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500 Global Flagship Accelerator vs Plug and Play
What 500 Global Flagship Accelerator and Plug and Play each invest, the equity they take, who they suit and when applications close, from each programme's own pages.
500 Global Flagship Accelerator vs Plug and Play
500 Global Flagship Accelerator
- Funding
- not published Up to US$50k at entry, with potential for up to US$1M more as the company progresses; instrument and equity are not published on the programme page
- Instrument
- not published
- Equity taken
- not published
- Programme fee
- not published The programme page shows a Phase 1 fee of US$35k per startup, excluding travel, in copy that is partly unfinished; confirm the fee with 500 Global before applying
- Duration
- not published
- Cohort size
- not published
- Cohorts
- not published
- Delivery
- In person
- Stages
- Idea, pre-seed
- Sectors
- Sector-agnostic
- Open to founders from
- not published
- Perks
-
- Access to 500 Global's network of VCs
- Mentorship from operator-investors, alumni founder coaches and entrepreneurs in residence
- Community of 6,000+ founders
Runs for four months in San Francisco. Batch 37 runs from 30 November 2026 to 9 April 2027.
Plug and Play
- Funding
- not published
- Instrument
- No investment
- Equity taken
- None (equity-free) No equity requirement for the accelerator programmes
- Programme fee
- not published
- Duration
- not published
- Cohort size
- not published
- Cohorts
- not published
- Delivery
- Hybrid
- Stages
- Seed, post-seed
- Sectors
- AI, Fintech, Insurtech, Health tech
- Open to founders from
- Anywhere
- Perks
-
- Private one-to-one pitch meetings with corporate partners
- Access to Plug and Play co-working spaces
- More than 800 events a year
Three-month programmes run by industry vertical and focused on business development with corporate partners. The Fall 2026 Silicon Valley batches had 140 startups from 20 countries and territories across 13 programmes, including Fintech, Insurtech, Health & Longevity and Enterprise & AI.
500 Global Flagship Accelerator: full listing · Plug and Play: full listing
Where they differ
| Term | 500 Global Flagship Accelerator | Plug and Play |
|---|---|---|
| Funding | not published | not published |
| Equity taken | not published | None (equity-free) |
| Instrument | not published | No investment |
| Programme fee | not published | not published |
| Duration | not published | not published |
| Cohorts | not published | not published |
| Delivery | In person | Hybrid |
| Stages | Idea, pre-seed | Seed, post-seed |
| Sectors | Sector-agnostic | AI, Fintech, Insurtech, Health tech |
| Based in | San Francisco, United States | United States |
| Next deadline | not published | not published |
Which fits whom
500 Global Flagship Accelerator fits founders
- At the idea or pre-seed stage
- Who can be in San Francisco for the programme
- In any sector
- Who will ask about equity first: the terms are not published
Plug and Play fits founders
- At the seed or post-seed stage
- Who can join some sessions in person in California
- Working in AI, fintech, insurtech or health tech
- Who want to keep all their equity
Application dates
500 Global Flagship Accelerator
Batch 37: applications closed 16 October 2026; the programme starts 30 November 2026.
Plug and Play
Dates not published. In 2026 the spring Silicon Valley batches ended at a summit in May and the fall batches present at the Silicon Valley November Summit on 3 to 5 November 2026.
500 Global Flagship Accelerator vs Plug and Play: questions founders ask
Which invests more, 500 Global Flagship Accelerator or Plug and Play?
Neither publishes a standard investment amount.
Which takes less equity, 500 Global Flagship Accelerator or Plug and Play?
Plug and Play takes none (equity-free); 500 Global Flagship Accelerator does not publish its equity terms.
Which closes first, 500 Global Flagship Accelerator or Plug and Play?
Neither has a published deadline ahead. Each listing says what the programme publishes about its next window.
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