Accelerators · United States
15 programmes. Of these, 4 say they take no equity, and 4 have applications open.
500 Global's four-month flagship accelerator in San Francisco for early-stage founders building for the US and global markets. Startups can receive up to US$50k at entry, with potential for up to US$1M more.
Funding not published · equity not published
Andreessen Horowitz's 12-week in-person residency in San Francisco for very early teams. It invests US$500k for 10% on a SAFE upfront, with up to US$500k more in the next qualifying round.
US$500k invested · 10% equity
A six-month accelerator in San Francisco for AI, SaaS and deep tech startups that sell to enterprises. Most companies grant 5% equity, and Alchemist offsets its tuition fee with investment.
Funding not published · 5% equity
UCLA Anderson's incubator and co-working space for student, alumni and Los Angeles startups. Its Accelerate cohort runs February to May for teams with a working prototype; the summer Activate programme helps founders build an MVP.
Funding not published · equity-free
UC Berkeley's six-month accelerator in Berkeley, California. About 20 Cohort teams are picked every six months and receive US$210k from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund; startups from any country and industry can apply.
US$210k invested · equity not published
Conviction's programme for early AI-native software companies, built around a San Francisco retreat and demo day. It invests US$250k on an uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE and adds compute credits.
US$250k invested · equity not published
The Walt Disney Company's programme for venture-backed, growth-stage startups in technology and entertainment. Companies get Disney investment, co-working space and mentoring from Disney executives over about four months.
Funding not published · equity not published
A part-time pre-seed programme run through local chapters in 200+ cities, mostly online. Founders pay an entrance fee that varies by city and pledge 2.5% of future equity through a warrant.
Funding not published · 2.5% equity
A Los Angeles nonprofit running free, equity-free programmes for early founders, from six-week virtual idea courses to the in-person Clicks & Mortar retail-readiness accelerator for product brands.
Funding not published · equity-free
Eli Lilly's lab and office space for emerging biotech companies, with access to Lilly expertise, mentoring and, for some companies, capital. US sites are in South San Francisco, San Diego, Boston and Philadelphia.
Funding not published · equity not published
Neo's three-month residency in San Francisco for startups and student teams, with a two-week bootcamp. Startups get US$750k uncapped; Neo takes participation rights in the next equity round up to 5% ownership.
US$750k invested · equity not published
A free, open-enrolment programme from NVIDIA for AI startups at any funding stage. Members get cloud credits, preferred pricing, training and investor introductions, with no fees, equity, deadlines or cohorts.
Funding not published · equity-free
Pear VC's 12-week programme for pre-seed founders in the San Francisco Bay Area. It invests US$500k to US$2M per company and targets 7% ownership; teams relocate to the Bay Area for the programme.
Funding not published · equity not published
Plug and Play runs three-month, industry-specific accelerator programmes that connect startups with corporate partners for pilots and business development. It takes no equity, and each batch ends with an expo or summit.
Funding not published · equity-free
A three-month batch held in person in San Francisco, run four times a year. YC invests US$500k in every company it funds: $125k for 7% plus $375k on an uncapped MFN SAFE.
US$500k invested · 7% equity
We list 15 programmes: 500 Global Flagship Accelerator, a16z speedrun, Alchemist Accelerator, Anderson Venture Accelerator, Berkeley SkyDeck, Conviction Embed and 9 more. Each listing links to the programme's own pages and shows the day we last verified it.
4 of the 15 say they take no equity: Anderson Venture Accelerator, Grid110, NVIDIA Inception and Plug and Play. 7 do not publish their equity terms.
Applications are open for Founder Institute (closes 21 October 2026), Grid110 (closes 21 October 2026), a16z speedrun (closes 1 November 2026) and Y Combinator (closes 2 November 2026). The deadlines page lists every date we track.
San Francisco (6), California (3), Los Angeles (2), Berkeley (1), Glendale (1), Santa Clara (1) and 1 more. Delivery varies: each listing says whether the programme runs in person, remotely or both.
Send us your dates and terms and we will publish them with a link to your own pages.