Regardless, I think it will be hard to fully replicate the YC model, because it's unlikely these firms will generate the following YC has. This following equates to attention, press, prestige and connections for all the new YC companies.

Without all that, all you have is an angel investor. And there's nothing new about that.

Really, when it comes down to it, this is just an enormous validation for what's happening here. After all, "imitation is the best form of flattery."

Really, these guys aren't claiming to be YCombinator II. They're just validating the model and wanting to do something similar in Europe. They clearly state on their page "This site is inspired by, but not affiliated with YCombinator."

The YCombinators should be flattered, and everyone who participates in YC can give themselves a pat on the back for being funded by the original YC-style firm. [Hm, that has a nice ring: "YC funding" vs "VC funding". I wonder if that was intentional.]

Edit: Oh, now I see that they only added the disclaimer after a post in this thread called them out on it...

But copying the name, the index page slideshow, the application form: isn't that just out and out plaigarism?

I'm not sure what motivation I would have to suck up, either. I'm not applying for funding, nor do I have any plans to.

However the point remains, without the YC's following (us), the company is just another angel investor / incubator. And that's already been done. These guys are trying to copy YC, but forgetting about its one biggest differentiating factor.

Most people don't care much about plagiarism, they just think YC is a much better deal than its clones. And it is all about perception. The current clones look lame even at a first glance. If another tech celebrity tries to do the same thing, it would be a different story. A track record of successful startups would help you, but if you are right about the major shift towards startups, there is no way on Earth to keep all that market for yourself.