{ "version": 1, "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "programs": [ { "id": "a16z-speedrun-sr007", "name": "a16z Speedrun SR007", "organizer": "Andreessen Horowitz", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco; program runs July 27 to October 11, 2026", "format": "in-person cohort", "sectors": [ "AI", "games", "consumer", "media", "enterprise", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "pre-seed", "seed", "global", "closes-soon" ], "funding": "Up to $1M investment plus partner credits", "equityCost": "$500K for 10% via SAFE plus $500K into the next round within 18 months", "cloudCredits": "$5M+ in partner credits listed by the program", "perksValue": "a16z operators, network, launch support, and cohort programming", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Applications close May 17, 2026 at 11:59 PM PT", "date": "2026-05-17" }, "duration": "July 27 to October 11, 2026", "applicationUrl": "https://speedrun.a16z.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://speedrun.a16z.com/apply", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://a16z.com/applications-for-a16z-speedrun-sr007-are-now-open/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official application plus official announcement", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "High-velocity founders building venture-scale startups.", "companyEligibility": "Useful from idea through early seed, especially AI-native and software-heavy companies.", "geoEligibility": "Open to founders around the world who can attend the cohort.", "applicationEffort": "Competitive form; expect partner review and interviews.", "whyApply": "Apply if a large early check, a16z brand, operator access, and an intense SF cohort would materially change the next 90 days.", "redFlags": [], "notes": "The official SR007 announcement says the program is now broader than games and open to founders globally.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "y-combinator-summer-2026", "name": "Y Combinator Summer 2026", "organizer": "Y Combinator", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco", "format": "in-person batch", "sectors": [ "generalist", "AI", "software", "deep tech", "consumer", "B2B" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "generalist", "pre-seed", "seed", "global", "late" ], "funding": "$500K standard deal", "equityCost": "$125K for 7% plus $375K uncapped MFN SAFE", "perksValue": "YC partners, alumni network, Demo Day, and startup default credibility", "deadline": { "status": "late", "label": "On-time Summer 2026 deadline passed May 4, 2026; late applications are still considered", "date": "2026-05-04" }, "duration": "July to September 2026", "applicationUrl": "https://www.ycombinator.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.ycombinator.com/apply", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.ycombinator.com/deal", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official apply page plus official deal page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Early founders who can compress learning and fundraising into a three-month batch.", "companyEligibility": "Broad fit from idea-stage to seed-stage venture-scale startups.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants; batch is centered in San Francisco.", "applicationEffort": "Medium form plus interview if selected.", "whyApply": "Apply if you want the highest-signal generalist accelerator network and can still make a late application credible.", "redFlags": [ "late-application" ], "notes": "YC says late applications are considered, but timing and interview availability are less predictable after the deadline.", "displayGroup": "conditional" }, { "id": "hf0-residency", "name": "HF0 Residency", "organizer": "HF0", "programType": "residency", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco", "format": "in-person residency", "sectors": [ "AI", "developer tools", "software", "enterprise", "consumer", "deep tech" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "developer-tools", "pre-seed", "global" ], "funding": "Not stated on official public page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official public page", "perksValue": "Small cohort, repeat-founder density, and SF in-person focus", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Official application page is live; homepage lists upcoming batch and demo-day dates" }, "duration": "Residency format; exact public duration should be verified before applying", "applicationUrl": "https://www.hf0.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.hf0.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official but public terms are sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Best for repeat or unusually strong technical founders.", "companyEligibility": "High-ambition software, AI, and technical companies that benefit from intense in-person building.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can relocate or spend the residency in San Francisco.", "applicationEffort": "Short official apply flow followed by selective review.", "whyApply": "Apply if founder quality and focused SF residency density matter more than a broad curriculum.", "redFlags": [ "public-terms-sparse" ], "notes": "Keep in the directory because the program signal is high, but verify investment terms directly.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "ai2-incubator", "name": "AI2 Incubator", "organizer": "AI2 Incubator", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-company", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "Seattle or hybrid", "format": "hybrid incubation", "sectors": [ "AI", "applied AI", "deep tech", "health", "enterprise" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "deep-tech", "pre-seed", "global" ], "funding": "Up to $600K pre-seed investment at a $10M cap", "equityCost": "7% common stock for incubation plus separate SAFE investment terms", "perksValue": "Hands-on AI company building, technical support, and up to 12 months of personalized incubation", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official incubator application form is live" }, "duration": "Up to 12 months personalized support", "applicationUrl": "https://apply.ai2incubator.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.ai2incubator.com/framework", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official framework plus application page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI founders with a new idea, pre-company project, or early team.", "companyEligibility": "Applied AI companies where technical incubation can materially improve product and company formation.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants, with Seattle or hybrid participation depending on fit.", "applicationEffort": "Detailed application plus incubation review.", "whyApply": "Apply if you need deep AI company-building support rather than a generic accelerator curriculum.", "redFlags": [], "notes": "The official form accepts founders with a new idea or interest in joining an existing idea or team.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "pearx", "name": "PearX", "organizer": "Pear VC", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "early traction" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco Bay Area", "format": "12-week cohort", "sectors": [ "AI", "software", "healthcare", "consumer", "enterprise", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "pre-seed", "AI", "global", "fundraising" ], "funding": "$250K to $2M investment", "equityCost": "Not stated as fixed on the official program page", "cloudCredits": "$1M+ in cloud credits", "perksValue": "Small cohort, hiring, customer development, fundraising, and Demo Day support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official PearX page has an active application surface; exact batch deadline not stated" }, "duration": "12 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://pear.vc/pearx/", "sourceUrl": "https://pear.vc/pearx/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Pre-seed founders who want high-touch support before or around first institutional funding.", "companyEligibility": "Most useful for teams before a major seed round, including teams that have raised up to about $2M.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can work with a Bay Area-centered program.", "applicationEffort": "Program application plus partner review.", "whyApply": "Apply if a small-batch Pear network can help with customers, hiring, fundraising, and early product-market fit.", "redFlags": [ "equity-terms-not-stated" ], "notes": "Keep terms conservative because the official page states investment range but not one fixed equity price.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "entrepreneur-first-application-hub", "name": "Entrepreneur First Application Hub", "organizer": "Entrepreneurs First", "programType": "company formation program", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-idea", "pre-team", "idea", "pre-seed" ], "region": [ "global", "europe", "united-states", "india" ], "location": "London, Paris, Bangalore, San Francisco, and related hubs", "format": "location-specific in-person programs", "sectors": [ "technical talent", "AI", "deep tech", "software", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "pre-company", "cofounder-search", "deep-tech", "global", "europe" ], "funding": "Equity-free grant plus up to $250K investment on some paths", "equityCost": "$125K for 8% plus optional $125K uncapped MFN SAFE on the SF/Delaware path", "perksValue": "Cofounder matching, idea formation, venture design, and investor preparation", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "London Fall 2026 early deadline May 10, 2026; Bangalore Fall final deadline June 22, 2026; SF Bridge Residency Fall early deadline June 28, 2026", "date": "2026-05-10" }, "duration": "Program-dependent; Bridge Residency listed as 8 weeks; Core programs 6 months", "applicationUrl": "https://apply.joinef.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://apply.joinef.com/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.joinef.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official application hub plus official program site", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Exceptional individuals who may not yet have a cofounder, idea, or formed company.", "companyEligibility": "Best before company formation or very early in a new company.", "geoEligibility": "Location-specific; check the hub for the city and cohort that fits.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus interviews and location-specific selection.", "whyApply": "Apply if you need a structured path from talent and ambition into a formed venture-scale company.", "redFlags": [ "location-specific-deadlines" ], "notes": "Not ideal for a formed company that mainly wants seed capital.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "five-hundred-global-flagship", "name": "500 Global Flagship Accelerator", "organizer": "500 Global", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "early-stage" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "Silicon Valley / Palo Alto", "format": "4-month accelerator", "sectors": [ "technology", "generalist", "global-first startups" ], "fitTags": [ "accelerator", "global", "pre-seed", "seed", "fundraising" ], "funding": "$150K investment", "equityCost": "6% stake, subject to terms and diligence", "perksValue": "Silicon Valley programming, investor exposure, and 500 Global founder network", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Official flagship page has an active application surface; verify exact batch close date before applying" }, "duration": "4 months", "applicationUrl": "https://500.co/accelerators/flagship-accelerator", "sourceUrl": "https://500.co/accelerators/flagship-accelerator", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Global early-stage founders who want Silicon Valley access and structured accelerator pressure.", "companyEligibility": "Useful for pre-seed and seed startups that can benefit from fundraising and growth programming.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can work with the flagship Silicon Valley program.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus accelerator selection review.", "whyApply": "Apply if the team needs a global accelerator brand, investor exposure, and a Silicon Valley operating network.", "redFlags": [ "exact-deadline-needs-recheck" ], "notes": "Quality varies less by city than local accelerator franchises because this row tracks the flagship program.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "neo-residency", "name": "Neo Residency", "organizer": "Neo", "programType": "residency", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-idea", "student", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "north-america", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco / Neo residency format", "format": "residency", "sectors": [ "technical founders", "AI", "software", "deep tech" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "technical-founders", "AI", "student", "pre-seed" ], "funding": "Not fully text-visible on the official public page", "equityCost": "Not fully text-visible on the official public page", "perksValue": "Neo founder, operator, and investor network", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Official residency application page is live" }, "duration": "Residency format; exact duration should be verified on the application page", "applicationUrl": "https://neo.com/residency", "sourceUrl": "https://neo.com/residency", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://neo.com/accelerator", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official but public terms are sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "High-potential technical founders, including student and early-career founders.", "companyEligibility": "Very early technical startups or founder projects where Neo's network can be a force multiplier.", "geoEligibility": "North America centered; verify current residency eligibility before applying.", "applicationEffort": "Selective application and network review.", "whyApply": "Apply if the founder profile is unusually strong and Neo's technical founder network is a better fit than a broad accelerator.", "redFlags": [ "public-terms-sparse" ], "notes": "Keep because the signal is high, but do not publish funding terms without direct official confirmation.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "launch-accelerator", "name": "LAUNCH Accelerator", "organizer": "LAUNCH / Jason Calacanis", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "post-MVP", "traction", "pre-Series A" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "Remote with Silicon Valley investor network", "format": "14-week accelerator", "sectors": [ "software", "AI", "marketplaces", "B2B", "consumer", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "fundraising", "traction", "global", "AI", "investor-access" ], "funding": "$125K investment", "equityCost": "Not stated on the official program page", "perksValue": "Investor meetings, pitch practice, and LAUNCH network access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official application page is live" }, "duration": "14 to 15 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://www.launch.co/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://launchaccelerator.co/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders with a product and enough traction to benefit from repeated investor exposure.", "companyEligibility": "Post-MVP companies that can use fundraising discipline and pitch feedback.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants; verify cohort logistics on the official page.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus program review.", "whyApply": "Apply if fundraising exposure and pitch iteration are the bottleneck, not idea discovery.", "redFlags": [ "equity-terms-not-stated" ], "notes": "Official page confirms the investment amount and program structure; confirm equity before signing.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "menlo-anthology-fund", "name": "Anthology Fund", "organizer": "Menlo Ventures and Anthropic", "programType": "AI fund", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "Remote investment process with Menlo / Anthropic network", "format": "rolling fund program", "sectors": [ "AI infrastructure", "AI apps", "AI safety", "consumer AI", "healthcare", "legal", "financial services", "cybersecurity" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "fund", "rolling", "global" ], "funding": "Investments starting at $100K", "equityCost": "Negotiated case by case", "cloudCredits": "Anthropic and program-specific AI benefits are described by the official page", "perksValue": "Anthropic access, Claude credits, quarterly deep dives, and Menlo venture support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications; official page says response is expected within two weeks" }, "duration": "Structured fund support with ongoing programming", "applicationUrl": "https://menlovc.com/anthology-fund", "sourceUrl": "https://menlovc.com/anthology-fund", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official fund page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI founders who would benefit from Anthropic access and Menlo-led venture support.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed through Series A AI companies with a credible venture-scale wedge.", "geoEligibility": "Global applications are accepted, with US venture fit preferred.", "applicationEffort": "Short official fund application plus investment review.", "whyApply": "Apply if access to Anthropic and Menlo is directly relevant to the product or infrastructure roadmap.", "redFlags": [ "fund-not-accelerator" ], "notes": "Included as a founder program because the official support structure is programmatic even though it is not a classic accelerator.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "the-house-ai-accelerator-summer-2026", "name": "The House AI Accelerator Summer 2026", "organizer": "The House Fund", "programType": "AI accelerator", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "united-states" ], "location": "Berkeley, California", "format": "10-week in-person accelerator", "sectors": [ "AI", "enterprise", "consumer", "deep tech" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "berkeley", "compute", "late" ], "funding": "SAFE investment plus up to $750K in free compute and special access from Databricks, Microsoft, and OpenAI", "equityCost": "Standard SAFE for 7% to 10%", "cloudCredits": "Up to $750K in free compute and special access", "perksValue": "AI operators, compute partners, and Berkeley-focused founder network", "deadline": { "status": "late", "label": "Main deadline was May 1, 2026; late applications reviewed on a rolling basis", "date": "2026-05-01" }, "duration": "10 weeks, June to August 2026", "applicationUrl": "https://www.thehouse.fund/ai-accelerator", "sourceUrl": "https://www.thehouse.fund/ai-accelerator", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Cal alumni, faculty, student, and affiliate entrepreneurs.", "companyEligibility": "AI companies at idea through seed stage that can use compute and partner access quickly.", "geoEligibility": "US / Berkeley-affiliated eligibility; verify affiliation before spending time on the application.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus accelerator interview process.", "whyApply": "Apply late only if the Berkeley affiliation is strong and the compute package directly accelerates the product.", "redFlags": [ "late-application", "affiliation-required" ], "notes": "High signal for the right founder, but eligibility is narrower than most global AI accelerators.", "displayGroup": "conditional" }, { "id": "south-park-commons-member-residency", "name": "South Park Commons Member Residency", "organizer": "South Park Commons", "programType": "residency", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-idea", "exploration", "pre-company" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco and New York City", "format": "member residency", "sectors": [ "technical founders", "AI", "software", "hardware", "biotech", "energy", "security" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "pre-company", "technical-founders", "global" ], "funding": "No cost and no right to invest stated on the official apply page", "equityCost": "No cost or right to invest stated on the official apply page", "perksValue": "SPC community, exploration structure, and founder-market fit pressure before company formation", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official apply page routes ready founders to the Member Residency" }, "duration": "Six months", "applicationUrl": "https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official apply page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Technical builders in the -1 to 0 exploration phase.", "companyEligibility": "Best before company formation or before committing to a final startup thesis.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can participate in SPC's SF or NYC ecosystem.", "applicationEffort": "Application through the official SPC flow.", "whyApply": "Apply if you are still choosing the right problem and want a serious community before raising or incorporating.", "redFlags": [], "notes": "This is the active SPC path when the Founder Fellowship is not open.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "south-park-commons-founder-fellowship", "name": "SPC Founder Fellowship", "organizer": "South Park Commons", "programType": "fellowship", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-idea", "pre-product", "pre-revenue", "pre-seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco and New York City", "format": "fellowship plus residency", "sectors": [ "frontier tech", "AI", "software", "hardware", "biotech", "energy", "space", "security" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "pre-company", "technical-founders", "watchlist" ], "funding": "$400K upfront plus $600K guaranteed in the next external round", "equityCost": "7% for the upfront component; follow-on terms per SPC page", "perksValue": "Pre-fellowship, bootcamp, residency, and SPC network", "deadline": { "status": "opens-soon", "label": "Fall 2026 applications open in summer 2026" }, "duration": "Pre-fellowship, bootcamp, and residency sequence", "applicationUrl": "https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.southparkcommons.com/founder-fellowship/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders moving from -1 to 0 who are ready to build a venture-scale company.", "companyEligibility": "Best before product and revenue, especially if founder-market fit is still forming.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can participate in the SPC fellowship/residency structure.", "applicationEffort": "Watchlist now; apply when the fall application opens.", "whyApply": "Track this if you want serious -1 to 0 support plus a meaningful first check.", "redFlags": [ "not-open-yet" ], "notes": "Do not present as open until the official Fall 2026 application is live.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "sequoia-arc", "name": "Sequoia Arc", "organizer": "Sequoia Capital", "programType": "venture program", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "americas", "europe", "global" ], "location": "Sequoia network / Arc Intensive", "format": "selective venture intensive", "sectors": [ "AI", "software", "enterprise", "consumer", "healthcare", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "venture", "watchlist", "seed", "global" ], "funding": "Company-specific Sequoia investment", "equityCost": "Company-specific; official FAQ says no dedicated Arc terms", "perksValue": "Sequoia partner access, PMF support, and company-building curriculum", "deadline": { "status": "opens-soon", "label": "Spring '26 cohort closed February 23, 2026; Fall '26 round opens summer 2026 per official page" }, "duration": "Arc Intensive format for accepted Sequoia early-stage founders", "applicationUrl": "https://www.sequoiacap.com/arc/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.sequoiacap.com/arc/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders already credible for Sequoia-level early-stage consideration.", "companyEligibility": "Seed and pre-seed venture-scale startups where Sequoia is a plausible partner.", "geoEligibility": "Americas and Europe focus; verify the next program geography.", "applicationEffort": "Sign up via the Arc page; Fall '26 application window expected to open summer 2026.", "whyApply": "Track this if the company is Sequoia-caliber and Arc would be a path into a top-tier partner relationship.", "redFlags": [ "not-yet-open", "not-standard-accelerator" ], "notes": "$1M check, 7-week immersion in Americas + Europe. Sign up on the Arc page to be notified when Fall '26 opens.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "techstars-accelerators", "name": "Techstars Accelerators", "organizer": "Techstars", "programType": "accelerator network", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "early-stage" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Multiple global programs; some remote-first", "format": "program-specific cohorts", "sectors": [ "generalist", "AI", "healthcare", "workforce", "enterprise", "local verticals" ], "fitTags": [ "accelerator", "global", "pre-seed", "varies" ], "funding": "$220K", "equityCost": "$20K for 5% common via CEA plus $200K uncapped MFN SAFE", "perksValue": "Techstars network, city/vertical program access, mentors, and investor exposure", "deadline": { "status": "varies", "label": "Deadlines vary by accelerator; use the official founder application hub" }, "duration": "3 months / 12 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://www.techstars.com/accelerators", "sourceUrl": "https://www.techstars.com/accelerators", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official hub plus founder application surface", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Early founders who match a specific Techstars city, vertical, or managing director.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed and seed companies ready for a structured accelerator.", "geoEligibility": "Global, but fit depends on the individual program.", "applicationEffort": "Choose the right accelerator first, then submit the official founder application.", "whyApply": "Apply only when a specific Techstars program matches the startup better than a general accelerator would.", "redFlags": [ "program-specific-deadlines" ], "notes": "The directory row is the hub; founders should verify the exact target program before applying.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "antler-residency", "name": "Antler Residency", "organizer": "Antler", "programType": "residency", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-idea", "idea", "pre-seed" ], "region": [ "global", "asia-pacific", "europe", "americas", "middle-east-africa" ], "location": "SF, NYC, Austin, London, Singapore, Tokyo, Sydney, Nairobi, and others", "format": "location-specific residency", "sectors": [ "AI", "software", "consumer", "B2B", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "pre-company", "cofounder-search", "global", "varies" ], "funding": "Location-specific investment after investment committee", "equityCost": "Location-specific terms; official page says terms vary by location", "perksValue": "Cofounder matching, local partner coaching, residency curriculum, and investment committee path", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply at any time per official page; upcoming start dates include Japan May 11, US Jul 1, Singapore/Indonesia Jul 20, Australia Jul 27, Continental Europe Sep 14, UK Sep 22, Kenya Oct 5, 2026" }, "duration": "Location-specific residency curriculum", "applicationUrl": "https://www.antler.co/apply-new", "sourceUrl": "https://www.antler.co/apply-new", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official global residency page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Day-zero founders who want structured cofounder search and local cohort density.", "companyEligibility": "Best before or just after company formation.", "geoEligibility": "Global, but each city has its own residency calendar and terms.", "applicationEffort": "Pick the location, then complete the official Antler application.", "whyApply": "Apply if local founder density and cofounder matching are more important than a top-tier US accelerator signal.", "redFlags": [ "location-specific-terms" ], "notes": "Do not generalize one Antler location's investment terms to another.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "betaworks-camp", "name": "Betaworks Camp", "organizer": "Betaworks", "programType": "theme accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "New York City", "format": "12-week in-residence camp", "sectors": [ "AI agents", "frontier tech", "interfaces", "applied ML", "AI-native products" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "agents", "theme-dependent", "watchlist" ], "funding": "Up to $500K from Betaworks and syndicate partners", "equityCost": "Not fixed on the official public page", "perksValue": "Theme-specific product feedback, NYC residency, and demo day", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "Spring '26 'AI Camp: Agent Systems' cohort runs March 2 to May 15, 2026; next applications expected June-July 2026" }, "duration": "12 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://www.betaworks.com/camp/application", "sourceUrl": "https://www.betaworks.com/camp/application", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official application page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building exactly inside the current Camp theme.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed or seed AI/frontier product companies that benefit from a narrow theme cohort.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can participate in NYC-centered programming.", "applicationEffort": "Track the next theme; apply when the application window matches the startup.", "whyApply": "Track this when the Camp theme lines up tightly with the product category.", "redFlags": [ "current-cohort-closed", "theme-dependent" ], "notes": "Spring '26 was 'AI Camp: Agent Systems' with up to $500K total ($250K Betaworks + $250K syndicate) on uncapped SAFE w/ 25% discount + 5% common stock. Sign up on apply page to be notified for Fall '26 window.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "conviction-embed", "name": "Conviction Embed", "organizer": "Conviction", "programType": "AI founder program", "qualityTier": "elite", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "early founding team" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco retreat plus program", "format": "AI founder cohort", "sectors": [ "AI-native", "Software 3.0", "frontier AI applications", "AI infrastructure" ], "fitTags": [ "elite", "AI", "watchlist", "fund" ], "funding": "$250K", "equityCost": "Uncapped, no-discount MFN SAFE or same price as recent round", "perksValue": "AI-native founder network, retreat, investor access, and Conviction support", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "Cohort 6 in flight: retreat March 20-22 and demo day May 14, 2026; no Cohort 7 announced yet" }, "duration": "Cohort 6 retreat March 20-22 and demo day May 14, 2026", "applicationUrl": "https://embed.conviction.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://embed.conviction.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI-native founders building software where AI is the core product.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed or seed AI companies that fit Conviction's Software 3.0 thesis.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants who can participate in SF-centered programming.", "applicationEffort": "Track next cohort; current cohort deadline has passed.", "whyApply": "Track this if the startup is AI-native enough that Conviction's network is unusually relevant.", "redFlags": [ "current-cohort-closed" ], "notes": "High signal, but currently watchlist rather than apply-now.", "displayGroup": "track" }, { "id": "google-cloud-ai-startup-program", "name": "Google Cloud AI Startup Program", "organizer": "Google Cloud", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": [ "AI", "cloud", "machine learning", "developer tools" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "cloud", "credits", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Up to $350K in Google Cloud credits over 2 years for eligible AI startups", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official program page", "cloudCredits": "Up to $350K Google Cloud credits", "perksValue": "Google Cloud startup support, AI infrastructure, and cloud credits", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply through Google Cloud Startup Program" }, "duration": "Two-year credit structure", "applicationUrl": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://cloud.google.com/startup/ai", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "VC-backed AI-first founders using Google Cloud, Gemini, or Vertex AI as core infrastructure.", "companyEligibility": "Seed to Series A AI-first startups that meet Google Cloud eligibility limits.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to country and account eligibility.", "applicationEffort": "Online application and eligibility review.", "whyApply": "Apply if Google Cloud or Gemini infrastructure is already central to the product roadmap.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator" ], "notes": "Kept as infrastructure value, not as a cohort accelerator.", "displayGroup": "infrastructure" }, { "id": "nvidia-inception", "name": "NVIDIA Inception", "organizer": "NVIDIA", "programType": "startup membership", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed", "growth" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online", "format": "rolling membership", "sectors": [ "AI", "deep tech", "robotics", "physical AI", "healthcare", "accelerated computing" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "deep-tech", "cloud", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Free program with training, partner offers, preferred pricing, cloud credits, and VC introductions for eligible startups", "equityCost": "Free; no application fees, membership fees, or equity requirements", "cloudCredits": "Free cloud credits and partner offers are listed by the official program", "perksValue": "NVIDIA technical training, hardware/software pricing, ecosystem access, and investor introductions", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "No application fees, deadlines, or cohorts" }, "duration": "Ongoing membership while eligible", "applicationUrl": "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.nvidia.com/en-us/startups/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building GPU-heavy AI, robotics, physical AI, simulation, or accelerated computing companies.", "companyEligibility": "Incorporated company with a working website, at least one developer, and company age under 10 years.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to program eligibility.", "applicationEffort": "Online application and eligibility check.", "whyApply": "Apply if NVIDIA hardware, software, or ecosystem access is directly tied to your technical roadmap.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator" ], "notes": "One of the highest-value rolling infrastructure programs for AI and robotics founders.", "displayGroup": "infrastructure" }, { "id": "cloudflare-for-startups", "name": "Cloudflare for Startups", "organizer": "Cloudflare", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a", "series-b" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": [ "cloud", "developer tools", "AI", "security", "infrastructure" ], "fitTags": [ "developer-tools", "cloud", "AI", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "$5K to up to $250K in Cloudflare credits", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official program page", "cloudCredits": "Credit caps include R2/Cache Reserve and Workers AI categories", "perksValue": "Cloudflare Workers, R2, D1, Zero Trust, CDN/security, and AI infrastructure benefits", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply through Cloudflare for Startups" }, "duration": "Up to one year or until credits are used", "applicationUrl": "https://www.cloudflare.com/forstartups/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.cloudflare.com/forstartups/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Infrastructure, security, SaaS, AI inference, and devtools founders building on Cloudflare primitives.", "companyEligibility": "Software product or service, active website, founded within 5 years, and funded up to Series B.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to Cloudflare eligibility.", "applicationEffort": "Online application and eligibility review.", "whyApply": "Apply if Cloudflare primitives can reduce infrastructure cost or speed up edge, AI, or security product development.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator" ], "notes": "Kept because it creates immediate founder value even without a cohort.", "displayGroup": "infrastructure" }, { "id": "aws-activate-credits", "name": "AWS Activate Credits", "organizer": "Amazon Web Services", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "seed", "growth" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": [ "AI", "cloud", "developer tools", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "cloud", "AI", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "$1K to up to $100K in AWS Activate Credits", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official credits page", "cloudCredits": "Credits can apply to eligible AWS services including Amazon Bedrock model usage", "perksValue": "AWS credits, technical resources, and startup infrastructure support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling application through AWS Activate" }, "duration": "Credits usually expire within 1 to 2 years depending on package", "applicationUrl": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/lp/aws-activate-credits", "sourceUrl": "https://aws.amazon.com/startups/lp/aws-activate-credits", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official credits page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders who need immediate AWS infrastructure, AI service, or cloud spend relief.", "companyEligibility": "Eligibility and maximum credits vary between founder and portfolio paths.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to AWS Activate availability and provider requirements.", "applicationEffort": "Online application; portfolio path requires a provider organization ID.", "whyApply": "Apply if AWS costs are a real constraint and credits would extend runway without dilution.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator" ], "notes": "Use as a baseline infrastructure program, not as a replacement for a high-signal accelerator.", "displayGroup": "infrastructure" }, { "id": "microsoft-for-startups", "name": "Microsoft for Startups", "organizer": "Microsoft", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "idea", "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": [ "AI", "cloud", "developer tools", "enterprise software" ], "fitTags": [ "cloud", "AI", "enterprise", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Up to $150,000 in Azure credits according to the official landing page; investor-referred offer provides enhanced benefits", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official program pages", "cloudCredits": "Up to $150K Azure credits plus Microsoft AI access; benefits vary by offer path", "perksValue": "Azure, Microsoft AI, GitHub/Microsoft ecosystem support, expert guidance, and GTM support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling application via Microsoft for Startups" }, "duration": "Credit and benefit duration varies by offer", "applicationUrl": "https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/microsoft-for-startups/overview", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official documentation plus program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI, devtools, and enterprise founders who can use Azure or Microsoft GTM access.", "companyEligibility": "Startup eligibility and benefits depend on open or investor-referred offer path.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to Microsoft program availability.", "applicationEffort": "Online application; enhanced investor offer requires referral code.", "whyApply": "Apply if Azure, GitHub, Microsoft AI, or enterprise GTM support is strategically relevant.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator", "benefits-vary-by-offer" ], "notes": "Keep as infrastructure value and verify the offer path before promising credit amounts.", "displayGroup": "infrastructure" }, { "id": "sovereign-tech-standards-network-2026", "name": "Sovereign Tech Standards Network 2026", "organizer": "Sovereign Tech Agency", "programType": "open-source funding", "qualityTier": "grant", "stage": [ "open-source-maintainer", "project" ], "region": [ "global", "europe" ], "location": "Remote plus standards-body meetings", "format": "remote maintainer program", "sectors": [ "open source", "developer tools", "standards", "digital infrastructure" ], "fitTags": [ "open-source", "developer-tools", "grant", "non-dilutive", "europe", "closes-soon" ], "funding": "Monthly payment of EUR 4,800 to EUR 5,200 plus training, mentoring, SDO fee reimbursement, and travel support", "equityCost": "No equity; maintainer support program", "perksValue": "Standards mentorship, SDO access, training, and travel support", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Applications close May 19, 2026 at 11:59 PM CEST", "date": "2026-05-19" }, "duration": "Mid-June 2026 through June 2027", "applicationUrl": "https://www.sovereign.tech/programs/standards", "sourceUrl": "https://www.sovereign.tech/programs/standards", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Open-source maintainers shaping digital infrastructure standards.", "companyEligibility": "Not a company accelerator; relevant if the startup or founder maintains critical OSS standards work.", "geoEligibility": "Global maintainers, with European digital infrastructure alignment.", "applicationEffort": "Program application with standards participation plan.", "whyApply": "Apply if standards work is part of the founder's open-source infrastructure strategy and non-dilutive support matters.", "redFlags": [ "not-a-startup-accelerator" ], "notes": "Included because it can be more useful than a generic accelerator for open-source infrastructure founders.", "displayGroup": "grant" }, { "id": "elias-open-call-2-2026", "name": "ELIAS 2nd Open Call", "organizer": "ELIAS - European Lighthouse of AI for Sustainability", "programType": "grant", "qualityTier": "grant", "stage": [ "startup", "sme", "ngo" ], "region": [ "europe" ], "location": "Online application", "format": "non-dilutive open call", "sectors": [ "AI", "sustainability", "trustworthy AI", "deep tech" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "grant", "non-dilutive", "europe", "open" ], "funding": "Up to EUR 60K per project", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official call page", "perksValue": "European AI sustainability project funding and consortium visibility", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Applications close May 31, 2026 at 23:59 CET", "date": "2026-05-31" }, "duration": "Project-specific", "applicationUrl": "https://elias-ai.eu/opportunities/elias-2nd-open-call/", "sourceUrl": "https://elias-ai.eu/opportunities/elias-2nd-open-call/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official call page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "European startups, SMEs, and NGOs building trustworthy or sustainable AI.", "companyEligibility": "Eligible European entities with a project that matches the ELIAS call scope.", "geoEligibility": "Europe only; confirm country eligibility on the official call page.", "applicationEffort": "Grant application with project scope.", "whyApply": "Apply if the project fits sustainable/trustworthy AI and non-dilutive European funding is more valuable than accelerator branding.", "redFlags": [ "europe-eligible-only" ], "notes": "Strong grant row for AI founders in eligible European countries.", "displayGroup": "grant" }, { "id": "eit-jumpstarter-2026", "name": "EIT Jumpstarter 2026", "organizer": "European Institute of Innovation and Technology", "programType": "grant and pre-accelerator", "qualityTier": "grant", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "science-based" ], "region": [ "europe", "turkey-adjacent", "eit-ris" ], "location": "Europe / hybrid", "format": "hybrid pre-accelerator", "sectors": [ "food-agritech", "healthcare", "energy", "manufacturing", "raw materials", "urban mobility" ], "fitTags": [ "grant", "non-dilutive", "europe", "science-based", "closes-soon" ], "funding": "Over EUR 240K total financial support; cohort prizes include EUR 10K, EUR 5K, and EUR 3K", "equityCost": "Equity-free prize and training program", "perksValue": "Business validation, mentoring, pitch training, and EIT network", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Applications close May 17, 2026 at 23:59 CET", "date": "2026-05-17" }, "duration": "Program modules and final competition across 2026", "applicationUrl": "https://www.eit.europa.eu/our-activities/opportunities/eit-jumpstarter-2026", "sourceUrl": "https://www.eit.europa.eu/our-activities/opportunities/eit-jumpstarter-2026", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official EIT opportunity page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Science-based innovators and early teams in eligible EIT RIS geographies.", "companyEligibility": "Idea and pre-seed projects in EIT priority sectors.", "geoEligibility": "Europe and EIT RIS regions; verify country eligibility before applying.", "applicationEffort": "Pre-accelerator application with team and idea details.", "whyApply": "Apply if non-dilutive European validation matters more than venture accelerator prestige.", "redFlags": [ "geo-eligibility-needs-check" ], "notes": "Good Istanbul-adjacent option for science-based founders because Turkey is often relevant to EIT RIS programs.", "displayGroup": "grant" }, { "id": "garanti-bbva-partners-tech-2026", "name": "Garanti BBVA Partners Tech", "organizer": "Garanti BBVA", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "seed", "growth" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Mecidiyekoy, Istanbul", "format": "Istanbul corporate program", "sectors": [ "AI", "cybersecurity", "payments", "sustainability" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "corporate", "AI", "closes-soon" ], "funding": "Office, mentorship, PR/marketing, consulting, finance and investor access, and Garanti BBVA collaboration paths", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Bank partnership paths, workspace, mentoring, investor access, and corporate visibility", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Applications close May 22, 2026", "date": "2026-05-22" }, "duration": "Program duration not stated on the official public page", "applicationUrl": "https://www.garantibbvapartners.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.garantibbvapartners.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Istanbul-linked founders with an MVP-stage technology startup and corporate partnership potential.", "companyEligibility": "Official page asks for MVP, market potential, at least two years operating history, scalability, and strong revenue model.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "Official application plus corporate program selection.", "whyApply": "Apply if bank access, corporate pilots, and Istanbul investor visibility are more valuable than a pure venture accelerator.", "redFlags": [ "company-age-requirement" ], "notes": "Good local fit for more mature startups, not day-zero ideas.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "lonca-12-donem-2026", "name": "Lonca 12. Donem", "organizer": "Kuveyt Turk", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Sisli, Istanbul", "format": "Istanbul accelerator", "sectors": [ "technology", "fintech", "AI", "B2B", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "non-dilutive", "fintech", "closes-soon" ], "funding": "Up to 400,000 TL cash grant plus office, mentoring, technical/legal/financial consulting, Kuveyt Turk API and cloud support, and PoC support", "equityCost": "No fee, equity, or option requested according to official FAQ", "cloudCredits": "Cloud support is listed by the official page", "perksValue": "Kuveyt Turk / Architecht API access, office, PoC support, and mentoring", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Applications close May 10, 2026", "date": "2026-05-10" }, "duration": "Program duration not stated on the official public application page", "applicationUrl": "https://www.loncagirisim.com/basvuru/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.loncagirisim.com/basvuru/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official application page; verified 2026-05-09 via Turkish press citing official announcement (loncagirisim.com SSL cert error during fetch)", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Prototype-stage Turkey founders who can use banking APIs, PoC access, and non-dilutive local support.", "companyEligibility": "Prototype or early company with a scalable technology product.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "Official application plus selection process.", "whyApply": "Apply if a non-dilutive Istanbul bank-backed accelerator can unlock grants, APIs, and PoC access.", "redFlags": [], "notes": "12th cohort window: prototype/early teams with scalable tech can get up to 400,000 TL non-dilutive grant plus Kuveyt Turk APIs and Lonca workspace. Multiple Turkish press sources confirm May 10, 2026 deadline.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "startup-wise-guys-flagship", "name": "Startup Wise Guys Flagship Accelerator", "organizer": "Startup Wise Guys", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "europe", "global", "cee" ], "location": "Hybrid; Europe hubs including Tallinn and other program locations", "format": "hybrid accelerator", "sectors": [ "B2B", "SaaS", "fintech", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "europe", "B2B", "SaaS", "pre-seed", "rolling" ], "funding": "Convertible investment up to EUR 100K plus possible EUR 250K follow-on", "equityCost": "Program cost of EUR 35K is stated on the official page; investment terms require verification", "perksValue": "Sales, fundraising, demo day, mentor network, and Europe-wide accelerator community", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official program page has Apply now; specific batch deadline varies" }, "duration": "Program duration varies by batch; official flagship page should be checked before applying", "applicationUrl": "https://startupwiseguys.com/growing/flagship-accelerator/", "sourceUrl": "https://startupwiseguys.com/growing/flagship-accelerator/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "English-operating B2B founders who want European sales and fundraising discipline.", "companyEligibility": "MVP-stage or traction-stage B2B startups, often with at least two team members.", "geoEligibility": "Europe / CEE friendly, with global applicants depending on batch.", "applicationEffort": "Official application plus accelerator screening.", "whyApply": "Apply if the company is B2B and Europe-facing enough to benefit from SWG's sales and investor network.", "redFlags": [ "terms-need-final-confirmation" ], "notes": "Useful for Istanbul founders who can sell into Europe and operate in English.", "displayGroup": "apply-now" }, { "id": "workup-girisimcilik-programi", "name": "Workup Girisimcilik Programi", "organizer": "Turkiye Is Bankasi / Yapay Zeka Fabrikasi", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Istanbul", "format": "Istanbul accelerator", "sectors": [ "technology", "AI", "agritech", "gaming", "sustainability", "insurtech", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "corporate", "AI", "rolling" ], "funding": "Free office, visibility, PoC/business development, cloud and tech packages, investor access, global access, and mentoring", "equityCost": "Not stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Cloud and technology packages are listed by the official page", "perksValue": "Isbank ecosystem, PoC paths, investor access, and vertical Workup programs", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official page routes founders to an active application surface" }, "duration": "Program duration varies by Workup vertical", "applicationUrl": "https://www.workup.ist/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.workup.ist/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Turkey-linked founders past idea stage who want bank-backed growth support.", "companyEligibility": "Early technology startups with MVP/prototype or vertical fit.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "Official application and program screening.", "whyApply": "Apply if Isbank ecosystem access, PoC support, and Istanbul investor visibility can move the company forward.", "redFlags": [ "equity-terms-not-stated" ], "notes": "Official page lists Workup, Agri, Gaming, Workup4Future, Workup Rise, AStart, and WorkupOnBoard.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "itu-cekirdek-general-category", "name": "ITU Cekirdek General Category", "organizer": "ITU ARI Teknokent", "programType": "preincubation", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "idea", "prototype", "student", "graduate" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "global" ], "location": "Sariyer, Istanbul", "format": "preincubation and Big Bang path", "sectors": [ "fintech", "medtech", "AR", "hardware", "technology", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "student", "preincubation", "watchlist" ], "funding": "Up to 900,000 TL investment via TUBITAK 1812 BiGG Yatirim path; preincubation acceleration leading toward Big Bang exposure", "equityCost": "BiGG 1812 framework typically applies (3% Stage 2, up to 10% Stage 3) when funded; preincubation itself does not take equity", "perksValue": "ITU ARI Teknokent ecosystem, preincubation, training, BiGG implementer route, and Big Bang visibility", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "2026 ITU Cekirdek BiGG Yatirim applications opened March 6, 2026 per official news; final deadline not stated on apply page" }, "duration": "Preincubation acceleration process plus BiGG-funded path", "applicationUrl": "https://basvuru.itucekirdek.com/tr/discover/3/bigg2026_1", "sourceUrl": "https://itucekirdek.com/en/apply-general-category/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://itucekirdek.com/haberler/is-fikrinizi-hayata-gecirin-2026-itu-cekirdek-bigg-yatirim-basvurulari-basladi/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official application page plus official news announcement", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Students, graduates, and technology founders with projects that fit ITU Cekirdek categories.", "companyEligibility": "Technology-based idea or prototype projects, regardless of founder nationality if criteria are met.", "geoEligibility": "Istanbul centered; official page says entrepreneurs can apply regardless of nationality.", "applicationEffort": "Apply through the BiGG 2026 portal; verify final deadline before submitting.", "whyApply": "Apply if Istanbul preincubation, BiGG funding path, and Big Bang exposure are valuable for a Turkey-based science/tech project.", "redFlags": [ "final-deadline-not-on-apply-page" ], "notes": "ITU Cekirdek is one of the largest TUBITAK 1812 BiGG implementers; the news article (March 6, 2026) confirms applications opened. Final cohort deadline should be re-checked closer to apply date.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "tubitak-bigg-yatirim-1812-2026", "name": "TUBITAK 1812 BiGG Yatirim", "organizer": "TUBITAK", "programType": "public funding", "qualityTier": "grant", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "technology" ], "region": [ "turkey" ], "location": "Turkey; applications through approved accelerator implementers / PRODIS", "format": "public pre-seed investment program", "sectors": [ "technology", "innovation", "R&D", "deep tech", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "public-funding", "deep-tech", "pre-seed", "watchlist" ], "funding": "2026-1 call: 1,350,000 TL investment for 3% equity; up to 1,350,000 TL follow-on may be requested during monitoring", "equityCost": "3% equity for the 2026-1 pre-seed investment call", "perksValue": "Turkey public funding path through approved BiGG implementers", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "2026-1 pre-seed investment call is open per official TUBITAK announcement; apply via PRODIS through an approved implementer (e.g., ITU Cekirdek, Biruni Teknopark)" }, "duration": "Phase-based BiGG application and monitoring process", "applicationUrl": "https://tubitak.gov.tr/tr/destekler/sanayi/ulusal-destek-programlari/1812-yatirim-tabanli-girisimcilik-destek-programi-bigg-yatirim", "sourceUrl": "https://tubitak.gov.tr/tr/duyuru/1812-yatirim-tabanli-girisimcilik-destek-programi-2026-1-tohum-oncesi-yatirim-cagrisi-basvuruya-acildi", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official TUBITAK announcement plus program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Turkey technology founders who can enter through an approved BiGG implementer.", "companyEligibility": "Technology and R&D-driven pre-seed projects that fit the 1812 BiGG call criteria.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey.", "applicationEffort": "Find the right implementer first, then complete the official BiGG path.", "whyApply": "Apply through an implementer if public pre-seed funding is worth the process and 3% equity structure.", "redFlags": [ "implementer-deadlines-vary" ], "notes": "The central TUBITAK page is not enough; founders must verify active implementer calls.", "displayGroup": "grant" }, { "id": "bigg-cube-incubation", "name": "BiGG Cube Incubation", "organizer": "Teknopark Istanbul / Cube Incubation", "programType": "BiGG implementer", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "idea", "pre-seed", "deep-tech" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Teknopark Istanbul", "format": "BiGG implementer and incubation path", "sectors": [ "smart mobility", "manufacturing", "energy", "communications", "health", "agriculture" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "deep-tech", "public-funding", "rolling" ], "funding": "Pathway into TUBITAK 1812 BiGG plus office, company setup support, workshops, technical/academic mentoring, labs, clean room, and demo day", "equityCost": "BiGG investment terms apply if funded; program fee not stated", "perksValue": "Teknopark Istanbul labs, consortium support, venture visibility, and BiGG route", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official page says apply via PRODIS by selecting accelerator program 30" }, "duration": "BiGG phase and incubation timeline", "applicationUrl": "https://www.teknoparkistanbul.com.tr/programlarimiz/bigg-cube-incubation", "sourceUrl": "https://www.teknoparkistanbul.com.tr/programlarimiz/bigg-cube-incubation", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Istanbul deep-tech founders seeking a route into TUBITAK BiGG.", "companyEligibility": "Science and technology projects aligned with Cube's BiGG priority areas.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "PRODIS selection plus implementer screening.", "whyApply": "Apply if you want a Teknopark Istanbul route into BiGG plus labs and deep-tech infrastructure.", "redFlags": [ "bigg-terms-apply" ], "notes": "Good local route for deep-tech founders who need physical infrastructure.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "cube-incubation-kulucka", "name": "Cube Incubation Kulucka", "organizer": "Teknopark Istanbul", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Teknopark Istanbul", "format": "longer-form incubation", "sectors": [ "deep tech", "hardware", "defense", "AI", "technology", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "deep-tech", "hardware", "rolling" ], "funding": "Up to 36 months of incubation support, office/lab/workshop access, mentoring, consulting, business development, investor matching, and demo day", "equityCost": "Not stated on the official page", "perksValue": "Physical infrastructure, labs, workshops, mentors, business development, investor matching, and demo day", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official page has a Hemen Basvur application surface" }, "duration": "Up to 36 months of incubation support", "applicationUrl": "https://www.teknoparkistanbul.com.tr/programlarimiz/kulucka", "sourceUrl": "https://www.teknoparkistanbul.com.tr/programlarimiz/kulucka", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Istanbul founders building hard-tech, deep-tech, or infrastructure-heavy products.", "companyEligibility": "Technology startups being founded or younger than three years.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "Official application plus incubator review.", "whyApply": "Apply if the company needs labs, workshops, and longer incubation rather than a short pitch accelerator.", "redFlags": [ "equity-terms-not-stated" ], "notes": "Especially useful for hardware or deep-tech teams that need physical infrastructure.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "albaraka-garaj", "name": "Albaraka Garaj", "organizer": "Albaraka Turk", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "prototype", "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Umraniye, Istanbul", "format": "Istanbul fintech accelerator / introduction flow", "sectors": [ "fintech", "payments", "AI", "SaaS", "blockchain", "insurtech", "big data" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "fintech", "corporate", "rolling" ], "funding": "Coworking, non-repayable grant support by need/success, mentoring, consulting, bank/API ecosystem, and fintech fund meeting path", "equityCost": "Official FAQ says support is non-repayable and no fee is requested; equity not stated", "perksValue": "Albaraka bank access, APIs, fintech mentoring, grant support, and fund introduction path", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official introduction form accepts founder submissions without waiting for an application period" }, "duration": "Multi-step acceleration process", "applicationUrl": "https://www.albarakagaraj.com/albaraka-garaja-yaz", "sourceUrl": "https://www.albarakagaraj.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official homepage plus official introduction form", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Istanbul fintech and bank-adjacent founders who want bank access and possible grants.", "companyEligibility": "Prototype to seed-stage fintech, SaaS, AI, blockchain, payments, or insurtech teams.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul focus.", "applicationEffort": "Start through the introduction form; confirm formal accelerator intake if deadline-sensitive.", "whyApply": "Apply or introduce yourself if bank access and Albaraka's fintech network are directly useful.", "redFlags": [ "formal-intake-needs-confirmation" ], "notes": "Good local fintech path, but verify whether the founder is entering an active cohort or general intro flow.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "arya-yatirima-hazirlik-programi", "name": "Arya Yatirima Hazirlik Programi", "organizer": "Arya Women Investment Platform", "programType": "investor readiness program", "qualityTier": "local", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Turkey / online plus investor events", "format": "online education plus demo day", "sectors": [ "technology", "women-led", "gender-balanced", "sustainability", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "women-led", "investor-readiness", "watchlist" ], "funding": "Investor readiness, online education, bootcamp, demo day, and Arya investor exposure", "equityCost": "Not stated on the official page", "perksValue": "Arya investor network, education, demo day, and readiness support", "deadline": { "status": "unknown", "label": "Official page has pre-application form; no dated 2026 deadline found" }, "duration": "Online program, bootcamp, and demo day sequence", "applicationUrl": "https://www.aryawomen.com/yatirima-hazirlik-programi/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.aryawomen.com/yatirima-hazirlik-programi/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Women-led or gender-balanced Turkey startups preparing for investment.", "companyEligibility": "Technology-based, scalable companies with product-market fit and investor readiness potential.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul investor network.", "applicationEffort": "Use as a pre-application/watchlist until a dated cohort is confirmed.", "whyApply": "Track if the team fits Arya's investor readiness and women-led startup network better than a general accelerator.", "redFlags": [ "deadline-unknown" ], "notes": "Keep as local founder value, but do not publish as an active deadline until the cohort window is verified.", "displayGroup": "local" }, { "id": "tt-ventures-pilot-2026", "name": "TT Ventures Pilot", "organizer": "TT Ventures / Turk Telekom Ventures", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": [ "idea", "prototype", "pre-seed" ], "region": [ "turkey", "istanbul" ], "location": "Turkey; TT Ventures program with Istanbul corporate network", "format": "12-week accelerator", "sectors": [ "AI", "SaaS", "fintech", "telecom", "IoT", "health", "gaming", "B2B" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "istanbul", "corporate", "AI", "open" ], "funding": "Up to $30,000 investment from TT Ventures plus mentoring, office, technology infrastructure, promotion, business connections, and investor access; no participation fee", "equityCost": "Program terms are accepted through the official application form; equity percentage not disclosed on the public page", "perksValue": "Turk Telekom collaboration paths, 450+ mentor network, office, demo day, and two-week US program opportunity", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official application form is live; no specific 2026 cohort deadline stated on the program landing page" }, "duration": "12 weeks plus possible two-week US program", "applicationUrl": "https://ttventures.com.tr/tt-pilot/basvuru-formu", "sourceUrl": "https://ttventures.com.tr/pilot", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://ttventures.com.tr/tt-pilot/basvuru-formu", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page plus official application form", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Turkey-linked technology founders who can benefit from Turk Telekom access and corporate validation.", "companyEligibility": "Idea through product-stage technology teams across AI, SaaS, telecom, IoT, fintech, health, gaming, and B2B categories.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey / Istanbul centered, with global expansion support described by the program.", "applicationEffort": "Multi-step official application covering venture, idea, founder, team, company, and supporting materials.", "whyApply": "Apply if Turk Telekom distribution, corporate collaboration, and local accelerator credibility can move the company faster than a generic cohort.", "redFlags": [ "exact-deadline-needs-recheck", "terms-need-final-confirmation" ], "notes": "Added from Istanbul source-map prompt and official TT Ventures pages; do not publish a hard deadline until TT Ventures states it directly." }, { "id": "kosgeb-girisimci-destek-programi-2026-2", "name": "KOSGEB Girisimci Destek Programi 2026/2", "organizer": "KOSGEB", "programType": "public funding", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": [ "new-company", "early-revenue", "pre-seed" ], "region": [ "turkey" ], "location": "Turkey; e-Devlet / KOSGEB application process", "format": "public business development funding call", "sectors": [ "software", "telecommunications", "data infrastructure", "R&D", "manufacturing" ], "fitTags": [ "turkey", "public-funding", "non-dilutive", "watchlist", "closed" ], "funding": "Up to 2,000,000 TL total support envelope; announcement lists 1,500,000 TL business-development support at 80% rate plus credit-financing support", "equityCost": "No equity; public support includes repayable support terms and credit-financing support according to the official announcement", "perksValue": "Personnel, machinery/equipment, software, services, certification, testing, marketing, design, and IP-related eligible expenses", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "2026 second-period applications ran April 20 to May 8, 2026", "date": "2026-05-08" }, "duration": "36-month program period; repayments begin after the program period for repayable support", "applicationUrl": "https://www.kosgeb.gov.tr/site/tr/genel/detay/9374/girisimci-destek-programi-is-gelistirme-cagrisi-2026-yili-2-donem-basvurulari-basladi", "sourceUrl": "https://www.kosgeb.gov.tr/site/tr/genel/detay/9374/girisimci-destek-programi-is-gelistirme-cagrisi-2026-yili-2-donem-basvurulari-basladi", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.kosgeb.gov.tr/site/tr/genel/destekdetay/1231/girisimci-destek-programi", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official KOSGEB announcement plus official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Turkey founders forming or growing a young company in eligible sectors such as software, telecom, data infrastructure, R&D, or manufacturing.", "companyEligibility": "Official call targets qualifying businesses under KOSGEB criteria; company age, sector, founder certificate, and ownership rules must be checked before preparing an application.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey only.", "applicationEffort": "High-friction public grant process; requires eligibility proof, business plan, e-Devlet/KOSGEB process, and committee evaluation.", "whyApply": "Track the next call if public non-equity support is worth a heavier application process and the company fits Turkish eligibility rules.", "redFlags": [ "currently-closed", "public-grant-process", "eligibility-heavy" ], "notes": "Local Prodaktiv grant packet and official KOSGEB source agree that the 2026/2 window closed on May 8, 2026; keep as watchlist-grade public funding, not apply-now." }, { "id": "github-for-startups", "name": "GitHub for Startups", "organizer": "GitHub", "programType": "developer platform credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a", "series-b" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Global partner-affiliated startup program", "format": "partner-affiliated credits and platform support", "sectors": [ "developer tools", "software", "AI", "open source", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "developer-tools", "cloud", "AI", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "$10,000 in GitHub platform credits according to the official startup page", "equityCost": "No equity; credits are applied to eligible GitHub Enterprise accounts under program terms", "cloudCredits": "$10K GitHub credits for Enterprise, Copilot, Advanced Security, Actions, Packages, and related eligible offerings", "perksValue": "Onboarding, office hours, technical best practices, events, learning resources, and partner ecosystem access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply through a GitHub for Startups partner; official page describes rolling partner access" }, "duration": "Up to 12 months for credits according to official FAQ", "applicationUrl": "https://github.com/enterprise/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://github.com/enterprise/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Funded early-stage startups affiliated with a GitHub for Startups partner.", "companyEligibility": "Outside-funded startup up to Series B or earlier, new to GitHub Enterprise, and partner-affiliated under current official criteria.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to GitHub program availability and Enterprise Cloud restrictions.", "applicationEffort": "Requires partner affiliation, company/funding proof, and an Enterprise account path.", "whyApply": "Use this as a developer-platform perk if GitHub Enterprise, Copilot, Actions, or security tooling costs are already on the roadmap.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-required" ], "notes": "Added from Build Fridays sponsor universe after official GitHub verification; keep in infrastructure group, not apply-now cohorts." }, { "id": "vercel-for-startups", "name": "Vercel for Startups", "organizer": "Vercel", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online application through Vercel team account", "format": "partner-backed credits program", "sectors": [ "developer tools", "frontend", "AI", "SaaS", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "developer-tools", "cloud", "AI", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Up to $30,000 in Vercel platform credits according to the official startup credits page", "equityCost": "No equity stated; requires team account, partner proof, and valid payment setup under Vercel terms", "cloudCredits": "Up to $30K Vercel credits", "perksValue": "Platform credits and startup-focused onboarding path for Vercel teams", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official startup credits application is live; review usually takes several business days" }, "duration": "Credit period depends on approval and Vercel terms", "applicationUrl": "https://vercel.com/startups/credits", "sourceUrl": "https://vercel.com/startups/credits", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official startup credits page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Startups using Vercel that can prove partner or ecosystem eligibility.", "companyEligibility": "Requires a Vercel team and partner proof; not a general accelerator cohort.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to Vercel program availability.", "applicationEffort": "Short form plus Vercel login/team setup and partner proof upload.", "whyApply": "Use this if Vercel is already the production frontend or AI app hosting path and credits would directly lower burn.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-required", "benefits-vary-by-offer" ], "notes": "Added from Build Fridays sponsor universe after official Vercel verification; do not rank with accelerator cohorts." }, { "id": "neon-startup-program", "name": "Neon Startup Program", "organizer": "Neon", "programType": "database credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online application", "format": "startup credits and database support", "sectors": [ "developer tools", "SaaS", "AI", "database", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "developer-tools", "cloud", "database", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Up to $100,000 in Neon credits according to the official startup page", "equityCost": "No equity stated on official startup program page", "cloudCredits": "Up to $100K Neon credits", "perksValue": "Database credits, support from Neon engineers, early product access, and co-marketing opportunities", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official startup application is live and reviewed on a rolling basis" }, "duration": "Official page describes credits for startup growth; verify current credit period before applying", "applicationUrl": "https://neon.com/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://neon.com/startups", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://neon.com/blog/startup-program", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page plus official launch post", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Early-stage, venture-backed startups building a product or MVP on Postgres infrastructure.", "companyEligibility": "Official page says startups need at least $1M in verifiable funding and venture backing.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to Neon program availability.", "applicationEffort": "Short official application with company email, website, and investor or accelerator information.", "whyApply": "Use this if Postgres infrastructure is already on the critical path and the company meets the funding-backed eligibility threshold.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator", "funding-threshold-required" ], "notes": "Added from Build Fridays sponsor universe after official Neon verification." }, { "id": "anthropic-for-startups", "name": "Anthropic for Startups", "organizer": "Anthropic", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online application / VC partner path", "format": "VC-partner startup credits and resources", "sectors": [ "AI", "developer tools", "SaaS", "enterprise", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "cloud", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Anthropic API credits, priority rate limits, and resources are described by official pages; public amount not stated there", "equityCost": "No equity stated; credits and benefits are governed by Anthropic startup program terms", "cloudCredits": "Claude API credits and rate limits, amount determined by Anthropic", "perksValue": "Claude resources, startup support, and VC partner path", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official startup application and partner path are live" }, "duration": "Program benefits governed by Anthropic startup program terms", "applicationUrl": "https://claude.com/programs/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://claude.com/programs/startups", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.anthropic.com/startup-program-official-terms", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official startup page plus official terms", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Startups building with Claude, especially those working through VC partners.", "companyEligibility": "Anthropic evaluates funding, traction, Claude integration, usage, and supported-country constraints.", "geoEligibility": "Global except restricted jurisdictions named in official terms.", "applicationEffort": "Contact form with company, product, and GenAI usage details; stronger with VC partner path.", "whyApply": "Use this if Claude is a core production dependency and credits or rate limits would materially change the build plan.", "redFlags": [ "not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-preferred", "benefit-amount-not-public" ], "notes": "Added from Build Fridays sponsor universe after official Anthropic verification; no public credit amount was copied from secondary aggregators." }, { "id": "together-ai-startup-accelerator", "name": "Together AI Startup Accelerator", "organizer": "Together AI", "programType": "AI infrastructure accelerator", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed", "series-a", "growth" ], "region": [ "global" ], "location": "Online application", "format": "selection-based AI infrastructure program", "sectors": [ "AI", "developer tools", "infrastructure", "SaaS", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "cloud", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling" ], "funding": "Program tiers list up to $15K, $30K, or $50K in free platform credits depending on funding stage", "equityCost": "No equity stated on official startup accelerator page", "cloudCredits": "Together AI platform credits; credits do not apply to reserved GPU clusters according to official page", "perksValue": "Forward-deployed engineering time, GTM amplification, exclusive content, community, and VC network access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Official startup accelerator application is live" }, "duration": "Program tier benefits vary by startup stage", "applicationUrl": "https://www.together.ai/forms/startups-program", "sourceUrl": "https://www.together.ai/startup-accelerator", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.together.ai/blog/announcing-together-ai-startup-accelerator", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page plus official launch post", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI-native startups whose model training, fine-tuning, inference, or evaluation stack could use Together AI.", "companyEligibility": "Funding-stage tiers are described on the official page: Build up to $5M raised, Grow $5M-$10M, Scale over $10M.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to Together AI review and service availability.", "applicationEffort": "Official form with company and infrastructure details.", "whyApply": "Use this if AI inference, fine-tuning, or evaluation spend is a real bottleneck and engineering support would speed up deployment.", "redFlags": [ "not-a-classic-accelerator", "benefits-vary-by-stage" ], "notes": "Added from Build Fridays sponsor universe after official Together AI verification." }, { "id": "ai-grant-batch-4", "name": "AI Grant", "organizer": "AI Grant / NFDG", "programType": "AI accelerator", "qualityTier": "elite", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": [ "pre-seed", "seed" ], "region": [ "global", "united-states" ], "location": "San Francisco summit plus accelerator programming", "format": "seed-stage AI accelerator", "sectors": [ "AI", "developer tools", "SaaS", "infrastructure", "generalist" ], "fitTags": [ "AI", "elite", "seed", "watchlist", "global" ], "funding": "$250K on an uncapped SAFE plus listed Azure and additional credits for the closed Batch 4 page", "equityCost": "$250K on an uncapped SAFE according to official page", "cloudCredits": "$350K Azure credits plus $250K additional credits listed for Batch 4", "perksValue": "San Francisco summit, advisors and founders, demo day, and investor access", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "Applications for Batch 4 are closed per official page; no Batch 5 announcement yet" }, "duration": "Batch-specific accelerator program", "applicationUrl": "https://aigrant.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://aigrant.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Seed-stage AI-native product startups that fit the next AI Grant batch theme.", "companyEligibility": "Batch 4 is closed; eligibility must be rechecked when the next application window opens.", "geoEligibility": "Global applicants may be relevant, with San Francisco programming listed by the official page.", "applicationEffort": "Track next batch; do not spend application time until the official page reopens.", "whyApply": "Track this because the value is unusually high for AI-native seed-stage startups, but do not treat the closed batch as apply-now.", "redFlags": [ "current-cohort-closed", "not-currently-open" ], "notes": "Discovered from Slush company data mention of aigrant.com and verified against the official page." }, { "id": "elevenlabs-grants", "name": "ElevenLabs Grants", "organizer": "ElevenLabs", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["voice AI", "audio", "agents", "creators"], "fitTags": ["AI", "voice", "audio", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$4,000+ in platform value: 33,000,000 ElevenLabs characters or 680+ hours of agent usage for 12 months", "equityCost": "No equity", "cloudCredits": "33M ElevenLabs characters / 12 months free Creator-tier access", "perksValue": "$4,000+ platform value plus community access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications; decisions usually within ~1 week" }, "duration": "12 months free access; reverts to Free tier afterwards", "applicationUrl": "https://elevenlabs.io/grants", "sourceUrl": "https://elevenlabs.io/grants", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building monetized voice or audio products with a path to revenue.", "companyEligibility": "Fewer than 25 employees, monetized business model, not an agency or consultancy, not currently an enterprise customer.", "geoEligibility": "Global; valid business email required.", "applicationEffort": "Single short application form.", "whyApply": "Apply if voice or agent capacity is a real bottleneck and a year of free ElevenLabs would change the build plan.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "no-existing-enterprise-customers", "no-under-18-audiences"], "notes": "Verified live on official page today; rolling decisions; not for one-off campaigns or agencies." }, { "id": "modal-startups", "name": "Modal for Startups", "organizer": "Modal Labs", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a", "series-b"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["AI infrastructure", "ML platform", "agents", "inference", "training"], "fitTags": ["AI", "GPU", "compute", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Thousands of free GPU credits per stage tier; exact dollar amount not stated on official page", "equityCost": "No equity", "cloudCredits": "Modal GPU credits scaled by funding stage; one-time grant per tier", "perksValue": "Engineering team office hours, GTM amplification, partner VC network", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications via Apply Now" }, "duration": "One-time grant per tier; new Modal customers only", "applicationUrl": "https://modal.com/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://modal.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building AI/ML workloads on serverless GPUs.", "companyEligibility": "Seed-Series A: VC-backed by Modal partner network or $1M+ raised. Series B+: $30M+ raised. New Modal customers only.", "geoEligibility": "Global; no geo restriction stated on official page.", "applicationEffort": "Direct form or partner-network referral.", "whyApply": "Apply if GPU spend is a real constraint and Modal credits plus engineering support would speed up scaling.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "credit-amount-not-public", "partner-affiliation-preferred"], "notes": "Page lists partner VCs (YC, a16z, Sequoia and others); one-time per tier and not stackable." }, { "id": "groq-for-startups", "name": "Groq for Startups", "organizer": "Groq", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a", "series-b"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["inference", "AI infrastructure", "agents", "LLM apps"], "fitTags": ["AI", "inference", "low-latency", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$10,000 in GroqCloud inference credits", "equityCost": "No equity", "cloudCredits": "$10,000 GroqCloud credits valid for 90 days after award", "perksValue": "Direct partner program access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling, hand-selected; awarded at Groq's discretion" }, "duration": "Credits expire 90 days after award", "applicationUrl": "https://home.cloud.groq.io/apply-to-groq-for-startups", "sourceUrl": "https://groq.com/groq-partner-program", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building latency-sensitive AI products on GroqCloud LPU inference.", "companyEligibility": "Hand-selected scaling companies; eligibility at Groq's sole discretion.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Single application via apply portal.", "whyApply": "Apply if LPU-fast inference is critical and a 90-day credit burn is feasible to pressure-test latency.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "credits-expire-90-days", "selective-discretion"], "notes": "90-day expiry forces a real burn plan before applying." }, { "id": "cerebras-supernova", "name": "Cerebras Supernova Startup Program", "organizer": "Cerebras", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["seed", "series-a", "series-b"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["inference", "AI infrastructure", "training", "LLM apps"], "fitTags": ["AI", "inference", "wafer-scale", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Not stated on official page; sales-led intake via Build With Us flow", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "cloudCredits": "Cerebras inference / training compute credits; amount not disclosed", "perksValue": "Priority compute access plus marketing and engineering support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling via Build With Us flow" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://www.cerebras.ai/build-with-us", "sourceUrl": "https://www.cerebras.ai/startups/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders building on Cerebras inference or training.", "companyEligibility": "Not stated on official page; contact required for eligibility review.", "geoEligibility": "Global; not specified on official page.", "applicationEffort": "Build-with-us intake; likely sales-led.", "whyApply": "Apply if wafer-scale inference is the critical bottleneck and other AI clouds cannot meet the throughput.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "benefit-amount-not-public", "sales-led-intake"], "notes": "Verified on /startups page today; benefits listed but specifics gated behind /build-with-us." }, { "id": "perplexity-for-startups", "name": "Perplexity for Startups", "organizer": "Perplexity", "programType": "AI credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["search", "agents", "research", "LLM apps"], "fitTags": ["AI", "search", "research", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$5,000 in Perplexity API credits plus 6 months Enterprise Pro for up to 50 seats", "equityCost": "No equity", "cloudCredits": "$5,000 Perplexity API credits", "perksValue": "50 Enterprise Pro seats for 6 months", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling via Perplexity Startup Partner referral" }, "duration": "6 months Enterprise Pro; API credits as awarded", "applicationUrl": "https://www.perplexity.ai/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://www.perplexity.ai/startups", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://x.com/perplexity_ai/status/1909675555185983730", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders building search or research-heavy AI products via a Perplexity Startup Partner.", "companyEligibility": "Raised under $20M equity, less than 5 years old, affiliated with an approved Perplexity Startup Partner.", "geoEligibility": "Global; partner-network gated.", "applicationEffort": "Application via approved partner referral.", "whyApply": "Apply if research-grade search is core to the product and Enterprise Pro for the team would change the workflow.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-required"], "notes": "Official page periodically returns 403 to non-browser fetches; details verified via the Perplexity X announcement and the program landing page." }, { "id": "lambda-research-grant", "name": "Lambda Research Grant", "organizer": "Lambda", "programType": "research grant", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["research", "pre-seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "research grant", "sectors": ["research", "training", "AI infrastructure"], "fitTags": ["AI", "GPU", "research", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Up to $5,000 in Lambda Cloud credits plus mentoring from Lambda CSO", "equityCost": "No equity", "cloudCredits": "Up to $5,000 Lambda B200/H100 cloud credits", "perksValue": "Mentoring from Lambda CSO; one-time grant", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling research-grant applications" }, "duration": "Project-based one-time grant", "applicationUrl": "https://lambda.ai/research", "sourceUrl": "https://lambda.ai/research", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Researchers and research-affiliated builders working on AI/ML projects.", "companyEligibility": "Active research project; institutional affiliation expected; multimodal, generative, reasoning, or scaling focus.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Short application form.", "whyApply": "Apply if a research-grade GPU run plus Lambda CSO mentorship would unlock a concrete project.", "redFlags": ["academic-tilted", "small-credit-ceiling"], "notes": "Lambda's research page is the canonical surface; no separate dedicated startup program found on the official site." }, { "id": "digitalocean-startups", "name": "DigitalOcean Startups", "organizer": "DigitalOcean", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["AI", "SaaS", "developer tools", "infrastructure"], "fitTags": ["cloud", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Cloud credits awarded via approved DigitalOcean Startups partners; amount varies by partner tier", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Variable DigitalOcean credits via partner program; GPU Droplets not covered", "perksValue": "15 months of free Standard-tier paid support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications via partner Typeform" }, "duration": "12 months of credits plus 15 months free Standard-tier support", "applicationUrl": "https://sammydigitalocean.typeform.com/to/tZXAmt", "sourceUrl": "https://www.digitalocean.com/hatch", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Startups with a registered business email; AI-native startups prioritized.", "companyEligibility": "Raised $10M or less; service-based startups ineligible.", "geoEligibility": "Global, subject to DigitalOcean availability.", "applicationEffort": "Short Typeform application via approved partners.", "whyApply": "Apply if a year of DigitalOcean credits plus 15 months of paid support would offset hosting cost.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "credit-amount-not-public"], "notes": "Rebranded from Hatch to DigitalOcean Startups; credit amount varies by partner tier and is not published." }, { "id": "stripe-atlas", "name": "Stripe Atlas", "organizer": "Stripe", "programType": "incorporation plus dev tool credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online; Delaware C-corp formation", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "fintech", "AI"], "fitTags": ["non-dilutive", "developer-tools", "incorporation", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$2,500 in Stripe product credits in year one plus $50K+ partner perks", "equityCost": "No equity; $500 one-time setup fee plus $100/year renewal after Y1", "cloudCredits": "$50K+ partner perks (Mercury, Xero, AWS, etc.)", "perksValue": "Delaware C-corp formation plus partner discounts", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Form a company any time" }, "duration": "One-time formation; credits valid for first year", "applicationUrl": "https://stripe.com/atlas", "sourceUrl": "https://stripe.com/atlas", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders incorporating a Delaware C-corp via Atlas.", "companyEligibility": "New companies forming via Atlas; available in 140+ countries.", "geoEligibility": "140+ countries supported by Stripe Atlas.", "applicationEffort": "Minutes-long workflow plus $500 setup fee.", "whyApply": "Use this if Delaware incorporation plus Stripe credits and partner perks fit the founding stack.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "paid-product"], "notes": "Atlas is a paid incorporation service; credits are a perk not a grant." }, { "id": "mongodb-for-startups", "name": "MongoDB for Startups", "organizer": "MongoDB", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["AI", "SaaS", "developer tools", "database"], "fitTags": ["cloud", "AI", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "MongoDB Atlas credits plus Voyage AI tokens; specific dollar amount not stated on official page", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Atlas credits plus Voyage AI embedding/reranker tokens; matching credits via Fireworks AI and Temporal partnerships", "perksValue": "First 30 months of Developer Support free; 1:1 expert sessions", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications direct or via VC/accelerator partner" }, "duration": "12 months to activate; 12 months to use credits once activated", "applicationUrl": "https://www.mongodb.com/solutions/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://www.mongodb.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "AI-native or data-heavy founders building on MongoDB Atlas.", "companyEligibility": "Less than 7 years old; Series A or earlier; single software product (no agencies, dev shops, consultants).", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Short online form; partner referral accepted.", "whyApply": "Use this if Atlas plus Voyage AI tokens reduce real spend and the company is pre-Series-A.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "credit-amount-not-public"], "notes": "Specific dollar amount not published; tied to Voyage AI tokens and partner matching." }, { "id": "hubspot-for-startups", "name": "HubSpot for Startups", "organizer": "HubSpot", "programType": "software discount", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "marketing", "developer tools"], "fitTags": ["non-dilutive", "developer-tools", "go-to-market", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Up to 90% off HubSpot Professional or Enterprise in year one (50% Y2, 25% Y3)", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Discount-based; not credits", "perksValue": "Up to 90% Y1 / 50% Y2 / 25% Y3 on HubSpot Professional or Enterprise tiers", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; verify funding via Crunchbase or Pitchbook" }, "duration": "Up to 3 years (declining discount each year)", "applicationUrl": "https://app.hubspot.com/signup-hubspot/hubspot-for-startups", "sourceUrl": "https://www.hubspot.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders affiliated with approved partner network or with verified VC funding.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed, seed, or Series A funded; Series B+ excluded.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Online signup with partner affiliation verification.", "whyApply": "Use this if HubSpot is the marketing or sales stack and a 3-year declining discount changes burn.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "annual-commitment-required", "partner-affiliation-preferred"], "notes": "Annual commitment required; applies only to Professional or Enterprise tiers." }, { "id": "notion-for-startups", "name": "Notion for Startups", "organizer": "Notion", "programType": "software credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "productivity"], "fitTags": ["non-dilutive", "productivity", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "1, 3, or 6 months free Notion Business plan depending on verification tier", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Up to 6 months free Notion Business", "perksValue": "Up to ~$12,000 equivalent depending on workspace size", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling online application" }, "duration": "1, 3, or 6 months depending on tier", "applicationUrl": "https://www.notion.so/startups-apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.notion.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Workspace admin with valid work email (no Gmail, Outlook, etc.).", "companyEligibility": "Fewer than 100 employees; non-paying Notion customer; no prior Notion promotions.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Short online application.", "whyApply": "Use this if Notion is the team's source of truth and free Business plan would change collaboration.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "tier-varies-by-verification"], "notes": "Tier (1/3/6 months) determined by Notion's verification of the company." }, { "id": "linear-for-startups", "name": "Linear for Startups", "organizer": "Linear", "programType": "software credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "productivity"], "fitTags": ["developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "productivity", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Up to 6 months free of Linear Basic or Business plan", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Up to 6 months free Linear Basic/Business via partner code", "perksValue": "Up to 6 months free Linear", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; apply via official Linear partner code" }, "duration": "Up to 6 months", "applicationUrl": "https://linear.app/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://linear.app/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Workspace admin logged into Linear account.", "companyEligibility": "Fewer than 50 employees; non-paying Linear users; affiliation with an official Linear partner.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Enter partner code through application form.", "whyApply": "Use this if Linear is the project tracker and free Business plan removes seat-fee friction.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-required"], "notes": "Partner-gated only; Free plan still exists separately for unaffiliated teams." }, { "id": "algolia-for-startups", "name": "Algolia for Startups", "organizer": "Algolia", "programType": "software credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "search", "AI"], "fitTags": ["developer-tools", "search", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$10,000 in Algolia credits valid 12 months", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "$10,000 Algolia credits plus partner SaaS perks (Segment, Notion, etc.)", "perksValue": "Algolia Academy access plus support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling online application" }, "duration": "12 months from acceptance", "applicationUrl": "https://support.algolia.com/hc/en-us/requests/new?ticket_form_id=5005635939217", "sourceUrl": "https://www.algolia.com/industries/startups", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.algolia.com/policies/startup-program-terms", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "New Algolia customers; free users OK; no prior coupon redemptions.", "companyEligibility": "Less than 7 years old; less than $15M total funding; not a current paying Algolia customer.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Online form.", "whyApply": "Use this if search is on the critical path and $10K of Algolia credits would cover the first year.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator"], "notes": "Unused credits expire after 12 months and are non-transferable; account converts to PAYG afterwards." }, { "id": "posthog-for-startups", "name": "PostHog for Startups", "organizer": "PostHog", "programType": "software credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "analytics"], "fitTags": ["developer-tools", "analytics", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$50,000 in PostHog credits valid 12 months", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "$50K PostHog credits across most products and add-ons", "perksValue": "50% off Mintlify (6mo); 50% off Speakeasy (6mo); free PostHog merch", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; auto-approval then manual eligibility review" }, "duration": "12 months from application", "applicationUrl": "https://posthog.com/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://posthog.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders of early-stage startup applying directly.", "companyEligibility": "Less than 2 years old; under $5M raised.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "~2-minute online form.", "whyApply": "Use this if product analytics, session replay, or feature flags are core and $50K credits would cover Y1.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "credits-not-baa-eligible"], "notes": "Credits are non-transferable and do not convert to cash; clock starts at application." }, { "id": "datadog-for-startups", "name": "Datadog for Startups", "organizer": "Datadog", "programType": "software credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "observability", "infrastructure"], "fitTags": ["developer-tools", "observability", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Up to $100,000 in Datadog Pro credits for one year", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "$30K-$100K Datadog Pro credits", "perksValue": "Full Datadog platform access", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; partner referral required; 3-5 business day review" }, "duration": "1 year (or until next funding round, whichever first)", "applicationUrl": "https://www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.datadoghq.com/partner/datadog-for-startups/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.datadoghq.com/legal/datadog-for-startups/2026-05-05/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "New to Datadog; no current/prior accounts; no prior DDFS recipients.", "companyEligibility": "Series A or earlier; referred by an official Datadog partner.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Online application; trial setup immediately.", "whyApply": "Use this if observability spend is real and a year of Datadog Pro would cover the team.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "partner-affiliation-required"], "notes": "Program terms last updated 2026-05-05 on the official legal page." }, { "id": "render-startup-program", "name": "Render Startup Program", "organizer": "Render", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "infrastructure", "AI"], "fitTags": ["cloud", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$5K-$100K Render credits depending on tier", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "Build tier $5K; Scale tier up to $25K; AI tier up to $100K compute-intensive", "perksValue": "Removed seat fees for fast-growing teams", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Build tier open; Scale/AI tiers require accelerator/VC affiliation" }, "duration": "12 months from approval", "applicationUrl": "https://render.com/startups", "sourceUrl": "https://render.com/startups", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders applying with a created Render instance.", "companyEligibility": "Build tier <$1M raised; Scale tier $1M+; AI tier $2.5M+ compute-heavy.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Online application referencing your Render instance.", "whyApply": "Use this if Render is the deploy target and AI-tier compute credits cover real GPU spend.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator", "scale-tier-partner-gated"], "notes": "Build tier open to all; Scale/AI tiers require registered accelerator/VC." }, { "id": "akamai-cloud-rise", "name": "Akamai Cloud Rise", "organizer": "Akamai (Linode)", "programType": "cloud credits", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "infrastructure", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / online", "format": "rolling online benefits", "sectors": ["SaaS", "developer tools", "infrastructure", "AI"], "fitTags": ["cloud", "developer-tools", "non-dilutive", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "$500 immediate plus up to $120,000 in cloud credits during year one", "equityCost": "No equity stated on the official page", "cloudCredits": "$500 starter; up to $120K Y1 across VMs, GPU instances, cloud storage", "perksValue": "Dedicated account manager; Customer Success and Solutions Engineering access; 24/7 support", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; most apps reviewed in 1-2 weeks" }, "duration": "Three-year program (up to $120K in Y1)", "applicationUrl": "https://www.akamai.com/cloud/start-ups/rise", "sourceUrl": "https://www.akamai.com/cloud/start-ups/rise", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.linode.com/start-ups/rise/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Early-stage for-profit startup founders.", "companyEligibility": "For-profit; under 7 years old; paid employees beyond founders OR active users OR initial revenue OR VC funding.", "geoEligibility": "Global, where Akamai Cloud is available.", "applicationEffort": "Online application; 1-2 week review.", "whyApply": "Use this if Akamai Cloud is the deploy target and a year of $120K credits with a dedicated AM would change runway.", "redFlags": ["not-an-accelerator"], "notes": "Linode URL redirects to Akamai's domain; figures sourced from canonical search snippet of the official program page." }, { "id": "scifounders", "name": "SciFounders Fellowship", "organizer": "SciFounders", "programType": "fellowship", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "conditional", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote, email-based", "format": "rolling fellowship partnership", "sectors": ["science", "deep tech", "biotech"], "fitTags": ["technical-founders", "research-heavy", "deep-tech", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Up to $1M", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Hands-on mentorship from Matt Krisiloff (ex-OpenAI, Conception)", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; pitch via hello@scifounders.com" }, "duration": "Long-term partnership; no fixed cohort end", "applicationUrl": "https://www.scifounders.com/fellowship", "sourceUrl": "https://www.scifounders.com/fellowship", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Committed technical founders building research-heavy companies.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed to Series A; science or research-heavy.", "geoEligibility": "Open to founders worldwide.", "applicationEffort": "Low; email pitch.", "whyApply": "Apply if you are building science-heavy and a hands-on partner with up to $1M would change the next 12 months.", "redFlags": ["public-terms-sparse", "email-only-process"], "notes": "Run by Matt Krisiloff; backed Mammoth Bio and Conception. Email-only intake; deadlines and cohort structure not public." }, { "id": "on-deck-founders", "name": "On Deck Founder Fellowship", "organizer": "On Deck", "programType": "fellowship", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "conditional", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["global", "united-states"], "location": "San Francisco (5-day in-person sprint) plus lifetime online community", "format": "5-day sprint plus lifetime community", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["pre-company", "cofounder-search", "community", "global"], "funding": "No direct cash; $800K+ in partner perks (AWS, Stripe, Mercury, Carta)", "equityCost": "0% equity; suggested $1,000 contribution (pay-what-you-can)", "perksValue": "$800K+ partner perks plus 3,000+ founder community", "deadline": { "status": "opens-soon", "label": "ODF28 interviews and kickoff in Q3 2026, San Francisco" }, "duration": "5-day sprint plus lifetime community access", "applicationUrl": "https://form.fillout.com/t/x2fuWdEqkSus", "sourceUrl": "https://admissions.joinodf.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Track record of shipping; 100% committed to starting a company; pre-seed or earlier.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-existing teams excluded; venture-scale ideas.", "geoEligibility": "Global; must travel to SF for sprint.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus optional async video plus 1-2 interviews; decision within 36 hours.", "whyApply": "Apply if SF founder density and a permanent peer network would change the path from idea to company.", "redFlags": ["pay-what-you-can-suggested-1000", "post-2022-restructuring"], "notes": "Pivoted to pay-what-you-can sprint after 2022 restructuring; was previously a paid annual fellowship." }, { "id": "berkeley-skydeck", "name": "Berkeley SkyDeck", "organizer": "UC Berkeley + SkyDeck Fund", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "conditional", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global", "united-states"], "location": "2150 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA", "format": "6-month in-person cohort", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["accelerator", "us", "global", "near-institutional-round"], "funding": "$210,000 ($200K from SkyDeck Fund plus 10% follow-on of next round)", "equityCost": "7.5% equity plus $7,500 program fee", "perksValue": "900+ advisors; Demo Day to Silicon Valley investors", "deadline": { "status": "opens-soon", "label": "Batch 23 applications open August 2026" }, "duration": "6 months", "applicationUrl": "https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/apply/", "sourceUrl": "https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/program/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/apply/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Open globally; UC-affiliated and international founders prioritized.", "companyEligibility": "Often near first institutional round; ~20 startups per cohort.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Airtable application followed by interviews.", "whyApply": "Apply if six months in Berkeley with 900+ advisors and a Demo Day path to SV investors fits the next 12 months.", "redFlags": ["7.5-percent-plus-fee", "next-window-not-yet-open"], "notes": "Pad-13 (formerly HotDesk) is a feeder incubator for the main cohort." }, { "id": "mit-delta-v", "name": "MIT delta v", "organizer": "Martin Trust Center for MIT Entrepreneurship", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["united-states"], "location": "Cambridge, MA (MIT campus)", "format": "full-time summer accelerator", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["mit-only", "student-founder", "summer-program", "us"], "funding": "$75K equity-free per team", "equityCost": "0% equity", "perksValue": "$200K+ per team in perks and partnerships", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "2026 application closed April 1, 2026; next cycle 2027" }, "duration": "~3.5 months (June 1 to September 11)", "applicationUrl": "https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/accelerator/program/", "sourceUrl": "https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/accelerator/program/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Currently enrolled MIT student; solo founders welcome from 2026.", "companyEligibility": "Early-stage product or research; evidence of customer or partner interest.", "geoEligibility": "MIT-affiliated only.", "applicationEffort": "Application form plus evidence of demo and customer interest.", "whyApply": "Apply if you are MIT-affiliated and want a Cambridge summer with $75K equity-free and a Kresge Demo Day.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "affiliation-required"], "notes": "10+ cohorts since 2012; 61% survival rate; $1B+ raised across portfolio." }, { "id": "stanford-startx", "name": "Stanford StartX", "organizer": "Stanford StartX", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["united-states"], "location": "Stanford / Stanford Research Park (moving to The Link in 2027)", "format": "cohort accelerator plus lifelong community", "sectors": ["AI", "biotech", "medtech", "generalist"], "fitTags": ["stanford-only", "equity-free", "lifelong-network", "us"], "funding": "No direct check; community plus partner perks", "equityCost": "0% equity, no fees", "perksValue": "3,000+ Stanford founders; $200B+ portfolio valuation; 21 unicorns", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply, interview, cohort kickoff" }, "duration": "Cohort entry plus lifetime community membership", "applicationUrl": "https://web.startx.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://web.startx.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Stanford affiliation (student, faculty, or alumni).", "companyEligibility": "All sectors; AI and Med/Biotech tracks featured.", "geoEligibility": "Stanford-affiliated only.", "applicationEffort": "Application plus admissions interview.", "whyApply": "Apply if Stanford-affiliated and a no-fee, equity-free founder network is the highest-leverage option.", "redFlags": ["affiliation-required", "no-direct-funding"], "notes": "Founder-led community, not a check writer; access is the asset." }, { "id": "cmu-project-olympus", "name": "CMU Project Olympus", "organizer": "Carnegie Mellon University (Swartz Center for Entrepreneurship)", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["united-states"], "location": "Pittsburgh, PA (4620 Henry Street)", "format": "PROBE Projects plus Spark Grants plus CONNECTS events", "sectors": ["generalist", "research-driven"], "fitTags": ["cmu-only", "student-founder", "research-commercialization", "us"], "funding": "Spark Grants up to $5,000 (micro-grants)", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "EIR mentorship plus CONNECTS events", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Ongoing for active PROBE projects" }, "duration": "Project-based", "applicationUrl": "https://www.cmu.edu/project-olympus/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.cmu.edu/project-olympus/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.cmu.edu/swartz-center-for-entrepreneurship/resources-funding-and-talent/project-olympus-spark-grants/index.html", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "At least one founder must be a current CMU student; faculty and Innovation Fellows also eligible.", "companyEligibility": "Research-driven proof-of-concept ventures.", "geoEligibility": "CMU-affiliated only.", "applicationEffort": "PROBE intake plus regular EIR meetings; pitch for Spark Grants.", "whyApply": "Apply if CMU-affiliated and EIR mentorship plus $5K micro-grants help commercialize research.", "redFlags": ["small-grant-cap", "affiliation-required", "no-direct-investment"], "notes": "Spark Grants are the only direct funding; main value is EIR mentorship and CONNECTS events." }, { "id": "founders-inc", "name": "Founders Inc", "organizer": "Founders, Inc.", "programType": "residency", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "conditional", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global", "united-states"], "location": "Fort Mason, San Francisco (42,000 sq ft campus)", "format": "campus residency plus first check", "sectors": ["AI", "AR/VR", "B2B", "hardware", "robotics", "content creation", "web3"], "fitTags": ["sf-residency", "hardware-friendly", "emerging-tech", "global"], "funding": "$100K-$250K first checks", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "42,000 sq ft Fort Mason campus tuned for hardware and emerging tech", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; response within ~1 month" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://www.f.inc/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.f.inc/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.f.inc/apply", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders working on ambitious projects in emerging domains.", "companyEligibility": "AI, AR/VR, hardware, robotics, content, web3.", "geoEligibility": "Global; must come to SF campus.", "applicationEffort": "Brief application; response within a month.", "whyApply": "Apply if hardware density and an SF Fort Mason campus would unlock prototyping and first customers.", "redFlags": ["public-terms-sparse"], "notes": "Equity terms not disclosed publicly; named programs and sprints not on a fixed schedule." }, { "id": "soma-fellows", "name": "Soma Capital Fellowship", "organizer": "Soma Capital", "programType": "fellowship", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "conditional", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "San Francisco or New York; remote-friendly", "format": "fellowship with concierge plus Soma Network", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["young-founder", "uncapped-safe", "yc-adjacent-network", "global"], "funding": "Up to $2M uncapped", "equityCost": "Uncapped SAFE", "perksValue": "24/7 concierge plus Soma Network access (Cognition, Mercor, Ramp)", "deadline": { "status": "unknown", "label": "Application timing not stated on official page" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://programs.somacap.com/fellows", "sourceUrl": "https://programs.somacap.com/fellows", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "low", "founderEligibility": "Originally student founders; now open to anyone building early-stage companies.", "companyEligibility": "Track 1 (start your own) or Track 2 (engineering role at Soma Network company).", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Online application via programs.somacap.com.", "whyApply": "Track this if you would benefit from up to $2M uncapped SAFE plus access to Cognition, Mercor, and Ramp.", "redFlags": ["public-terms-sparse", "deadline-unknown"], "notes": "Soma backs 900+ companies and 34+ unicorns; YC-concentrated network." }, { "id": "nfx-fast", "name": "NFX FAST", "organizer": "NFX", "programType": "fast-funding", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["united-states", "europe", "latam", "israel"], "location": "Remote application; portfolio meets in San Francisco", "format": "9-day decision via BriefLink", "sectors": ["vertical AI", "DevOps AI", "consumer", "deep tech", "techbio"], "fitTags": ["fast-decision", "founder-network", "non-cohort", "global"], "funding": "$100K-$250K", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page; standard pre-seed/seed terms", "perksValue": "Access to NFX Guild of 400+ founders", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; 9-day decision window" }, "duration": "Investment, not a cohort program", "applicationUrl": "https://fast.nfx.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://fast.nfx.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Early-stage founders; no idea is too early.", "companyEligibility": "Excludes semiconductor, medical devices, pure pharma, pure hardware, network devices.", "geoEligibility": "US, Israel, LatAm, Europe.", "applicationEffort": "Private BriefLink with deck, video, and 12 questions.", "whyApply": "Apply if a 9-day decision and access to the NFX Guild materially compress fundraising.", "redFlags": ["equity-terms-not-stated", "fund-not-accelerator"], "notes": "NFX also runs Fellows and TechBio Fellows scout programs; these are separate scout vehicles, not founder programs." }, { "id": "yc-ai-startup-school", "name": "YC AI Startup School", "organizer": "Y Combinator", "programType": "event", "qualityTier": "infrastructure", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-idea", "idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "San Francisco", "format": "2-day in-person event (July 25-26, 2026)", "sectors": ["AI"], "fitTags": ["AI", "yc-network", "invite-only", "global"], "funding": "$25K+ in compute credits (OpenAI, Anthropic, others); up to $500 flight reimbursement", "equityCost": "0% equity; event, not investment", "cloudCredits": "$25K+ AI compute credits", "perksValue": "Two days in SF with YC partners and alumni", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "Early decision closed April 10, 2026; main event July 25-26, 2026", "date": "2026-04-10" }, "duration": "2 days", "applicationUrl": "https://events.ycombinator.com/startup-school-2026", "sourceUrl": "https://events.ycombinator.com/startup-school-2026", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Hand-selected promising builders globally.", "companyEligibility": "AI-focused builders.", "geoEligibility": "Global; flown to SF.", "applicationEffort": "Selective application; YC-curated.", "whyApply": "Track this for the next iteration if AI compute credits plus YC network density would change the build plan.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "not-a-funding-program"], "notes": "Distinct from the YC core batch; track for the next iteration." }, { "id": "seedcamp", "name": "Seedcamp", "organizer": "Seedcamp", "programType": "pre-seed fund", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["europe", "uk", "global"], "location": "London, UK; remote-friendly", "format": "rolling investment plus ongoing platform support", "sectors": ["generalist", "fintech", "AI", "SaaS", "biotech", "healthtech"], "fitTags": ["europe", "uk", "early-stage", "rolling"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Portfolio includes Wise, Revolut, UiPath", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling; Pitch Us anytime" }, "duration": "Ongoing platform; not a fixed cohort", "applicationUrl": "https://seedcamp.com/out/f6-startup-details", "sourceUrl": "https://seedcamp.com/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Open to early-stage founders.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed and seed-stage tech companies.", "geoEligibility": "Europe-focused; portfolio includes UK, EU, global.", "applicationEffort": "Pitch deck plus Pitch Us form.", "whyApply": "Track this if Europe's longest-running pre-seed fund's network is a credible early-investor path.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed", "fund-not-accelerator"], "notes": "Homepage confirms rolling Pitch Us applications; specific check size and equity not stated publicly." }, { "id": "eic-accelerator-2026", "name": "EIC Accelerator", "organizer": "European Innovation Council (European Commission)", "programType": "blended grant and equity", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["seed", "series-a", "scaleup"], "region": ["europe", "eu"], "location": "Remote (EU-wide)", "format": "two-stage application: short proposal then full proposal", "sectors": ["deep tech", "biotech", "climate", "health", "energy", "AI"], "fitTags": ["europe", "eu", "deep-tech", "non-dilutive", "blended-finance"], "funding": "Grant up to EUR 2.5M; equity component EUR 0.5M-15M (up to EUR 30M via STEP Scale Up)", "equityCost": "Equity component negotiated; grant-only is non-dilutive", "perksValue": "Largest EU non-dilutive grant for deeptech", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Next full-proposal cutoff July 8, 2026 (then Sept 2 and Nov 4)", "date": "2026-07-08" }, "duration": "Multi-year project funding", "applicationUrl": "https://ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders/opportunities/portal/screen/opportunities/topic-details/HORIZON-EIC-2026-ACCELERATOR-01", "sourceUrl": "https://eic.ec.europa.eu/eic-funding-opportunities/eic-accelerator_en", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Single startups, SMEs, and small mid-caps from EU and Horizon Europe-associated countries.", "companyEligibility": "TRL 6-8; single startup/SME or spinout; small mid-caps (up to 499 employees) for investment-only.", "geoEligibility": "EU Member States and Horizon Europe-associated countries; third-country applicants must relocate.", "applicationEffort": "High; multi-stage process with detailed business plan and pitch.", "whyApply": "Apply if deeptech non-dilutive grant up to EUR 2.5M (plus optional equity) is a real fit for the company's stage.", "redFlags": ["very-competitive", "long-process", "trl-6-required"], "notes": "Six full-proposal cutoffs in 2026 (Jan, Mar, May, Jul, Sep, Nov); short proposals batched monthly on first Tuesday." }, { "id": "nlnet-ngi-zero-commons", "name": "NGI Zero Commons Fund", "organizer": "NLnet Foundation (with European Commission NGI)", "programType": "grant", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "eu", "global"], "location": "Remote (online)", "format": "open call with rolling bi-monthly deadlines", "sectors": ["open source", "internet infrastructure", "privacy", "p2p", "decentralization", "AI"], "fitTags": ["europe", "eu", "open-source", "non-dilutive", "grant"], "funding": "EUR 5,000-50,000 (scalable for projects with demonstrated potential)", "equityCost": "0% (non-dilutive grant)", "perksValue": "Mentoring and ecosystem support", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Closes June 1, 2026 at 12:00 CEST; next call after that on Aug 1", "date": "2026-06-01" }, "duration": "Project-defined (typically 6-18 months)", "applicationUrl": "https://nlnet.nl/propose", "sourceUrl": "https://nlnet.nl/commonsfund", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://nlnet.nl/commonsfund/eligibility/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Individuals, companies, academia, and civil society.", "companyEligibility": "Output must be released under a free or open-source license.", "geoEligibility": "EU plus Horizon Europe-associated countries prioritized; exceptional non-EU projects with European dimension also considered.", "applicationEffort": "Concise written proposal; relatively low effort compared to EU grants.", "whyApply": "Apply if the project is open-source and non-dilutive 5K-50K EUR with rolling deadlines fits the cycle.", "redFlags": ["oss-license-required", "small-tickets-relative-to-vc"], "notes": "NGI TALER and NGI Fediversity calls share the same June 1, 2026 deadline; the Commons Fund is the broadest scope." }, { "id": "prototype-fund-germany", "name": "Prototype Fund (Germany)", "organizer": "Open Knowledge Foundation Germany (funded by Sovereign Tech Agency)", "programType": "grant", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "germany"], "location": "Remote (Germany-based)", "format": "funding round with coaching and network access", "sectors": ["open source", "civic tech", "developer tools", "AI", "infrastructure"], "fitTags": ["europe", "germany", "non-dilutive", "open-source"], "funding": "Up to EUR 95,000 over 6 months; up to EUR 158,000 over 10 months", "equityCost": "0% (non-dilutive grant)", "perksValue": "Coaching plus network access", "deadline": { "status": "opens-soon", "label": "Class 03 application phase Oct 1 - Nov 30, 2026" }, "duration": "6 or 10 months", "applicationUrl": "https://www.prototypefund.de/en/application", "sourceUrl": "https://www.prototypefund.de/en", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.prototypefund.de/en/funding", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Developers, designers, and other open-source builders resident in Germany.", "companyEligibility": "Open-source software projects; both individuals and small teams eligible.", "geoEligibility": "Germany residency required.", "applicationEffort": "Written application plus project plan.", "whyApply": "Apply if you are Germany-based, open-source, and non-dilutive 6-10 month funding fits the project.", "redFlags": ["germany-resident-only", "oss-only", "next-round-not-yet-open"], "notes": "Class 03 opens Oct 1 and closes Nov 30, 2026; verified via aggregators citing the official site." }, { "id": "station-f-founders", "name": "Station F Founders Program", "organizer": "Station F", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "apply-now", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["europe", "france"], "location": "Paris, France (in-person)", "format": "3-18 month residency at Station F campus", "sectors": ["generalist", "AI", "SaaS", "consumer", "fintech"], "fitTags": ["europe", "france", "paris", "in-person"], "funding": "No direct cash investment described on official page", "equityCost": "1% equity per Station F's published communications", "perksValue": "Europe's largest startup campus", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications; current batch started Jan 13, 2026" }, "duration": "3-18 months depending on company performance", "applicationUrl": "https://form.fillout.com/t/3cQWxL9oo1eu", "sourceUrl": "https://stationf.co/programs", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Early-stage founders, French and international.", "companyEligibility": "Early-stage companies (pre-seed to seed).", "geoEligibility": "Open to international founders; must relocate to Paris.", "applicationEffort": "Online application form plus interview.", "whyApply": "Apply if a Paris in-person residency at Europe's largest startup campus fits the 6-12 month plan.", "redFlags": ["paris-relocation-required", "monthly-desk-fee-historically", "equity-not-stated-on-current-page"], "notes": "Apply form active on stationf.co/programs; equity (1%) cited from Station F's published news posts." }, { "id": "station-f-fighters", "name": "Station F Fighters Program", "organizer": "Station F", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "apply-now", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "france"], "location": "Paris, France (in-person)", "format": "incubation program for founders from underrepresented backgrounds", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["europe", "france", "paris", "underrepresented", "in-person"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Europe's largest startup campus", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://form.fillout.com/t/198QRiJFRReu", "sourceUrl": "https://stationf.co/programs", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Unconventional founders from all backgrounds; no degree required.", "companyEligibility": "Early-stage.", "geoEligibility": "Global; in-person at Paris campus.", "applicationEffort": "Online application form.", "whyApply": "Apply if a Paris diversity-focused incubation track fits a non-traditional founder path.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed", "paris-relocation-required"], "notes": "Listed alongside Founders Program at stationf.co/programs." }, { "id": "eit-health-catapult", "name": "EIT Health Catapult", "organizer": "EIT Health", "programType": "competition", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["seed", "series-a"], "region": ["europe", "eu"], "location": "Pan-European (remote application plus finals events)", "format": "competition plus training program with cash and in-kind prizes", "sectors": ["life sciences", "healthtech", "medtech", "digital health"], "fitTags": ["europe", "eu", "health", "non-dilutive", "competition"], "funding": "EUR 30,000 cash prize per winning category plus in-kind sponsor prizes", "equityCost": "0% (no equity required)", "perksValue": "Exposure to leading European health investors", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "2026 cycle closed April 27, 2026; next cycle 2027" }, "duration": "Multi-stage competition over several months", "applicationUrl": "https://apply.eithealth.eu/", "sourceUrl": "https://eithealth.eu/programmes/catapult/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Health and life sciences founders incorporated and operating in EU/Horizon Europe-associated countries.", "companyEligibility": "Micro/small enterprise (under 50 employees), founded within 10 years, with EUR 500K+ raised or revenue.", "geoEligibility": "EU Member States or Horizon Europe-associated countries.", "applicationEffort": "Written application in English; pitch and training over multi-stage process.", "whyApply": "Track this for the next cycle if EU health competition exposure plus a EUR 30K prize fits the trajectory.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "traction-bar-500k"], "notes": "2026 cycle deadline (April 27) has passed; track for 2027." }, { "id": "founders-factory-aviva-fintech", "name": "Aviva Fintech Accelerator", "organizer": "Founders Factory (with Aviva)", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "apply-now", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["europe", "uk", "global"], "location": "London, UK with global participation", "format": "6-month operational support cohort", "sectors": ["fintech", "insurtech", "wealthtech", "proptech", "cybersecurity", "AI"], "fitTags": ["europe", "uk", "fintech", "corporate-partner"], "funding": "GBP 50,000 capital investment per startup", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Aviva commercial network plus operational support", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Applications currently open; no specific close date stated" }, "duration": "6 months", "applicationUrl": "https://form.typeform.com/to/WlDiIsRh", "sourceUrl": "https://foundersfactory.com/aviva/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Pre-seed to Series A founders in fintech-adjacent sectors.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed to Series A companies.", "geoEligibility": "Global; London-based program.", "applicationEffort": "Typeform application.", "whyApply": "Apply if GBP 50K plus six months in London with Aviva's commercial network would change distribution.", "redFlags": ["equity-not-disclosed", "deadline-not-stated"], "notes": "Same Typeform URL is used by Blue Action Accelerator; verify program selection at submission." }, { "id": "founders-factory-northwestern-medicine", "name": "Northwestern Medicine Healthcare Accelerator", "organizer": "Founders Factory (with Northwestern Medicine)", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["seed", "series-a"], "region": ["europe", "uk", "united-states"], "location": "London and Chicago", "format": "16-week (4 months) operational support program", "sectors": ["healthtech", "AI", "digital health"], "fitTags": ["europe", "us-bridge", "health", "AI"], "funding": "USD 150,000 investment per company", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Northwestern Medicine US healthcare market entry path", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "2026 cycle closed April 30, 2026; track for next cycle" }, "duration": "16 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://form.typeform.com/to/msm6uEkP", "sourceUrl": "https://foundersfactory.com/northwestern-medicine-healthcare-accelerator/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "European AI founders building healthcare technologies.", "companyEligibility": "Healthcare-focused AI companies seeking US market entry.", "geoEligibility": "UK/Europe-based founders, with Chicago Residency Week.", "applicationEffort": "Typeform plus interview process.", "whyApply": "Track this if you are EU-based health AI and want a US bridge plus USD 150K next cycle.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "equity-not-disclosed"], "notes": "April 30 deadline already passed; track for next cycle." }, { "id": "climatelaunchpad", "name": "ClimateLaunchpad", "organizer": "Climate KIC (EIT Climate-KIC)", "programType": "competition", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "global"], "location": "Remote (national finals across 51 countries)", "format": "competition with online course, boot camps, and finals", "sectors": ["climate", "cleantech", "sustainability"], "fitTags": ["europe", "global", "climate", "non-dilutive", "free-to-enter"], "funding": "Free to enter; prizes at Global Grand Final (specific amounts not stated)", "equityCost": "0% (no equity required)", "perksValue": "Mentorship plus global finals exposure (Singapore)", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Most countries close May 15, 2026; varies by region", "date": "2026-05-15" }, "duration": "~6 months (Mar-Oct 2026)", "applicationUrl": "https://climatelaunchpad.org/application-form/", "sourceUrl": "https://climatelaunchpad.org/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Anyone with a green business idea; no business plan required.", "companyEligibility": "Early-stage idea or pre-revenue startup.", "geoEligibility": "51 participating countries globally.", "applicationEffort": "Application form plus national/regional/global pitch stages.", "whyApply": "Apply if climate-focused and a high-volume free competition plus mentorship is a strong on-ramp.", "redFlags": ["no-cash-prize-amount-stated", "country-specific-deadlines-vary"], "notes": "Founded by Climate-KIC; structure confirmed on the official site." }, { "id": "twentyeight-digital-vip", "name": "28DIGITAL Venture Incubation Program", "organizer": "28DIGITAL (formerly EIT Digital)", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "eu"], "location": "Remote (EU-wide)", "format": "two-stage incubation with growth-package prize and financial support", "sectors": ["deep tech", "AI", "spinouts"], "fitTags": ["europe", "eu", "deep-tech", "academic-spinout"], "funding": "Stage 1: EUR 5,000 growth package; Stage 2: up to EUR 25,000", "equityCost": "5% equity via SAFE", "perksValue": "Deeptech incubation with EU network", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Applications close June 9, 2026 at 17:00 Brussels time", "date": "2026-06-09" }, "duration": "Multi-stage program", "applicationUrl": "https://workspaces.28digital.eu/PROMISE/PRIVATE/CUSTOMER/EITDIGITAL/FORMS/VIP2026/vip.aspx", "sourceUrl": "https://28digital.eu/venture-incubation-program", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Multidisciplinary teams of 2+ members.", "companyEligibility": "Incorporated in 2025 or later (pre-2025 startups ineligible); prototype/PoC/near-MVP stage.", "geoEligibility": "EU Member States plus Horizon Europe-associated countries.", "applicationEffort": "Online application plus pitch.", "whyApply": "Apply if a fresh academic spinout or 2025+ incorporated EU deeptech and 5% SAFE for up to EUR 30K is a fair trade.", "redFlags": ["incorporated-2025-or-later-only", "5-percent-safe-equity"], "notes": "28DIGITAL is the rebranded EIT Digital venture program." }, { "id": "startupyard-remote-lab", "name": "StartupYard Remote Lab", "organizer": "StartupYard", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["europe", "czechia"], "location": "Remote (Prague-based)", "format": "3-month remote program (30 hours of programming)", "sectors": ["deep tech", "AI", "cybersecurity", "IoT"], "fitTags": ["europe", "czechia", "deep-tech", "remote"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Backed by Credo Ventures and Rockaway Capital", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications" }, "duration": "3 months remote", "applicationUrl": "https://startupyard.typeform.com/to/I0xERp", "sourceUrl": "https://startupyard.com/apply-to-startupyard-remote-lab/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Founders with at least a working prototype or recent commercial launch.", "companyEligibility": "Deep-tech only; transactional business model required.", "geoEligibility": "Global (remote).", "applicationEffort": "Typeform application; less than 3% acceptance.", "whyApply": "Track this if Europe deeptech and Credo/Rockaway network access fit the company stage.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed", "low-acceptance-rate"], "notes": "Highly selective; remote deeptech accelerator backed by Credo Ventures and Rockaway Capital." }, { "id": "the-family-2026", "name": "The Family Accelerator", "organizer": "The Family", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "watchlist", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["europe", "global"], "location": "Remote", "format": "6-week intensive remote program", "sectors": ["generalist"], "fitTags": ["europe", "global", "remote", "watchlist"], "funding": "Not stated (no direct cash investment described)", "equityCost": "5% equity", "perksValue": "Mentorship, demo day, post-demo fundraising support", "deadline": { "status": "watchlist", "label": "Twice yearly cohorts; 50 startups per cohort; 2026 status uncertain" }, "duration": "6 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://www.thefamily.co/", "sourceUrl": "https://www.thefamily.co/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official-sparse", "statusConfidence": "low", "founderEligibility": "Open globally; great entrepreneurs can come from anywhere.", "companyEligibility": "Early-stage.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Airtable application.", "whyApply": "Track this if early-stage and 5% equity for a remote 6-week sprint plus demo day fits.", "redFlags": ["public-terms-sparse", "history-of-team-changes", "low-public-credibility-vs-old-incarnation"], "notes": "Modern The Family is materially different from its 2014-2018 era; treat as watchlist until traction signals confirm." }, { "id": "angelpad", "name": "AngelPad", "organizer": "AngelPad", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-seed"], "region": ["united-states", "global"], "location": "NYC and San Francisco", "format": "3-month in-person", "sectors": ["software", "consumer", "B2B", "marketplace"], "fitTags": ["us", "nyc", "sf", "small-cohort", "watchlist"], "funding": "$120K cash plus $300K cloud credits", "equityCost": "Equity stated as undisclosed % on official page", "perksValue": "Daily founder access; ~150 alumni including Postmates, Buffer, Periscope Data", "deadline": { "status": "watchlist", "label": "Applications currently closed; ~15 teams selected every 6 months" }, "duration": "3 months intensive", "applicationUrl": "https://angelpad.com/more/", "sourceUrl": "https://angelpad.com/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://angelpad.com/about/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders building consumer or B2B software; daily access to founders Korte and Magescas.", "companyEligibility": "Seed-stage; ~15 teams selected from ~2,000+ applicants per cohort.", "geoEligibility": "Global; in-person required in NYC or SF.", "applicationEffort": "Medium; selective.", "whyApply": "Track this if MIT-ranked top US accelerator with sub-1% acceptance fits the next cycle.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "equity-terms-not-stated"], "notes": "Twice-yearly cohorts of ~15 teams; sign up on angelpad.com for next opening." }, { "id": "mucker-lab", "name": "MuckerLab", "organizer": "Mucker Capital", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "apply-now", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed", "series-a"], "region": ["united-states", "global"], "location": "Los Angeles, Austin, Toronto", "format": "flexible 3-24 month program (typically 12)", "sectors": ["B2B software", "consumer", "marketplace", "AI"], "fitTags": ["flexible-duration", "non-bootcamp", "remote-friendly", "us"], "funding": "$100K-$175K", "equityCost": "10-15% equity", "perksValue": "200+ mentors; 97% of alumni raise outside capital", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Open application reviewed quarterly" }, "duration": "Flexible 3-24 months", "applicationUrl": "https://mucker.com/accelerator/", "sourceUrl": "https://mucker.com/accelerator/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://mucker.com/los-angeles-venture-capital-startup-accelerator/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Pre-revenue or revenue-stage founders building tech-driven companies.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed to Series A; 20-25 companies per year.", "geoEligibility": "Worldwide application accepted; offices in LA, Austin, Toronto.", "applicationEffort": "Medium; quarterly review cycles.", "whyApply": "Apply if a long-term LA-based program without demo-day pressure suits the company shape.", "redFlags": ["high-equity-for-pre-seed", "long-decision-cycles"], "notes": "MuckerLab is hands-on, non-cohort-style; particularly strong for non-Bay-Area founders." }, { "id": "forum-ventures-accelerator", "name": "Forum Ventures Accelerator", "organizer": "Forum Ventures", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "apply-now", "stage": ["pre-seed"], "region": ["united-states", "north-america"], "location": "NYC, Toronto, San Francisco", "format": "15-week hybrid program", "sectors": ["B2B SaaS", "AI", "fintech", "insurance", "climatetech", "healthtech", "supplychain", "DevOps"], "fitTags": ["b2b-only", "first-check", "us", "rolling"], "funding": "$100K", "equityCost": "7.5% post-money SAFE", "perksValue": "4 Managing Directors, 200+ mentors, 300+ F500 customer intros", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Quarterly cohorts (Winter/Spring/Summer/Fall); rolling intake" }, "duration": "15 weeks", "applicationUrl": "https://www.forumvc.com/pitch-us", "sourceUrl": "https://www.forumvc.com/accelerator", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "B2B SaaS or B2B AI founders with MVP in market or near-launch; less than $500K prior funding.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-seed B2B software; 430+ companies funded over 10 years.", "geoEligibility": "US/Canada-friendly; remote-first with hubs in NYC, Toronto, SF.", "applicationEffort": "Low; Pitch Us form.", "whyApply": "Apply if pure-B2B-SaaS pre-seed and $100K plus F500 customer intros materially compress GTM.", "redFlags": ["b2b-only", "7.5-percent-safe"], "notes": "Quarterly cohorts; team responds 1-2 weeks." }, { "id": "plug-and-play", "name": "Plug and Play Tech Center Accelerator", "organizer": "Plug and Play", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["seed", "series-a", "series-b"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Sunnyvale HQ plus 60+ global locations", "format": "~12-week vertical-specific batches", "sectors": ["enterprise AI", "fintech", "crypto", "health", "insurtech", "retail", "mobility", "supplychain", "real estate", "deep tech", "aerospace", "semiconductors", "food", "travel"], "fitTags": ["non-equity-program", "corporate-pilots", "vertical-specific", "global"], "funding": "Optional separate investment via PnP Ventures (SAFE/convertible note); program itself is non-cash", "equityCost": "0% for program participation; standard SAFE only if PnP Ventures invests", "perksValue": "500+ corporate partners; vertical-aligned cohorts", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Two batches per year per vertical; Silicon Valley Summit May 19-21, 2026" }, "duration": "~12 weeks per batch", "applicationUrl": "https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/plug-and-play-announces-first-silicon-valley-batches-of-2026-302725827.html", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Seed to Series B founders seeking enterprise pilots; vertical-fit required.", "companyEligibility": "113 startups in first SV 2026 batch; 25+ verticals; corporate-partner-aligned.", "geoEligibility": "Global; vertical batches in SV, Munich, Tokyo, Abu Dhabi, NYC.", "applicationEffort": "Medium; vertical selection at submission.", "whyApply": "Track this if enterprise pilot revenue is the bottleneck and a vertical-fit corporate cohort would unlock PoCs.", "redFlags": ["vertical-quality-varies", "cash-investment-not-guaranteed"], "notes": "First SV 2026 batches showcased at Silicon Valley Summit May 19-21, 2026." }, { "id": "dreamit-ventures", "name": "Dreamit Ventures", "organizer": "Dreamit Ventures", "programType": "post-accelerator growth program", "qualityTier": "strong", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["pre-series-a"], "region": ["united-states", "global"], "location": "USA (remote-friendly)", "format": "ongoing post-investment program with quarterly Customer/Investor Sprints", "sectors": ["healthtech", "securetech", "urbantech", "cybersecurity", "medical device", "diagnostic"], "fitTags": ["customer-sprints", "investor-sprints", "revenue-stage-only", "us"], "funding": "$500K-$1.5M (right to invest up to $1M)", "equityCost": "Small equity for initial investment; structured as pre-Series-A check", "perksValue": "Customer Sprint with 20-30 enterprise decision-makers in 2 weeks", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Apply any time; Customer Sprints 4x/year, Investor Sprints 3x/year" }, "duration": "Ongoing program", "applicationUrl": "https://www.dreamit.com/getstarted", "sourceUrl": "https://www.dreamit.com/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.dreamit.com/faq", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders with deployed product and early traction in HealthTech/SecureTech/UrbanTech.", "companyEligibility": "US C-Corp (or Israeli corp); pre-Series A with PMF evidence; not idea-stage.", "geoEligibility": "US/Israel-friendly.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Track this if at pre-Series-A health/security/urban with revenue and want enterprise pilot acceleration.", "redFlags": ["revenue-stage-only", "vertical-restricted"], "notes": "Three vertical funds: HealthTech, SecureTech, UrbanTech." }, { "id": "emergent-ventures", "name": "Emergent Ventures", "organizer": "Mercatus Center (George Mason University)", "programType": "grant fellowship", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed", "research"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Remote / global", "format": "rolling grants", "sectors": ["generalist", "social impact", "deep tech", "research", "policy", "writing"], "fitTags": ["non-dilutive", "zero-to-one", "fast-decision", "global", "rolling"], "funding": "Typically $10K-$50K; range from a few hundred to ~$100K", "equityCost": "0% (grants only, non-dilutive)", "perksValue": "Grants administered personally by Tyler Cowen", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling applications; reviewed continuously since 2018" }, "duration": "One-time grant", "applicationUrl": "https://mercatus.tfaforms.net/5099527", "sourceUrl": "https://www.mercatus.org/emergent-ventures", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Anyone 13+ with a zero-to-one idea improving society.", "companyEligibility": "No company required; grants to individuals or projects.", "geoEligibility": "Global, with explicit geo-tracks for India, Africa, Caribbean, Ukraine.", "applicationEffort": "Low.", "whyApply": "Apply if non-dilutive support for an unconventional zero-to-one project would fund initial momentum.", "redFlags": ["grant-size-unpredictable", "tyler-cowen-personal-taste"], "notes": "Decisions in weeks; alumni include New Science (Patrick Collison Sr) and many notable researchers." }, { "id": "thiel-fellowship", "name": "Thiel Fellowship", "organizer": "Thiel Foundation", "programType": "fellowship", "qualityTier": "elite", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["global"], "location": "Anywhere (remote)", "format": "rolling fellowship", "sectors": ["generalist", "software", "hardware", "biotech", "consumer", "media"], "fitTags": ["under-22", "drop-out", "non-dilutive", "global"], "funding": "$250K over 2 years", "equityCost": "0% (no equity taken)", "perksValue": "Network of Thiel Fellows alumni", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Year-round rolling applications" }, "duration": "2 years", "applicationUrl": "https://thielfellowship.org/apply", "sourceUrl": "https://thielfellowship.org/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://thielfellowship.org/faq", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders 22 or younger without a university degree; must drop out if currently enrolled.", "companyEligibility": "Individual fellows; team or solo OK; ~20-30 fellows per year.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Track this if you are under 22 and willing to drop out; $250K non-dilutive over two years has no peer.", "redFlags": ["age-cap-22", "must-drop-out", "very-small-cohort"], "notes": "Grant raised from $100K to $250K starting class of 2026; no deadline." }, { "id": "innovate-uk-venture-builder", "name": "Innovate UK Venture Builder Pilot", "organizer": "Innovate UK (UKRI)", "programType": "grant", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["pre-seed"], "region": ["europe", "uk"], "location": "United Kingdom", "format": "two-stage grant program", "sectors": ["Frontier AI", "engineering biology", "advanced materials and manufacturing", "deeptech"], "fitTags": ["europe", "uk", "non-dilutive", "deep-tech", "spinout"], "funding": "Up to GBP 150K (Stage 2 grant)", "equityCost": "0% (non-dilutive grant)", "perksValue": "Replacement vehicle for the paused Smart Grant for deeptech founders", "deadline": { "status": "closes-soon", "label": "Expression of Interest closes May 22, 2026 at 11:00 UK time", "date": "2026-05-22" }, "duration": "Project-based", "applicationUrl": "https://apply-for-innovation-funding.service.gov.uk/competition/2457/overview/343a1d9f-29cb-4184-96bc-565bcfd09462", "sourceUrl": "https://www.ukri.org/opportunity/innovate-uk-venture-builder-pilot-expression-of-interest/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://www.ukri.org/councils/innovate-uk/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Deep-tech spin-out founders from UK universities or research institutes with formal IP agreements.", "companyEligibility": "UK-registered SME under 24 months old; less than GBP 100K prior investor funding; ICURe Exploit completion or equivalent within 2 years.", "geoEligibility": "UK only; UK-registered SME required.", "applicationEffort": "High.", "whyApply": "Apply if you are a UK university spin-out in Frontier AI / engineering biology / advanced materials and need GBP 150K non-dilutive.", "redFlags": ["uk-only", "narrow-sectors", "university-ip-required"], "notes": "Smart Grants paused FY2025/26; this is the active pilot replacement for deep-tech spinouts. Total GBP 3.75M pool." }, { "id": "bigg-bogazici", "name": "BiGG+ Bogazici", "organizer": "Bogazici Teknopark", "programType": "TUBITAK 1812 implementer", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul"], "location": "Istanbul, Turkey (Bogazici University)", "format": "6-week maturation process plus BiGG investment route", "sectors": ["smart transportation", "smart manufacturing", "energy and clean tech", "communications", "health", "sustainable agriculture"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "tubitak-bigg", "university-based", "watchlist"], "funding": "TUBITAK BiGG Fund investment per the national 1812 program", "equityCost": "3% equity (TUBITAK BiGG Fund stake)", "perksValue": "Bogazici University-backed maturation plus PRODIS application route", "deadline": { "status": "closed", "label": "2026 cycle closed May 8, 2026; next cycle TBA" }, "duration": "6-week maturation process", "applicationUrl": "https://bogazicibigg.com/", "sourceUrl": "https://bogazicibigg.com/", "secondarySourceUrl": "https://duyuru.boun.edu.tr/announcement/iEdbSYg4hA90hNv8F5Hc", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "University students or recent graduates without prior similar government funding.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-incorporation; idea-stage business proposals.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey.", "applicationEffort": "Medium; TUBITAK PRODIS submission plus business idea.", "whyApply": "Track this if Turkey-based student/researcher and the next BiGG+ cycle would unlock TUBITAK 1812 investment.", "redFlags": ["current-cohort-closed", "early-stage-only"], "notes": "2026 cycle ran Mar 19 - May 8 via TUBITAK Prodis; Bogazici Teknopark is Main Implementing Organization." }, { "id": "bigg-6g-odtu", "name": "BiGG6G", "organizer": "ODTU TEKNOKENT (with Ericsson Turkiye and Turk Telekom Ventures)", "programType": "TUBITAK 1812 implementer", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["turkey", "ankara"], "location": "Ankara (ODTU Teknokent)", "format": "BiGG implementer with telecom-industry mentorship", "sectors": ["6G", "telecommunications", "ICT", "deep tech"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "ankara", "tubitak-bigg", "deep-tech", "telecom"], "funding": "Up to 1,350,000 TL via TUBITAK BiGG Fund", "equityCost": "3% equity (TUBITAK BiGG Fund stake)", "perksValue": "Mentorship from Ericsson Turkiye and Turk Telekom Ventures", "deadline": { "status": "unknown", "label": "Check official portal for current open call window" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://bigg.odtuteknokent.com.tr/tr/bigg-6g.html", "sourceUrl": "https://bigg.odtuteknokent.com.tr/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "University students or recent graduates without prior similar government funding.", "companyEligibility": "Idea-stage; pre-incorporation.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Apply if Turkey-based 6G/ICT and want a BiGG track with Ericsson plus Turk Telekom Ventures mentorship.", "redFlags": ["deadline-unknown", "narrow-sector", "ankara-centered"], "notes": "Distinct consortium from generic ODTU Teknokent BIGG; specific to 6G/ICT vertical." }, { "id": "bigg-impact-odtu", "name": "BiGG Impact", "organizer": "ODTU TEKNOKENT plus ReDis Innovation plus Impact Hub Istanbul", "programType": "TUBITAK 1812 implementer", "qualityTier": "grant", "displayGroup": "grant", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["turkey", "ankara", "istanbul"], "location": "Ankara plus Istanbul (Impact Hub)", "format": "BiGG implementer focused on UN SDG-aligned impact", "sectors": ["impact", "sustainability", "SDGs", "social enterprise", "climate"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "tubitak-bigg", "impact", "sdg"], "funding": "Up to 1,350,000 TL via TUBITAK BiGG Fund", "equityCost": "3% equity (TUBITAK BiGG Fund stake)", "perksValue": "Three-way consortium with Impact Hub Istanbul", "deadline": { "status": "unknown", "label": "Check official portal for current open call window" }, "duration": "Not stated on official page", "applicationUrl": "https://bigg.odtuteknokent.com.tr/tr/bigg-impact.html", "sourceUrl": "https://bigg.odtuteknokent.com.tr/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "University students or recent graduates without prior similar government funding.", "companyEligibility": "Idea-stage; UN SDG-aligned impact focus.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Apply if Turkey-based and impact-focused and want a BiGG route with Impact Hub Istanbul programming.", "redFlags": ["deadline-unknown", "impact-focused-only"], "notes": "Three-way consortium (ODTU Teknokent + ReDis + Impact Hub Istanbul)." }, { "id": "ytu-startup-house-incubation", "name": "YTU Startup House Incubation Program", "organizer": "YTU Startup House (Yildiz Teknik Universitesi)", "programType": "incubator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["pre-seed", "seed"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul"], "location": "Davutpasa Kampusu, Esenler, Istanbul", "format": "in-person incubation", "sectors": ["high tech", "SaaS", "AI", "deep tech", "generalist"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "university-based", "incubator"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "cloudCredits": "AWS, Microsoft, NVIDIA, GitHub, Atlassian, Notion, Miro partner perks", "perksValue": "International office network (Dubai, London) plus YTU partner perks", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "2026 second-period applications: Dec 22, 2025 to June 14, 2026", "date": "2026-06-14" }, "duration": "~6 months per cycle", "applicationUrl": "https://ytustartuphouse.notion.site/15b0b2804890809d8d5dd3b9bc9ef661", "sourceUrl": "https://ytustartuphouse.com.tr/en/programs/incubation", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders with completed idea and product development phases seeking sales growth.", "companyEligibility": "Post-product, pre/early-revenue startups.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey-based.", "applicationEffort": "Low.", "whyApply": "Apply if Istanbul-based and want a university incubator with global office support and partner credit perks.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed"], "notes": "Sister Pre-Incubation deadline June 30, 2026; 100 StaryUP Bootcamp deadline Oct 30, 2026." }, { "id": "ytu-startup-house-pre-incubation", "name": "YTU Startup House Pre-Incubation", "organizer": "YTU Startup House (Yildiz Teknik Universitesi)", "programType": "pre-incubator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul"], "location": "Davutpasa Kampusu, Esenler, Istanbul", "format": "in-person pre-incubation", "sectors": ["generalist", "tech", "SaaS"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "university-based", "pre-incubator"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "Path into YTU incubation plus partner perks", "deadline": { "status": "open", "label": "Applications open Jan 1 to June 30, 2026", "date": "2026-06-30" }, "duration": "~6 months", "applicationUrl": "https://ytustartuphouse.com.tr/en/programs/pre-incubation-idea", "sourceUrl": "https://ytustartuphouse.com.tr/en/programs", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders converting concepts into functional products with initial revenue.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-incorporation through early product.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey-based.", "applicationEffort": "Low.", "whyApply": "Apply if Istanbul-based and at idea stage and want a university on-ramp before incubation.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed"], "notes": "Verified open via official programs page; details on funding and equity not disclosed." }, { "id": "1773-itu-teknopark-acceleration", "name": "1773 ITU Teknopark Startup Acceleration Program", "organizer": "1773 ITU Teknopark", "programType": "accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "local", "stage": ["idea", "pre-seed"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul"], "location": "Istanbul, Turkey (ITU Maslak campus)", "format": "2-4 month accelerator", "sectors": ["generalist", "technology"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "university-based", "accelerator"], "funding": "Not stated on official page", "equityCost": "Not stated on official page", "perksValue": "ITU Teknopark ecosystem; sized to participant needs", "deadline": { "status": "rolling", "label": "Rolling intake; verify via info@1773ituteknopark.com" }, "duration": "2-4 months", "applicationUrl": "https://1773ituteknopark.com/en/acceleration/", "sourceUrl": "https://1773ituteknopark.com/en/acceleration/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Early-stage entrepreneurs developing or evaluating business ideas.", "companyEligibility": "Pre-incorporation through early-stage.", "geoEligibility": "Turkey-based.", "applicationEffort": "Low.", "whyApply": "Apply if Istanbul-based and want a flexible 2-4 month on-ramp from a separate ITU vehicle than itu-cekirdek.", "redFlags": ["funding-not-disclosed", "equity-not-disclosed"], "notes": "Distinct from itu-cekirdek; 1773 is the broader Teknopark vehicle and also runs an Incubation Program." }, { "id": "akbank-pochallenge", "name": "Akbank PoChallenge", "organizer": "Akbank Lab (with NayaOne)", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["seed", "growth"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul", "global"], "location": "Istanbul (Demo Day at Sabanci Center)", "format": "annual PoC challenge", "sectors": ["fintech", "banking tech", "enterprise"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "fintech", "corporate-poc", "global"], "funding": "Paid PoC contracts with Akbank; long-term supplier path", "equityCost": "No equity", "perksValue": "Bank PoC track; ~50% deployment rate of completed PoCs", "deadline": { "status": "varies", "label": "Annual cycle; Demo Day Nov 7" }, "duration": "PoC project basis", "applicationUrl": "https://www.akbanklab.com/en/pochallenge", "sourceUrl": "https://www.akbanklab.com/en/pochallenge", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "medium", "founderEligibility": "Mature fintech/tech companies with existing products and references.", "companyEligibility": "Established companies, not pre-revenue.", "geoEligibility": "Local plus global; open to all local and global companies.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Apply if mature fintech and Akbank paid-PoC plus supplier path is more valuable than equity investment.", "redFlags": ["mature-companies-only", "exact-deadlines-vary"], "notes": "50+ PoCs run with ~half deployed live; distinct from internal-only Akbank+ employee program." }, { "id": "thy-terminal", "name": "Terminal Startup Acceleration Program", "organizer": "Turkish Airlines (THY)", "programType": "corporate accelerator", "qualityTier": "local", "displayGroup": "track", "stage": ["seed", "growth"], "region": ["turkey", "istanbul", "global"], "location": "Istanbul, Turkey", "format": "5-month corporate accelerator", "sectors": ["aviation", "travel tech", "energy efficiency", "data analytics", "marketing analytics", "operations"], "fitTags": ["turkey", "istanbul", "aviation", "corporate-accelerator", "watchlist"], "funding": "PoC/pilot project backing; flight tickets and miles; no investment", "equityCost": "No equity", "perksValue": "Turkish Airlines PoC plus mileage and global event support", "deadline": { "status": "watchlist", "label": "2025 cycle closed Jan 5, 2025; 2026 cycle TBA" }, "duration": "5 months", "applicationUrl": "https://terminal.turkishairlines.com/en/about/", "sourceUrl": "https://terminal.turkishairlines.com/terminal-girisim-hizlandirma-programi/", "lastVerified": "2026-05-09", "sourceQuality": "official program page", "statusConfidence": "high", "founderEligibility": "Founders whose solution aligns with focus areas and who can run a PoC with Turkish Airlines.", "companyEligibility": "Product-stage with or without revenue.", "geoEligibility": "Global.", "applicationEffort": "Medium.", "whyApply": "Track this if aviation-adjacent and a Turkish Airlines PoC plus pilot deal is materially valuable.", "redFlags": ["last-cycle-closed-2025", "value-depends-on-pilot-conversion"], "notes": "2026 cycle status not confirmed as of May 9, 2026; 2025 cycle ran Mar-Jul, Demo Day Aug 6, 2025." } ] }