Why ask Y? Because Y Combinator wants a startup

Y Combinator, that quirky VC firm that brought us local startups such as JamGlue and RescueTime, is now accepting applications for the winter 2009 funding cycle. Deadline is October 17 at 10:00 p.m. PST. These VCs even have a shortlist of the types of problems they'd like to see solved (talk about being proactive!). If you've got a cure for some of the following, you need to set up a company pronto:
- simplified web browsing tied to social strata/interests
- Internet dating
- any potential competitor to Microsoft desktop software (Microsoft must be really happy about this)
- online learning applications
- off-the-shelf home security

There are other ideas that are even grander, such as solving the declining readership problem newspapers are facing through competition from Internet-based news sources.

-posted by Rachel