Accelerator programs are a top resource for startups, particularly those that have the potential to grow very quickly. Founding entrepreneurs go through an intense training program, typically a few months in length, during which they are exposed to critical aspects of launching a startup that otherwise would take them years to learn and execute.
While in the accelerator program the entrepreneurs formalize their business plan. They meet one on one with accomplished entrepreneurs and potential investors, as well as being matched with a mentor drawn from the accelerator’s vast network. The program usually ends with a “demo day” during which the entrepreneurs pitch their business model to guest investors and other members of the entrepreneurial community.
While COVID-19 moved some accelerators online or delayed their application process, pre-pandemic accelerators are commonly part of incubators or co-working spaces that offer a physical location where the program may be run. While accelerators initially emerged on the West and then East coasts, they are now scattered around the country, often located in urban centers.
While some accelerators may focus on startups within a geographic radius of their home base, others such as Newark Venture Partners in New Jersey seek to attract startups from across the country to re-locate and become part of a growing local ecosystem. There are some that specialize in certain technologies such as Mouse Belt for blockchain, while others focus on groups such as: 1871 WiSTEM and Women’s Startup Lab for women and Smarter in the City for minorities.
Entrepreneurs seeking to join an accelerator should do some homework to see if their startup matches the selection preferences of the accelerator. They should check the dates as to when they can apply for an upcoming cohort or if there is rolling enrollment.
One of the top qualifying factors a startup should explore is what those who are running the program expect from the startup in return for their entry into the program. Some ask for a small piece of equity in exchange, but that is no longer a universal requirement.
Here is a list of accelerators across the U.S. identified as currently having an active application process for new cohorts of founding entrepreneurs.
Alchemist Accelerator: San Francisco
Early-Stage Ventures Focused on the Enterprise
AlphaLab: Pittsburgh, PA
Early-stage technology companies
AngelPad: New York and San Francisco
Seed-stage program ranked #1 Accelerator in U.S. based on MIT/Brown University study
BetaWorks Ventures: New York, NY
Betaworks Camp is a thematic residency and investment program for early-stage companies
Blueprint Health: New York, NY
Three month program for Healthcare IT startups
BoomStartup: Salt Lake City, UT
Multiple level programs for startups ranging from very early to high growth stage
Boost VC: Silicon Valley
Focused on Sci-Fi Tech: Invest $500k for 15% in 20 Startups each year
Capital Factory: Austin, TX,
Texas startups participating in 3 month curriculum-based boot camp
Clean Energy Trust: Chicago, IL
Student entrepreneurs working on impactful cleantech solutions
Cogo Labs : Cambridge, MA,
Focus on internet companies using data, tech and analytics.
DreamIt Ventures: New York,
Focused on startups with revenue or pilots that are ready to scale, primarily in areas of heathtech, securetech and urbantech
Entrepreneurs Roundtable: New York, NY
Two, four-month programs per year
FinTech Innovation Lab: New York, London, Hong Kong
A highly competitive program helping early-to growth-stage fintech companies
Founders Embassy: Silicon Valley
World’s first accelerator designed exclusively to induct international and immigrant entrepreneurs into the Silicon Valley ecosystem
Google LaunchPad : Regional and online including japan, india, women-led startups, black led startups, and others
Illumina: Silicon Valley and Cambridge, UK
Accelerating innovation to create, launch and grow genomics startups
Lair East Labs: New York,
Founders with an international mindset who run ventures with disruptive technology solutions for the global market.
MassChallenge: Boston, MA plus Multiple locations across North America and Europe
A 4-month period of curriculum, mentorship, and exhibition events designed to produce avenues of growth, funding, and 3rd-party collaboration
ClassThree is a 16-week program of intense business building for blockchain startups.
MuckerLab: Los Angeles, CA
Provides capital and support for startups outside Silicon Valley.
New Venture Challenge: Chicago, IL
Recognized as one of the top-ranked accelerator programs in the nation by Seedrankings.com
Newark Venture Partners: Newark, NJ
NVP Labs offers a 12-week bridge-to-seed accelerator that is currently virtual due to COVID-19, bringing startups to Newark to be part of a growing entrepreneurial ecosystem
Program covering a broad range of industries of their startups seeking to disrupt
RevHub OC: Orange County, CA
Focus on social enterprise startups in the areas of climate and health equity
Smarter in the City: Boston, MA
Focus on local minority-run ventures, bringing interest to local communities.
SOSV:
3-6 month intensive co-located program working alongside other elite startup founder peers
A virtual, eight-week program for early-stage product companies
Tech Ranch Austin: Austin, TX,
An intensive 8-week program
TechStars: Multiple locations in cities around the U.S and the world
A 3-month accelerators to gain funding, mentorship, and access to its expansive network
The Brandery: Cincinnati, OH
A seed stage startup accelerator that leverages the expertise of the Cincinnati region, namely branding, marketing and design
The Company Lab: Chattanooga, TN
A twelve week immersive experience for startups in southeast Tennessee
Union Kitchen: Washington, DC
Four phases to help build food businesses that last: Launch, Product Market Fit, Growth, and Scale.
VentureOut: New York, NY
A multi-month custom accelerator, focused primarily on one-to-one consultation between the company and their mentors, our strategy coaches and the VentureOut team.
Vertue Lab: Portland, Oregon https://vertuelab.org/entrepreneur-support
A CleanTech program
Village Capital: Washington, DC
Programs focused on global challenges
WiSTEM: Atlanta, GA
A seven-week academically intensive program for entering first-year students who are pursuing degrees in mathematics, dual degree engineering, computer science, physics, chemistry, biochemistry, environmental science, biology and economics.
Women’s Startup Lab: Silicon Valley
Women Tech Startups
XRC Labs: New York, NY
Focus on Retail Technology and Consumer Goods
Invests $125K as part of a three month program plus an online startup school
100K Ventures: Flint, MI
Focus i on building Flint, Michigan ecosystem, founded by those in business, sports and entertainment
406 Labs: Montana State University
Focus is on the clusters already thriving in Bozeman such as Photonics, Biotech, Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG), Saas and Outdoor Technolog
500 Startups:Multiple locations
Focus is on building global ecosystems
1871 WiSTEM: Chicago, IL
A 12-week program that connects women to capital, community and technology resources.:
