founder friend I knew was messaging me: Y Combinator wants “DocuSign 2.0” startups. This felt like the moment we’d all been waiting for. The perfect call to revolutionize digital agreements. I jumped on a post to talk about Why Y Combinator.
YC partner Michael Seibel posted a YouTube video outlining a compelling vision for “DocuSign 2.0,” highlighting key inefficiencies in digital contracts that desperately need fixing:
✅ Reducing friction in tax documents, sales/employment agreements, and other legal contracts
✅ Eliminating redundant data entry—no more filling in the same details repeatedly
✅ Streamlining templates—create once, reuse infinitely
✅ Version control—tracking changes without constantly resending documents
✅ Providing clear explanations—translating legalese into plain language
✅ Seamless SaaS integrations—connecting agreements with business workflows
✅ Creating reusable document templates for greater efficiency
✅ Leveraging AI & automation—simplifying agreement approvals
This was perfectly aligned with our goals. We applied. Didn't get in. No sweat! Many startups apply multiple times, so we applied again. And we didn't get in, which is fine. We're still here and quietly crushing it.
On April 29th, the “DocuSign 2.0” listing was still live on YC’s Request for Startups (RFS) page. But then, on April 30th, poof. It vanished!
Not only that, the Michael Seibel video was also quietly removed from YC’s YouTube channel, though other startups still reference it and you can find posts about it on social platforms like X (formerly Twitter).
This sudden and silent deletion raises serious questions:
Many still think e-signatures are just about capturing an image of a signature or ticking a box online. But it’s so much more:
Most people don’t realize that simple approaches like typing “/s/ Your Name,” copying and pasting a signature image, or even using a thumbs-up emoji can legally count as a signature. In fact, you don't need SaaS at all to comply with the E-Sign Act or UETA.
What's important is they lack the trust and security businesses actually need in addition to workflow automation and contract lifecycle management. In addition, there are countless domains outside of contracts that also require legally binding electronic signatures that are more focused on data capture, such as audits or registrations.
As a founder building around this theme, the deletion is...weird. After some research, it seems that YC does not remove themes like this ever. And yet, “DocuSign 2.0” was simply wiped from YC’s Request for Startups with zero explanation and no heads-up.
This isn’t just frustrating. It’s a clear signal that the space remains complicated and controversial at the highest levels, even as the market desperately needs innovation. Or perhaps, we're reading too much into it.
The e-signature market is booming, projected to grow from $7.6 billion in 2024 to nearly $119 billion by 2032, driven by:
YC’s silent deletion only highlights how the future of digital agreements is still very much an open race and startups like UnicornForms are racing to build what comes next.
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