Accelerators for international founders (2026)

Programs that accept founders from outside their home country — most of the best-known accelerators do. We list 107 programs below, with each one's cheque size, equity and application questions.

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  a16z Speedrun

  Andreessen Horowitz's flagship accelerator. 12-week in-person program in SF. Access to a16z's massive operatio...

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  $1000K

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  Sequoia Arc

  Sequoia Capital's curated seed platform. 10-week program helping founders refine positioning, distribution, an...

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  $1000K

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  Y Combinator (YC)

  The most influential startup accelerator in the world. 3-month batch program culminating in Demo Day. YC alumn...

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  Rolling

  $500K · 7%

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  Project Europe

  Investing in the next generation of technical builders with global ambitions. Backed by 215 of Europe's greate...

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  Rolling

  $200K · 6.66%

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  PearX (Pear VC)

  Pear VC's flagship accelerator. Highly personalized — small cohorts with dedicated partner support. 90% of gra...

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  $2000K

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  a16z START

  a16z's pre-seed program. $500K on a standard SAFE with deep access to their specialized practices in AI, crypt...

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  $500K

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  Entrepreneurs First (EF)

  Talent-first investor. Pays you a stipend to find a technical co-founder, then invests in teams that form. If...

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  $300K

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  Antler

  Global VC that helps you find a co-founder, validate your idea, and invest — all in one program. Present in Du...

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  Rolling

  $250K

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  Techstars

  Global accelerator network with 50+ programs across industries and cities. Strong mentor-driven model. Each pr...

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  Rolling

  $220K · 6%

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  Alchemist Accelerator

  The best accelerator for B2B/enterprise startups. 6-month program focused on sales and customer acquisition. S...

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  Rolling

  $200K

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  500 Global

  2,800+ portfolio companies across 80+ countries. Strong focus on growth metrics, customer acquisition, and sca...

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  $150K · 6%

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  The Residency (Founders Inc.)

  Unique format: 3-month all-expenses-paid retreat in Oregon then coworking in SF. $600K on an uncapped SAFE wit...

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  $600K

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  Boost VC

  Run by Adam Draper. Focuses on "sci-fi" tech — if it sounds like it belongs in a movie, they're interested. AI...

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  Rolling

  $500K

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  Seedcamp

  Europe's most prominent early-stage fund. Invests at the earliest stages with ongoing support. If you're build...

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  $500K

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  SOSV (HAX + IndieBio)

  The best accelerator for hard tech. HAX for hardware startups (includes Shenzhen manufacturing access). IndieB...

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  $500K

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  betaworks Camp

  betaworks' accelerator runs thematic cohorts (AI Camp, Synth Camp, etc.). Strong in consumer AI and media. The...

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  $250K

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  Plug and Play

  Unique for its corporate partnership model. 500+ corporations partner with Plug and Play — great if you need e...

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  $250K · 5%

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  Berkeley SkyDeck

  UC Berkeley's startup accelerator. Taps into the university's research ecosystem. Strong for deep tech and AI....

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  $200K

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  EWOR

  Elite European accelerator by founders who've built €12B+ in exits. Offers both Ideation Fellowship (pre-idea)...

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  $165K

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  ERA (Entrepreneurs Roundtable)

  NYC's premier accelerator. 4-month program with strong focus on fundraising and GTM. Deep NYC investor and cor...

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  $100K · 8%

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  Forum Ventures

  If you're building B2B SaaS, this is laser-focused on your needs. Sales coaching, SaaS metrics, and a network...

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  $100K

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  Creative Destruction Lab (CDL)

  University-affiliated program (originated at U of T). Unique model: fellows (angels/VCs) set milestones every...

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  EIC Accelerator (EU)

  The EU's largest innovation funding program. Up to €2.5M in grants (non-dilutive) plus up to €15M in equity. M...

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  $15000K

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  43North

  Up to $1M in cash grants with zero equity. Catch: you must relocate to Buffalo, NY for 1 year. If you can do t...

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  $1000K · 0%

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  MassChallenge

  Nonprofit accelerator that takes zero equity. Cash prizes up to $1M for top performers. Programs in Boston, Is...

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  $1000K · 0%

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  EIT InnoEnergy

  EU's leading clean energy accelerator. Grants up to €500K. Backed Northvolt from early stage. If you're buildi...

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  $550K

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  Endless Frontier Labs (NYU)

  NYU's accelerator for deep tech and frontier science companies. Connects academic research with venture capita...

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  $500K

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  Flat6Labs

  MENA's leading accelerator. Programs in Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Cairo, and Bahrain. Invests $30K-$500K with strong...

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  $500K · 20%

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  MedTech Innovator

  Largest medtech accelerator globally. No equity taken. Cash prizes up to $500K. Direct intros to health system...

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  $500K · 0%

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  Seedstars

  The go-to accelerator for emerging markets. Active in 80+ countries. Invests up to $500K. If you're building f...

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  Rolling

  $500K

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  Startup Wise Guys

  Strong European accelerator focused on B2B SaaS and Fintech. Good for founders building for European markets.

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  Rolling

  $275K · 10%

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• 10

  100Unicorns

  Indian micro-VC that invests at the earliest stages. Application-based with relatively quick decisions. Growin...

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  $250K

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• AI

  AI Grant

  Grants from Nat Friedman and Daniel Gross for AI researchers and builders. No equity. $25K-$250K to work on AI...

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  $250K · 0%

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  Alliance DAO

  The YC of Web3. Invests $250K in crypto/Web3 startups. Remote-first with strong community of Web3 founders. If...

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  $250K

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  Brinc

  Hardware and climate tech accelerator with presence in Dubai. Good option if you're building physical products...

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  $250K

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  MetaProp

  The #1 PropTech accelerator. $250K investment with deep real estate industry connections. Partnership with Col...

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  $250K

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  Microsoft AI Founders Hub

  $250K SAFE plus $350K in Azure and OpenAI credits. Weekend summit format plus ongoing Slack community. Great d...

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  $250K

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• Te

  Techstars Hub71

  Techstars' global program combined with Hub71's Abu Dhabi ecosystem. Best of both worlds: Techstars mentorship...

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  Rolling

  $220K · 6%

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  Rockstart

  Dutch accelerator focused on Energy and AgriFood verticals. Strong European corporate partner network. Good fo...

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  $165K · 8%

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  Tenity (formerly F10)

  Swiss fintech accelerator (rebranded from F10). Deep connections to Swiss banking system including SIX Group....

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  $165K · 8%

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  AI2 Incubator

  Allen Institute's incubator. Small checks but unmatched access to 200+ AI researchers and academic IP. Must re...

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  $150K

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• Mu

  MuckerLab

  MuckerLab is Mucker Capital's structured accelerator (different from their VC fund). B2B/SaaS focused with a p...

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  Rolling

  $150K · 7%

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  Village Capital

  Unique model: at program end, startups in the cohort vote on who gets funded. Removes investor bias. Focus on...

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  $150K

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  Zinc VC

  London venture builder. Pays you a salary while you find a co-founder and build a company around a mission. £1...

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  $150K · 12%

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  Sting

  Stockholm's premier accelerator. Strong Scandinavian tech ecosystem (Spotify, Klarna, Northvolt). Good for Nor...

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  Rolling

  $132K · 8%

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  Barclays x Techstars

  Techstars program powered by Barclays. Direct access to banking network and fintech-specific mentorship. Londo...

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  Rolling

  $120K · 6%

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• Ze

  Zeroth.AI

  Asia's first AI accelerator. Based in Hong Kong with strong connections to Chinese and Southeast Asian markets...

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  Rolling

  $120K · 7%

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  AlphaLab

  Pittsburgh accelerator connected to Carnegie Mellon and University of Pittsburgh research ecosystem. Small but...

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  $100K · 5%

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  Amplify LA

  LA-based accelerator with strong ties to entertainment and media industry. Good for consumer and content start...

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  Rolling

  $100K · 8%

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  AWS Accelerator

  Amazon's equity-free startup accelerator. Up to $100K in AWS credits plus dedicated solutions architects. Good...

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  Rolling

  $100K · 0%

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  Cleantech Open

  World's largest cleantech accelerator competition. No equity taken. Cash prizes and industry connections for c...

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  $100K · 0%

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  EXPERT DOJO

  Santa Monica-based accelerator. Known for being international-founder-friendly. $100K investment with LA tech...

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  $100K · 7%

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  LAUNCH Accelerator

  Run by angel investor Jason Calacanis (early Uber investor). Access to his angel syndicate and LAUNCH festival...

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  $100K · 6%

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  NDRC (National Digital Research Centre)

  Ireland's leading startup accelerator at Dogpatch Labs. €100K investment with connections to Enterprise Irelan...

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  $100K · 10%

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  Outlier Ventures

  Europe's leading Web3 accelerator. Base Camp program invests in early-stage crypto/Web3 startups. Strong on to...

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  $100K

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  SixThirty

  Fintech/insurtech accelerator based in St. Louis. Connected to the regional financial services industry (home...

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  $100K

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  Start-Up Chile

  Chilean government's world-famous grant program. No equity, up to $100K in grants, 1-year visa. Must relocate...

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  $100K · 0%

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  Thiel Fellowship

  Peter Thiel's famous fellowship. $100K to drop out of college and build. No equity taken. Must be under 23. Al...

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  $100K · 0%

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  Third Derivative (D3)

  Climate tech accelerator backed by RMI. Focused on startups that can reduce gigatons of CO2. Remote-friendly....

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  $100K

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• WI

  WILCO

  French accelerator providing grants (no equity) and mentorship. Connected to BPI France and the broader French...

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  $77K · 0%

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  Parallel18

  Puerto Rico government-backed program. No equity, up to $75K in grants. Unique position: US territory with LAT...

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  $75K · 0%

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  Hub71

  Abu Dhabi's crown jewel for tech startups. No equity taken. Cash funding plus housing, health insurance, and o...

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  $68K · 0%

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  Wayra (Telefonica)

  Telefonica's innovation hub. If you need telecom distribution or LATAM/Europe market access through one of the...

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  $55K · 10%

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  Boomtown Accelerators

  Boulder-based accelerator in Colorado's growing tech scene. Heavy mentorship model with 300+ mentors.

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  $50K · 6%

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  Launchpad LA

  Los Angeles mentorship-driven accelerator. Good for consumer startups wanting LA entertainment and media conne...

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  $50K · 5%

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  Misk Accelerator

  Backed by Misk Foundation and 500 Global. Focused on Saudi founders and international startups ready to enter...

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  $50K · 7%

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  Orbit Startups

  Emerging market accelerator focused on Pakistan, MENA, and SEA. Small checks but strong regional network for u...

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  $50K · 10%

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  XLerateHealth

  Louisville-based health tech accelerator. Connected to Humana and regional health systems. Good for digital he...

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  $50K · 6%

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  Bethnal Green Ventures

  UK's leading impact accelerator. If your startup has a social or environmental mission, this is the best dedic...

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  $40K · 6%

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  SparkLabs

  Korea's top accelerator. Gateway to the Korean market with connections to major chaebols (Samsung, LG, Hyundai...

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  $40K · 6%

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  Founder University

  Jason Calacanis' pre-accelerator. $20K for ~1% — low-commitment way to get into the LAUNCH ecosystem. 6-week r...

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  $20K · 1%

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  NEO

  One of the most exclusive programs for young technologists and AI founders. $20K grant with no equity. 3-week...

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  $20K · 0%

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  Startupbootcamp

  Europe's largest network of industry-focused accelerators. Programs in fintech, smart city, energy, food tech,...

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  $20K · 8%

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• WO

  WOW Aceleradora

  Brazilian accelerator for LATAM-focused startups. One of Brazil's more established programs.

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  $20K · 10%

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  a16z Crypto Startup School

  a16z's crypto-focused accelerator. Only for Web3/crypto founders. Access to the a16z crypto team and their the...

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  Accelerator Centre (Waterloo)

  Waterloo-based, connected to University of Waterloo's talent pipeline. No equity taken. Strong Canadian tech e...

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  0%

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• Bl

  Bluepoint

  Korean accelerator and VC. Strong connections to Korean government grants and corporate ecosystem. Gateway to...

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• Co

  Conviction Embed

  Sarah Guo's fund (Conviction) embeds founders-in-residence who explore AI ideas with the firm's support, then...

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• DI

  DIFC FinTech Hive

  If you're building fintech in the Middle East, this connects you directly to banks, regulators, and VCs in Dub...

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  DMZ (Toronto)

  Ranked #1 university-linked incubator in the world (UBI Global). No equity taken. Based at Toronto Metropolita...

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  0%

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  Dreamit Ventures

  Focused on startups with revenue or pilots ready to scale. Strong in securetech, healthtech, and urbantech ver...

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  EIT Digital Accelerator

  EU-funded accelerator for scaling digital tech across Europe. No equity taken. Helps with market expansion int...

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  0%

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  Elemental Impact (Ei)

  Climate and sustainability-focused accelerator. Investment plus access to climate-focused investor network. Re...

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  EvoNexus

  San Diego-based. Completely free: no fees, no equity. Office space, mentorship, investor intros. Connected to...

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  0%

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  Founder Institute

  World's largest pre-seed accelerator. 100+ countries. Structured program that pushes you to hit milestones. Sm...

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  Google for Startups Accelerator

  Google's equity-free accelerator. Multiple programs (AI-first, Cloud, Climate, Women Founders). $200K+ in Goog...

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  0%

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  GrowthX

  India-focused growth accelerator. Helps SaaS startups crack their growth engine. Strong community of growth-mi...

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  Hackquarters

  Istanbul-based accelerator bridging Turkey and MENA markets. Corporate innovation programs. Gateway to Turkish...

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  HF0 Residency

  Residency for technical founders exploring ideas. Investment upon formation. Good for engineers who want to go...

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  IDEO CoLab Ventures

  IDEO's venture arm. Combines world-class design methodology with seed investment. Unique for startups that nee...

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  in5

  Dubai government-backed incubator. No equity taken. Provides trade license, visa, office space, and labs. Thre...

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  0%

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  India Accelerator

  India-focused accelerator based in New Delhi. Good for international startups wanting to enter the Indian mark...

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  JioGenNext

  Reliance Jio's accelerator. The play: potential access to Jio's 400M+ user base. If you're building for the In...

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  Newlab

  Brooklyn Navy Yard-based studio for hardware and frontier tech. Investment plus prototyping facilities. Corpor...

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  NEXT AI

  Canada's AI accelerator. No equity taken. Access to Canada's AI research hubs (Mila, Vector Institute). Good f...

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  NEXT Canada

  Canada's premier founder program. 9-month intensive in Toronto. Connected to Creative Destruction Lab. Strong...

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  On Deck Founders (ODF)

  Founder fellowship connecting you to top VCs and other founders. Great for co-founder matching and getting war...

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  Orange DAO

  A DAO of 1,000+ Y Combinator alumni investing in Web3 startups. Unique: get YC-level network access for crypto...

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• SA

  SAP.iO

  SAP's equity-free accelerator. The play: integrate with SAP and access their 400K+ enterprise customers. No eq...

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  Seed Club

  Accelerator for tokenized communities and creator economy projects. Strong in DAO tooling and token economics....

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  South Park Commons

  Not a traditional accelerator — it's a community for people between things. Explore ideas with smart peers, ge...

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  Starburst Aerospace

  The top accelerator for aerospace and defense startups. Government and corporate defense connections. Good for...

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  Station F

  World's largest startup campus in Paris. 30+ partner programs from Meta, Microsoft, L'Oreal and others. Apply...

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  SVG Ventures / THRIVE

  AgriFood tech accelerator with strong corporate partners (Cargill, Land O'Lakes, etc.). If you're building for...

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• Ta

  Tacklebox

  NYC-based accelerator that's especially good for idea-stage founders. Helps you validate and build before you...

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  Turn8

  Dubai-based early-stage accelerator investing in regional tech innovations. Good entry point into the MENA sta...

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  Z Fellows

  Fellowship for young ambitious founders. Investment plus community and mentorship. Good for early founders who...

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