# 25 Startup Accelerators and Founder Programs: 2026–2027 Guide Compare 25 startup accelerators and founder programs: funding, equity, deadlines, location, attendance and acceptance rates. Includes a downloadable master list. Author: Cerrito Published: 2026-09-28 Updated: 2026-09-28 Canonical: https://cerrito.ai/blog/startup-accelerators/ ![A founder chooses among three doorways with a key. Find your accelerator: a shortlist.](https://cerrito.ai/resources/2026-09-25/accelerators-cover.webp) A $1 million offer can mean $400,000 today. A remote accelerator can still mean three trips. [South Park Commons](https://www.southparkcommons.com/news/f26-founder-fellowship) splits its commitment across an upfront investment and a future round. [Techstars Anywhere](https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/anywhere) includes three offsites. Those details can change your shortlist faster than a famous alumni logo. This guide puts **25 US-accessible accelerators and founder programs** in one directory: where you go, what you get, what it costs, and when to apply. It also examines the fundraising and billion-dollar-company statistics founders use to judge them. **Checked September 25, 2026.** Start with the master list, narrow it to three candidates, then use the outcome questions below before committing. ## Startup accelerator master list: 25 programs at a glance The directory includes equity accelerators, residencies, free programs and corporate innovation tracks. The program type is labeled because a cofounder residency and a customer-pilot program solve different problems. This is a curated US-focused selection, not a ranking or an exhaustive global list. [Download the full master list](https://cerrito.ai/resources/2026-09-25/accelerator-directory.md) · [Get the shortlist worksheet](https://cerrito.ai/resources/2026-09-25/accelerator-shortlist.md) · [Jump to fundraising outcomes](https://cerrito.ai/blog/startup-accelerators/#what-are-your-chances-of-raising-a-seed-round) Search programsName, city, AI, B2B…AttendanceAll formatsApplication statusAll statusesReset 25 of 25 programs · checked September 25, 2026 | Program / fit | Location / attendance | Funding / terms | Cohort / duration | Deadline / status | Acceptance | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ---------------- | | **Y Combinator**AcceleratorEarly-stage; cross-industry[Program ↗](https://www.ycombinator.com/apply) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.ycombinator.com/deal) · [Source 3 ↗](https://www.ycombinator.com/investors) | San Francisco · in person | $125K for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE. Additional dilution on conversion. | Winter 2027 · Jan–Mar | Dated intakeNov 2, 2026 · 8 p.m. Pacific | Typically \~1%\* | | **PearX**AcceleratorPre-seed; team, customers and fundraising[Program ↗](https://pear.vc/pearx/) | SF Bay Area · relocation required | $500K–$2M; no single equity percentage published. | W27 · 12 weeks | Dated intakeOct 4, 2026 · regular deadline; cutoff time unstated | Not verified | | **Techstars Anywhere**AcceleratorEarly-stage; cross-industry[Program ↗](https://www.techstars.com/accelerators/anywhere) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.techstars.com/investment-terms) | Remote in American time zones + 3 offsites | $20K CEA for 5% + $200K uncapped MFN SAFE. | Mar 8–Jun 3, 2027 | Dated intakeNov 18, 2026 · cutoff time unstated | Not verified | | **Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA)**AcceleratorEarly-stage; cross-industry[Program ↗](https://www.eranyc.com/apply/) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.eranyc.com/faq/) | New York City · in person, with some remote flexibility | $150K for 6% via post-money SAFE. | Winter 2027 · starts Jan 11; 4 months | Dated intakeNov 2, 2026 · cutoff time unstated | Not verified | | **StartX**Founder community / acceleratorQualifying Stanford-affiliated founder required[Program ↗](https://startx.com/apply?s=p27_tf) · [Source 2 ↗](https://web.startx.com/faqs) · [Source 3 ↗](https://web.startx.com/faqs?09569da8_page=4) | Palo Alto · virtual option requires 4 in-person days | No equity or program fee; no standard investment check. | Spring 2027 · exact program dates to confirm | Dated intakeOct 11, 2026 · 11:59 p.m.; timezone not stated | Not verified | | **Alchemist**AcceleratorEnterprise revenue: B2B / B2B2C[Program ↗](https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/) | Bay Area flagship · attendance to confirm | Commonly 5%, flexible; tuition offset by investment. Confirm net cash. | 6 months · recurring review | RollingSubmit any time; next review date not verified | Not verified | | **Antler US**Founder residencyPre-idea / early-stage; cross-industry[Program ↗](https://www.antler.co/location/us) | San Francisco, NYC or Austin · in person | No residency fee. Potential $500K–$1M initial commitment after investment committee; equity terms vary. | Up to 3 months · monthly entry | RollingYear-round review; investment is not guaranteed | Not verified | | **Entrepreneurs First US**Funding & fellowshipsIndividuals / early teams; cofounder formation[Program ↗](https://apply.joinef.com/) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.joinef.com/) | San Francisco · full-time, in person | Talent grant and possible company investment. EF advertises up to $250K; confirm US offer and committee conditions. | 2026 US residencies · 3 months | RollingUS applications reviewed on a rolling basis | Not verified | | **AI House (formerly AI2 Incubator)**IncubatorApplied AI; North American founders[Program ↗](https://aihouse.vc/faqs) | Seattle · at least 1 month in person | Up to $600K SAFE at $10M cap, plus 7% common stock for incubation. Funding may be milestone-based. | Incubation · no fixed cohort duration verified | RollingRolling applications | Not verified | | **SOSV NY & SF (formerly IndieBio)**Deep-tech programPre-seed; biology, chemistry, physics and AI[Program ↗](https://sosv.com/will-sosv-invest-in-your-company/) · [Source 2 ↗](https://sosv.com/locations/sosv-ny/) · [Source 3 ↗](https://sosv.com/indiebio-is-now-sosv-ny-sosv-sf-underscoring-sosvs-leadership-in-deep-tech/) | New York / San Francisco · in person | SOSV advertises up to $550K; targets >10% ownership at $550K. Confirm cash/services split and final instruments. | Typically 4–6 months | RollingRolling applications; select the relevant location | Not verified | | **Forum Ventures**AcceleratorPre-seed B2B software; MVP / early market[Program ↗](https://www.forumvc.com/accelerator) | Remote; offices in NYC, SF and Toronto | $100K for 7.5% via post-money SAFE. | 16 weeks | Confirm intakePitch intake available; next cohort dates not verified | Not verified | | **a16z speedrun**AcceleratorEarly-stage technology startups[Program ↗](https://speedrun.a16z.com/faq) | San Francisco · in person | $500K for 10% SAFE + $500K in next round within 18 months. | SR008 · late Jan–Apr 2027; 12 weeks | Confirm intakeOff-cycle submissions accepted; SR008 deadline not verified | <0.4%\* | | **Google for Startups Accelerator: US**Technical acceleratorUS-based; Seed–Series A technical teams[Program ↗](https://startup.google.com/programs/accelerator/united-states/) | United States · hybrid | Equity-free support; eligible product credits are not cash. | 10 weeks | Confirm intakeCurrent application window not verified | Not verified | | **Sequoia Arc**Investor pathway + intensivePre-seed / seed; Sequoia partnership[Program ↗](https://sequoiacap.com/arc) | Location / attendance to confirm | Company-specific investment terms; no standard check verified. | 4-day intensive following investment; biannual open call | Confirm intakeNext open-call dates not verified | Not verified | | **LAUNCH**AcceleratorEarly-stage startups[Program ↗](https://launchaccelerator.co/) | Attendance / location to confirm | $125K advertised; current equity terms not verified. | 14 weeks · 7–12 startups | Confirm intakeSite lists September 2026 cohort; current availability needs confirmation | Not verified | | **gener8tor Oklahoma City**AcceleratorCross-industry; Oklahoma-based or relocating[Program ↗](https://www.gener8tor.com/investment-accelerators/oklahoma-city) | Oklahoma City · in person | $100K for 7.5% via SAFE. | 12 weeks · 8 companies | Confirm intakeNext dated cohort not verified | Not verified | | **gBETA**Pre-accelerator networkEarly-stage; local eligibility varies[Program ↗](https://www.gener8tor.com/gbeta) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.gener8tor.com/gbeta/inland-empire) | Multiple US locations · format varies by cohort | Free; no equity and no investment check. | 7 weeks · typically 5 companies per local cohort | Confirm intakeChoose a local program for its dates and attendance rules | Not verified | | **HAX**Hard-tech programPre-seed; hardware / engineering[Program ↗](https://sosv.com/will-sosv-invest-in-your-company/) | Newark, NJ · in person | SOSV advertises up to $550K; targets >10% ownership at $550K. Confirm cash/services split and instruments. | Typically 4–6 months | Confirm intakeApply through SOSV; next dated intake not verified | Not verified | | **Plug and Play Silicon Valley**Corporate innovation programsVertical-specific; corporate pilots and partnerships[Program ↗](https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plug-and-play-announces-first-silicon-valley-batches-of-2026-302725827.html) | Silicon Valley · confirm attendance per track | Equity-free programs; potential investment is separate and not guaranteed. | 3 months for first 2026 batches | Confirm intakeNext window varies by vertical; reviewed spring batch has ended | Not verified | | **South Park Commons Founder Fellowship**Fellowship + residencyPre-idea / early technical founders[Program ↗](https://www.southparkcommons.com/news/f26-founder-fellowship) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply/) | SF, NYC or Bangalore offices · in person | $400K for 7% upfront + $600K in next external round. | 8-week bootcamp; residency continues afterward | Closed / past windowFall 2026 closed Aug 2. Spring 2027 applications expected later in 2026. | Not verified | | **Neo Residency**ResidencyEarly startups / technical founders[Program ↗](https://neo.com/accelerator/ai) | San Francisco + 2-week Oregon bootcamp | $750K uncapped SAFE for startups; rights to buy up to 5% total ownership in next equity round. | 2026: 3 months; up to 20 startup/student teams | Closed / past window2026 deadline passed; next intake not verified | Not verified | | **AngelPad**AcceleratorSeed-stage; cross-industry[Program ↗](https://angelpad.com/) | San Francisco / NYC · in person | $120K advertised; current equity percentage not verified. | 12 weeks | Closed / past windowApplications closed; next window not announced on reviewed page | <1%\* | | **Berkeley SkyDeck**AcceleratorNear first institutional round; UC / international priority[Program ↗](https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/program/) | Berkeley · weekly required events; confirm residency | $210K for 7.25%, plus $7.5K program fee. Fund has follow-on participation rights. | Batch 23: Nov 2, 2026–Apr 15, 2027; \~20 teams | Closed / past windowBatch 23 closed Aug 21, 2026 | Not verified | | **MassChallenge Security & Resiliency Traction**Traction programSecurity / resilience / dual-use; pre-seed–Series A+[Program ↗](https://masschallenge.org/security-and-resiliency-traction-2026/) | Required Boston and Dallas events; confirm other attendance | No equity or fee; no guaranteed investment. Travel at founder expense. | Fall 2026 · 10 weeks | Closed / past window2026 application window has passed; next intake unverified | Not verified | | **AlphaLab**AcceleratorEarly-stage companies[Program ↗](https://www.alphalab.org/apply/) · [Source 2 ↗](https://www.innovationworks.org/about/news/alphalab-opens-application-window-for-2027-cohort/) | Pittsburgh · in person | Up to $100K investment; equity terms not verified. | 2027 cohort · detailed dates to confirm | Closed / past window2027 application window closed July 17, 2026 | Not verified | No programs match. Try a broader search or reset the filters. Scroll inside the directory for all 25 programs. On mobile, each program becomes a comparison card. All records are included in the download. **How to read the table:** “Dated intake” has a verified upcoming deadline. “Rolling” describes an explicitly ongoing application process. “Confirm intake” means a program is verified but its next window needs checking. “Closed / past window” is a watchlist, not an invitation to apply now. Times are included only when published. **Acceptance rates:** the three starred figures are general operator-reported claims, not comparable cohort-level rates. The reviewed pages do not identify a common admissions year or application denominator. “Not verified” means we could not establish a rate from the linked primary sources; it does not mean zero. ## Which accelerator should you shortlist? **Need a dated application window?** PearX closes October 4; StartX's Stanford-eligible route closes October 11; YC and ERA close November 2; Techstars Anywhere closes November 18. All are 2026 deadlines for the intakes described above. StartX does not state a timezone on the reviewed application page—confirm it rather than assume Pacific. **Cannot relocate?** Forum permits remote participation. Techstars Anywhere includes three trips. StartX offers a virtual option with four required in-person days, subject to its Stanford affiliation rules. AI House requires at least a month in Seattle. These commitments are materially different; “hybrid” alone is not enough information. **Still choosing the idea or cofounder?** Look at founder-formation programs such as Antler, Entrepreneurs First and SPC's next fellowship window. Ask how investment decisions work after admission: a place in a residency does not necessarily mean a funded company. **Building with AI or deep technology?** AI House is an applied-AI incubator; HAX and SOSV NY & SF serve pre-seed deep-tech companies. Google US is aimed at technical teams around Seed–Series A. Choose based on the actual technical and commercial support you need, not the presence of “AI” in the description. **Already have 20–100 employees?** Many entries are built for much earlier companies. Google US, a relevant MassChallenge track or a Plug and Play corporate program may be worth investigating if their criteria fit. An idea-stage residency is unlikely to solve a mature team's sales or operational bottleneck. These are editorial matches to the published criteria, not endorsements. ## What are your chances of raising a seed round? There is no defensible single percentage for the 25 programs in this directory. Two published figures are useful starting points—but they measure different things. 90%**PearX companies raise institutional capital** Operator-reported. The public claim does not specify cohort years, sample size or a fixed follow-up window. [PearX program page ↗](https://pear.vc/pearx/) 85%**Antler US recent batch raised additional funding within six months** Operator-reported. The public claim does not identify the batch or its size; “additional funding” is not necessarily a seed round. [Antler US program page ↗](https://www.antler.co/location/us) Neither figure establishes that joining *caused* the funding outcome. Programs select founders; founders arrive with different traction, networks and financing histories. The numbers also describe admitted companies, not everyone who applies. The useful next step is to ask for a comparable number: > Of all companies admitted to your 2023 and 2024 cohorts, how many closed their first external institutional seed round within 12 months? Exclude your own investment, and include companies that shut down. That question pins down the denominator, milestone and clock. Ask for the count as well as the percentage, and a few founders you can speak with—including one who did not raise. ## Which accelerators have produced unicorns? YC and Techstars publish striking billion-dollar-company counts. They are evidence of historical portfolio outcomes, but their definitions are too different to turn into a league table. | Operator | Published claim, checked September 25, 2026 | What it actually tells you | | ----------------------------------------------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [Y Combinator](https://www.ycombinator.com/investors) | More than 100 companies valued above $1 billion; more than 5,000 companies funded since 2005 | A cumulative alumni milestone across many years. It is not a current cohort's probability of becoming a unicorn. | | [Techstars](https://www.techstars.com/portfolio) | 29 billion-dollar companies in its portfolio registry | The registry includes accelerator companies **and Seed Fund investments**, with public and acquired companies as well as private ones. This is not 29 Techstars Anywhere graduates. | Do not divide these headline counts by today's total portfolio and call the result your odds. Older companies have had longer to grow; the definitions and populations differ. Use the alumni list to find companies with a similar customer, business model or technical problem, then investigate what the program actually contributed. ## Read the whole accelerator deal The most useful funding comparison has three columns: **money now, conditions later, and total ownership cost**. | Program | What the headline can hide | What to check | | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | [YC](https://www.ycombinator.com/deal) | $500K is split between $125K for 7% and a $375K uncapped MFN SAFE | The SAFE creates additional equity on conversion; the full check is not simply for 7% | | [SPC Founder Fellowship](https://www.southparkcommons.com/news/f26-founder-fellowship) | $1M commitment: $400K upfront for 7%, then $600K in the next external round | Timing and terms of the later investment | | [a16z speedrun](https://speedrun.a16z.com/faq) | $500K for 10% upfront; another $500K in the next round within 18 months | The future round condition and additional dilution | | [AI House](https://aihouse.vc/faqs) | Up to $600K through a capped SAFE, plus 7% common stock for incubation | Both components, funding milestones and actual cash available at entry | | [Berkeley SkyDeck](https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/program/) | $210K for 7.25%, plus a $7.5K program fee | Net cash, attendance costs and follow-on participation rights | A SAFE is an agreement that can convert into equity later. MFN means “most favored nation”: later financing terms can affect the instrument. Eventual ownership depends on the agreements and financing, not just the first percentage shown on a website. Put travel, relocation, program fees and founder time alongside the offer. Keep cloud credits separate from cash. Credits for a service you would not otherwise buy do not extend payroll runway. ## Our verdict: apply for the bottleneck **Build a three-program shortlist around what must change in the next 90 days.** Then eliminate anything that fails the stage, attendance or deal test. 01 / FIT**What must change?** Find a cofounder, win initial customers, solve a technical problem or prepare a fundraise. 02 / COMMITMENT**Can you participate?** Check eligibility, founder time, relocation and every required trip. 03 / EVIDENCE**Why this program?** Look for relevant alumni and defined outcomes. Ask for the full offer in writing. For immediate applications, start with the five dated intakes in the directory. For everything else, verify the next window before preparing a full application. Use the [shortlist worksheet](https://cerrito.ai/resources/2026-09-25/accelerator-shortlist.md) to record your three candidates and the questions each must answer. A program earns its place on your shortlist when you can explain what it will help you do—and why that benefit is worth its cost. ## Sources and maintenance Each directory row links to the operator's program, application or terms pages; Plug and Play's row uses its own March 2026 press release. Outcome claims link directly to their sources. Research checked September 25, 2026; applications, terms and program names can change. Unknowns are labeled rather than filled from third-party roundups. We include both widely recognized generalist programs and specialist or equity-free alternatives with US relevance and identifiable primary documentation. Network entries are labeled: the Oklahoma City offer does not represent all gener8tor programs, and Techstars Anywhere dates do not apply to the whole Techstars network. SOSV NY & SF are one entry covering the former IndieBio programs. This directory does not attempt to count every local cohort separately.