Question 1

What is Yelence?

Accepted Answer

Yelence is an investment readiness intelligence engine. It analyses how your startup would be perceived through an investor's lens during early due diligence, across 6 dimensions: team, market, business model, finances, traction and governance. The output is an interpreted reading of your profile, not a simple score.

Question 2

Who is Yelence for?

Accepted Answer

Yelence is designed for founders of francophone African startups who want to understand how their company is perceived by investors before a fundraising round. It is also used by organisations (incubators, accelerators, seed funds) to evaluate their cohorts via Portfolio Intelligence.

Question 3

Can Yelence predict whether I will raise funds?

Accepted Answer

No, and that is intentional. Yelence never predicts the success of a fundraise, nor the interest of any specific investor. What the platform produces is a reading of how your startup currently presents through an investor lens, and what would need to be strengthened to improve that perception.

Question 4

What is the difference between the free and paid report?

Accepted Answer

The free report gives access to the overall score, the 6-dimension radar and the top 3 gaps. The paid report (12 € or 1 credit) unlocks the full analysis: strategic reading, conviction signals, material risks, path to readiness and anticipated investor objections.

Question 5

Which geographies is Yelence calibrated for?

Accepted Answer

Yelence is calibrated for francophone African startups: Benin, Togo, Senegal, Côte d'Ivoire, and the broader UEMOA/OHADA zone. The evaluation criteria account for local legal structures (SAS, SA, SARL OHADA), sector regulations (BCEAO for fintechs) and regional capital market realities.

Question 6

Who publishes Yelence?

Accepted Answer

Yelence is published by Novitxe, a simplified joint-stock company (SAS) under French law, registered under SIREN number 842 438 400. Applicable law is French law. The team is based in Cotonou, Benin, with a presence in France.

Question 7

Does Yelence replace hands-on support?

Accepted Answer

No. Yelence produces a reading and a roadmap, not a support programme. It is a starting point for structuring work, whether you run it alone, with your incubator or with an external adviser.

Question 8

How does the questionnaire work?

Accepted Answer

The questionnaire has 28 questions across 6 dimensions. Each question evaluates a signal on a 4-level evidence scale: from Non-existent (0) to Proven and measurable (3). The goal is to accurately reflect the actual state of your startup, as that is what Yelence interprets.

Question 9

What does the /100 score measure exactly?

Accepted Answer

The /100 score is an investor readability index. It aggregates the 6 dimensions weighted by your startup's inferred stage. It is not an intrinsic quality rating or a success prediction. Two startups with the same score can receive very different readings depending on the coherence of their profile.

Question 10

What is YIRF and what do the L1 to L5 levels mean?

Accepted Answer

YIRF stands for Yelence Investment Readiness Framework. It is the maturity scale used to qualify a startup's profile independently of the raw score. L1 (Not Ready): insufficient or contradictory signals. L2 (Foundation Ready): foundations under construction. L3 (Investor Ready): readable profile for initial investor contact. L4 (Due Diligence Ready): structured profile ready for in-depth analysis. L5 (Scale Ready): advanced maturity across all dimensions. The YIRF level reflects presentation quality, not intrinsic startup value.

Question 11

Why might my score be low even if my startup is progressing well?

Accepted Answer

Readiness is distinct from quality. A promising startup can present with low readiness if its signals are undocumented, internally inconsistent or misaligned with investor expectations. Yelence measures the presentation, not the potential.

Question 12

Does the score account for my sector or stage?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Yelence infers your stage (pre-seed, seed, Series A+) from your answers and automatically adjusts the weighting of each dimension. The Team dimension carries more weight at pre-seed, while Finances becomes more important at Series A+. Sector-specific criteria also apply, particularly for UEMOA fintechs.

Question 13

Can I stop and come back later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your progress is saved at every step. You will find your assessment in progress under My assessments and pick up where you left off.

Question 14

What if I do not know how to answer a question?

Accepted Answer

Answer at the lowest level that reflects your actual situation. An inflated answer moves the problem rather than solving it: it produces a high score and low conviction, which is exactly the gap an investor spots in due diligence.

Question 15

Why does Yelence ask for written justifications?

Accepted Answer

Because an undocumented claim does not hold in front of an investor. The conviction level measures how much of your answers is backed by evidence. Two startups on the same score do not get the same reading if one documents and the other declares.

Question 16

What does the free report contain?

Accepted Answer

The free report includes the overall /100 score, the YIRF maturity level (L1 to L5), the 6-dimension radar and the top 3 priority gaps. It allows you to locate the main weaknesses in your profile without unlocking the full analysis.

Question 17

What does the paid report contain?

Accepted Answer

The paid report (12 € or 1 credit) unlocks the full analysis: complete strategic reading, conviction signals, detailed material risks, a path to readiness with prioritised actions, anticipated investor objections and investor profile targeting suited to your stage.

Question 18

How long does report generation take?

Accepted Answer

Full report generation takes approximately 4 minutes. A progress screen shows the analysis stages. If you leave the page, generation continues in the background and you will receive an email when the report is ready.

Question 19

Can I re-run an assessment to track progress?

Accepted Answer

Yes. You can submit multiple assessments for the same startup at different development stages. Your dashboard displays your assessment history, allowing you to measure readiness progression over time.

Question 20

How long does the report remain accessible?

Accepted Answer

Your report remains accessible from your dashboard for as long as your account is active. You can consult or share it at any time after unlocking it.

Question 21

Can I share my report?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every report has a share link you activate from the results page. You decide whether to activate it, and you can turn it off afterwards.

Question 22

Is the report available in English?

Accepted Answer

Yes. The interface and the reports exist in French and English. The report uses the language the assessment was completed in.

Question 23

My report did not generate, what should I do?

Accepted Answer

Generation continues in the background even if you close the page, and an email tells you when it is ready. If nothing arrives within an hour, write to contact@yelence.com with your startup name: the report is relaunched at no extra cost.

Question 24

What is a Yelence credit?

Accepted Answer

A Yelence credit unlocks one full report. 1 credit = 1 report. Credits are purchased in packs (5, 20 or 60 credits) and offer a lower per-report cost compared to the single purchase at 12 €.

Question 25

What is the difference between credit packs?

Accepted Answer

Discovery Pack (49 € / 5 credits): ideal for evaluating 1 to 2 startups. Pro Pack (149 € / 20 credits): suited to multiple founders or early-stage accompaniment. Scale Pack (349 € / 60 credits): designed for organisations tracking cohorts via Portfolio Intelligence.

Question 26

Do credits expire?

Accepted Answer

Purchased credits have a validity period visible in your dashboard and on the My Account page. Upon expiry, unused credits are no longer available, but your report history remains accessible.

Question 27

Is payment secure?

Accepted Answer

Yes. All payments are processed by Stripe, the global reference for secure online payments. Yelence never stores your banking data. A receipt is sent by email after each transaction.

Question 28

Can I get a refund?

Accepted Answer

Generated reports and used credits are non-refundable, as generation involves analysis costs. In the case of a confirmed technical issue (report not generated despite confirmed payment), contact contact@yelence.com. Each case is handled individually.

Question 29

Can I get an invoice?

Accepted Answer

A receipt is sent automatically after each payment. For an invoice in your organisation's name, write to contact@yelence.com with the legal name and address to use.

Question 30

My card was declined, what can I do?

Accepted Answer

First check that your card allows international online payments: many cards issued in the UEMOA zone do not by default. If it still fails, write to contact@yelence.com.

Question 31

Is my data confidential?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Your questionnaire answers and report content are strictly private and accessible only from your account. Yelence does not use your individual data for public benchmarks or external sharing.

Question 32

Who can access my answers and report?

Accepted Answer

Only you can access your assessments via your account. Within Portfolio Intelligence, the organisation that invited you to a cohort may view your report if you accepted the invitation. This is explicitly indicated during the onboarding process.

Question 33

Does Yelence share my data with investors?

Accepted Answer

No. Yelence shares no individual data with investors, funds or third parties. The platform is not a startup directory or matchmaking service.

Question 34

Can I delete my account and data?

Accepted Answer

Yes. To request deletion of your account and all associated data, contact contact@yelence.com. The request is processed within 30 days in accordance with applicable regulations.

Question 35

Where is my data hosted?

Accepted Answer

Yelence data is hosted on PostgreSQL infrastructure with servers in Europe (European Union). Payments are processed by Stripe under their own privacy policy. Analysis is performed via the Anthropic Claude API.

Question 36

Is my data used to train an artificial intelligence model?

Accepted Answer

No. Analysis runs through the Anthropic Claude API, whose submitted content is not used to train the models. Your answers are not used for a public benchmark either.

Question 37

How do I create a cohort?

Accepted Answer

From your Portfolio space, Cohorts tab, Create a cohort. Give it a name, a description and a period. It is immediately ready to receive invitations.

Question 38

How do I invite my startups?

Accepted Answer

From the cohort page, Invite startups. You can send a named email invitation or share an invitation link. Startups joining this way are automatically attached to the right cohort.

Question 39

A startup has not answered its invitation, what can I do?

Accepted Answer

Open the actions menu on its row, on the right of the table, and choose Remind. The invitation goes out immediately. Automatic reminders also run at D+2 and D+5. Two manual reminders cannot be sent less than six hours apart.

Question 40

One of my startups already has a Yelence account, how do I attach it?

Accepted Answer

It signs in with the email address the invitation was sent to, and attachment happens automatically, with no second account. If it uses another address, the invitation will not recognise it: let us know.

Question 41

Can I remove a startup from a cohort?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as long as its assessment is not completed. From the actions menu on its row, choose Remove from cohort. Its invitation is cancelled, the unused credit is deleted and your quota is credited back.

Question 42

How do I measure my startups' progress?

Accepted Answer

From the actions menu of a startup whose assessment is complete, choose New assessment. The previous assessment is kept in history and the comparison feeds the cohort impact report, on a D+0 then D+180 rhythm.

Question 43

How does the assessment quota work?

Accepted Answer

Your plan opens a number of assessments for the contract period. Each assessment completed by a startup in your cohorts uses one. The full balance is on your Portfolio dashboard. On a cohort page, a message only appears when the balance gets low or reaches zero.

Question 44

When is a credit charged?

Accepted Answer

On completion of the assessment, not on invitation. Inviting a startup costs nothing until it finishes. Pending invitations are therefore commitments against your balance, not consumption.

Question 45

A startup finished while my quota was empty, what happens?

Accepted Answer

Its assessment exists and its score belongs to it: nothing is lost. Its answers and report stay closed to you until the quota is topped up. The cohort page lists those assessments as awaiting credit, and an Unlock action appears as soon as a credit is available again.

Question 46

Do my startups receive their report before I do?

Accepted Answer

It depends on the mode set for your organisation. In direct mode, the startup receives its report as soon as it is generated. In organisation first mode, you receive it first and send it on yourself from the actions menu, after your debrief. The mode is stated to the startup in the invitation.

Question 47

How do I add a co-administrator?

Accepted Answer

From the Team tab of your Portfolio space. You can invite someone by email or directly add someone who already has a Yelence account.

Question 48

What exactly can my organisation see?

Accepted Answer

For every startup in your cohorts: its answers, its score, its conviction level and its full report once the credit is used. This scope is stated to the startup before it answers.

Question 49

Score and conviction, what is the difference?

Accepted Answer

The score says what the startup claims. Conviction says how far it has documented it. They read together: a 90 without evidence and a documented 90 do not tell the same story.

Question 50

My cohort shows high scores and low conviction, why?

Accepted Answer

This is the most common pattern early in a programme. Founders answer for what they project rather than what they can prove. The cohort reading at the top of the page flags that gap. It is a good starting point for a group session on documenting evidence.

Question 51

Can I rank my startups using the score?

Accepted Answer

That is not what the score measures. It assesses how readable a case is to an investor, not the quality of a company or its odds of raising. A solid but poorly documented startup scores low. Use the score to target support, not to choose between applicants.

Question 52

What does my cohort's weakest dimension mean?

Accepted Answer

It is the dimension where the group reaches the smallest share of the achievable maximum, at comparable maturity stage. It shows where a group session will have the most effect, without going through individual support.

Question 53

What is the impact report?

Accepted Answer

It is the cohort synthesis built from completed assessments: starting level, change between waves, dimensions worked on most. It opens from the cohort page and is meant for your funders and committees.

Question 54

How do I report an issue?

Accepted Answer

From your Portfolio space, Report an issue in the side menu. The form automatically sends your organisation, the cohort concerned and the useful technical context. You receive a copy of the report by email.

Question 55

How are reports prioritised?

Accepted Answer

You choose the level when you report. Blocking: nobody can move forward, a startup cannot reach its assessment, a paid report will not generate. Annoying: the journey works but something is wrong or painful. Question: you are looking for information. Blocking reports come first, the rest follow the usual 48 working hours.

Question 56

What information should I give?

Accepted Answer

The name of the startup or cohort concerned, what you expected, what happened and the approximate time. A screenshot helps a lot: send it in reply to the confirmation email.

Question 57

Who do I contact for a quote, an invoice or a plan change?

Accepted Answer

Those requests do not go through the technical form. Write to contact@yelence.com with your organisation name.

Frequently asked questions

Understanding Yelence

Frequently asked questions

Understanding Yelence