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36 Accelerators In The USA: Journey to Successful Startup

accelerators in the usa

Have you ever found yourself daydreaming about starting your own startup, but have been hesitant to actually do it? If yes, join us. Starting a startup is not for everyone, and before deciding if it’s for you, you should carefully weigh the pros and cons of doing so. There are Accelerators in the USA out there that can help startups validate their idea and scale early on, but joining an accelerator program is not for everyone.

Also Read the Topic: Zerodha Founders

There are programs related to the best startup accelerators in the USA (and globally) that are highly selective and only open to companies of a certain size. If you’re interested in finding out if accelerators are right for you, read through this blog where we cover all the benefits of Accelerators in the USA and some of the top accelerators on our list.

What is an Accelerator?

An accelerator is a program that provides startups capital, mentorship, and other resources to help them become more successful. In general, accelerators provide startups with access to venture capital funding, tech industry partners and corporate partners, and network of investors. Most Accelerators in USA offer startup investors the opportunity to participate early on in a startup’s development.

In addition to funding, accelerators provide startups with guidance and coaching. These programs can be invaluable for startups looking to develop a product or service quickly and efficiently.

Some best startup accelerators in US also provide seed funding in the form of grants or loans that allow startups to take the first steps toward developing a product or service.

Some accelerators focus on mentorship as part of their program. This can help startups gain valuable insights from experienced entrepreneurs and tech leaders.

Others offer access to office space and other resources, such as equipment or office space for free or at reduced rates. This can help startups save money while still benefiting from the resources offered by accelerators.

While larger Accelerators in the USA tend to receive more attention, smaller programs may have higher exit rates and diversity investment rates than larger programs. It’s important for startups to consider all the options when looking for an accelerator program.

us accelerators

Benefits of Joining an Accelerator

  • Venture capital has been slow to come to the startup industry. But with the help of startup accelerators, startups can access funding and mentorship early on in their development. Startup accelerator programs offers startups seed capital, guidance, and events for a limited period of 3-4 months in return for equity. The program helps startups validate their ideas and build a product portfolio. After graduation, companies have a higher chance of securing venture capital funding
    from investors.
  • Accelerators in the USA are valuable resources for startups as they provide access to corporate partners, industry-specific programs, and services beyond what is available out of incubation. This helps startups refine their product ideas, learn how to market them effectively, and grow their business.
  • Some of the best accelerators are offering companies mentorship assistance for free or at an affordable rate. They also provide them with seed capital and other startup-related services such as legal assistance and business development.
  • Accelerators offer great value to startups by helping them accelerate their growth and achieve success faster including access to corporate partners, industry-specific programs and services beyond what is available out of incubation.

Who are Accelerators Looking For?

  • Accelerators are looking for companies with a high potential for growth within a few months.
  • Companies must have a working MVP (minimal version of product/service) to be eligible for an accelerator program.
  • Accelerators typically require companies to have a working product or service that clearly demonstrates its use case and viability.
  • Accelerators in the USA with over 100 investments are usually considered for rankings.
  • Most accelerators focus on finding companies with the potential to become unicorns, startup giants capable of lasting venture funding and rapid growth.
  • Accelerators provide startups with mentorship, capital, and access to early-stage technology investors and customers. They’re a vital partner for startups as they help them develop their products and business models and scale their ventures rapidly.

The Application Process of Accelerators

Accelerators in the USA are startup-focused incubators that provide startups with startup-oriented mentorship and funding opportunities.

  1. There are several types of accelerators in the U.S. including program-based accelerators (such as Y-Combinator), early-stage venture capital financing accelerators, Techstars accelerators, angel investment accelerators, and venture capital consulting accelerators. Each of these types of accelerators provides startups with unique resources and expertise.
  2. Like program-based accelerators, early-stage venture capital financing accelerators provide startups with funding, mentorship, network access, and office space in Silicon Valley.
  3. Techstars Accelerators in the USA provides startups with access to corporate partners, venture capitalists, and office space in tech hubs such as Boulder or Seattle. Techstars also partners with tech companies to provide startups with co-op placements, startup workshops, and other events. They also have startup competitions and funding opportunities for Techstars companies.
  4. Angel investment Accelerators in the USA offer startup funding, mentorship, office space access (if available), seed capital funding, and connections to investors to help them grow their businesses. Some angel investment accelerators even offer loans for startups to help them get started.
  5. Venture capital consulting accelerator provides startups with funding, mentorship, networking opportunities, office space access (if available), legal advice and advice on fundraising from experienced investors. The application process can vary depending on the accelerator program specifications so it is important to research the specifics of the accelerator prior to applying.
  6. If you’re interested in applying for an accelerator program in the U.S., be sure to research each program’s application requirements carefully so you can best prepare for the application process.
accelerators in the usa

36 Top Startup Accelerators In The USA

There are a variety of top Accelerators in the USA, such as Angelpad, 500 Startups, Starve-Ups, Techstars, Y-Combinator and accelerators located around the world. Some of these accelerators offer individual programs like Techstars, which offers mentorship, funding and support for tech startups. These accelerators provide startup companies with various
services and capital to help them grow.
The four most active accelerators have an exit rate of around 10%, while those with more than 1,000 investments tend to have a lower exit rate. This is because startups at these accelerators receive mentorship from industry experts and access to capital from investors through program financing rounds. So here is the list of top US Accelerators For Startups –

S.N.Accelerator / IncubatorLocationFoundedFoundersNumber of InvestmentsIndustries
1Y CombinatorMountain View2005Jessica Livingston, Lucas Thomaz, Paul Graham, Robert Morris, Trevor Blackwell4129Finance, Impact Investing, Virtual Currency
2TechstarsBoulder2006Brad Feld, David Brown, David Cohen, Jared Polis3421Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
3500 StartupsSan Francisco2010Christine Tsai, Dave McClure2676Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
4MassChallengeBoston2009Akhil Nigam, Caitlin Reimers Brumme, David Constantine, John Harthorne2659Finance, Financial Services, Social Entrepreneurship, Social Impact
5SOSVPrinceton1994Sean O’Sullivan2127Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
6Plug and Play Tech CenterSunnyvale2006Ali Safavi, Jackie Hernandez, Saeed Amidi1285FinTech, Health Care, InsurTech, Retail, Smart Cities
7Alchemist AcceleratorSan Francisco2012Ravi Belani563Apps, B2B, Biotechnology, Enterprise Software, Health Care, Manufacturing, Medical, SaaS, Software
8Innovation WorksPittsburgh1999Lisa Greenleaf512Finance
9HAXSan Francisco2011Cyril Ebersweiler, Sean O’Sullivan465Hardware, Manufacturing, Venture Capital
10Dreamit VenturesNew York2007David Bookspan, Elliot Menschik, Michael Levinson, Steve Welch378Cyber Security, Electronic Health Record (EHR), Health Care, Health Diagnostics, Information Technology, Medical Device, Venture Capital
11StartX (Stanford-StartX Fund)Palo Alto2009Cameron Teitelman, Christopher Morace, Dan Ha, Jonathan Golden, Karen Katz, Matt Man, Steve Petersen333Artificial Intelligence, Automotive, Big Data, Bioinformatics, Biotechnology, Computer Vision, Consumer Software, E-Commerce, Education, Enterprise Software, Finance, Financial Services, Hardware, Internet, Internet of Things, Machine Learning, Medical Device, Non Profit, Venture Capital
12IndieBioSan Francisco2014Arvind Gupta, Bill Liao, Sean O’Sullivan307Biotechnology, Finance, Venture Capital
13JumpStartCleveland2003Ray Leach147Finance, Financial Services, Non Profit, Venture Capital
14Forum VenturesNew York2012Karen (Appleton ) Page, Michael Cardamone, Nick Mehta, Rowan Trollope299B2B, Enterprise Software, SaaS
15Boost VCSan Mateo2012Adam Draper, Brayton Williams257Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
16EvoNexusLa Jolla1998Rory Moore, Walter Davis231Analytics, Cyber Security, FinTech, Hardware, Health Care, Internet of Things, Life Science, Robotics, SaaS, Semiconductor
17Capital FactoryAustin2009Andrew Busey, Bryan Menell, Gordon Daugherty, Joshua Baer, Sam Decker169Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
18Quake Capital PartnersAustin2016Adam Cragg, Brandon Maier, Chad Burgess, Glenn Argenbright163Venture Capital
19TechNexus Venture CollaborativeChicago2007Fred Hoch, Terry Howerton153B2B, B2C, Business Development, Venture Capital
20gener8torMadison2012Dan Armbrust, Joe Kirgues, Jon Eckhardt, Troy Vosseller152Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
21Village GlobalSan Francisco2017Anne Dwane, Ben Casnocha, Erik Torenberg, Ross Fubini197Financial Services, Professional Networking, Venture Capital
22Mucker CapitalSanta Monica2011Erik Rannala, William Hsu181Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
23AngelPadSan Francisco2010Carine Magescas177 
24Founder Friendly LabsPalo Alto2011Mendel Chuang, Samantha Quist175Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Consumer, Enterprise Software, FinTech, Incubators, Machine Learning, Natural Language Processing
25Boomtown AcceleratorsBoulder2013Alex Bogusky, Jack Donenfeld, Jose Vieitez, Kyle Groth, Toby Krout174Advertising, B2B, Health Care, Internet, Internet of Things, Mobile, Network Hardware, SaaS
26Techstars Boulder AcceleratorBoulder2007 –173Business Development, Consulting, Management Consulting
27Obvious VenturesSan Francisco2014James Joaquin, Vishal Vasishth, Đệ Phan115Business Development, Finance, Financial Services, Venture Capital
28Blue StartupsHonolulu2012Chenoa Farnsworth, Henk Rogers, Maya Rogers114Financial Services, Information Technology, Venture Capital
29Tech WildcattersDallas2009Brad Taylor, Gabriella Draney, John Reed, Jon Feld104Venture Capital
30Starve UpsPortland2000 142Communities
31Starta VCNew York2011Alexey Girin, Ekaterina Dorozhkina, Serge Milman, Sergey Vasilev133Angel Investment, Financial Services, Information Technology, Venture Capital
32MetaPropNew York2015Aaron Block, Clelia Warburg Peters, Zachary Aarons121Commercial Real Estate, Real Estate, Venture Capital
33Capital InnovatorsSt Louis2011 –119Consumer Goods, Enterprise, Financial Services, Software, Venture Capital
34XRC LabsNew York2015Pano Anthos108Analytics, Consumer Goods, E-Commerce, Finance, Personal Health, Retail, Robotics, Supply Chain Management, Venture Capital, Wellness
35Lighthouse LabsVirginia2012 –54Healthcare, SaaS
36South Carolina Research AuthoritySouth Carolina1983 –48Biotech, Healthcare
List of US Startup Accelerators

When to Join an Accelerator?

Accelerators are a great way to jumpstart startup ventures. They provide venture capital funding, mentorship, and access to over 500 corporate partners to pitch ideas or ask for advice. That’s why they’re so valuable for startups.

  • But you need to weigh the benefits and drawbacks of accelerators carefully before joining one.
  • The main benefit of Accelerators in the USA is that they give startups a chance to test their business model and refine their product in a short time frame.
  • However, there are some drawbacks as well. You may not have time to implement everything you learn in an startup accelerator programs and it can be expensive.
  • If you’re looking for startup experience or funding, an accelerator is a great option but you should carefully weigh the benefits vs the drawbacks.

Alternatives to Joining an Accelerator

  1. If you do not have developed startup ideas, consider joining a startup studio instead of an accelerator. Startup incubators provide a longer period of time for founders to develop their ideas than accelerators. They provide space and mentorship to startups, helping them to refine a product and test the market. Additionally, startup incubators offer tech-related services such as tech partnering and tech coaching. Some startups also get funding and startup capital from the program.
  2. The program is meant for those who have product ideas or are looking to make the leap into entrepreneurship. If you don’t have startup ideas yet, look into joining a coworking space. These spaces provide entrepreneurs with access to tech experts, partners, and funding sources. They also provide workspace, internet access, and other amenities. Lastly, research local government grants and programs that can help finance startup ventures.

How to Choose the Right Accelerator

  • Look for Accelerators in the USA with a good track record of success in terms of exits and investment. This will help you validate the accelerator’s program as a viable venture capital option.
  • Consider the accelerator’s focus on certain sectors and whether they are open to supporting startups across different industries. This will help you choose one that supports startups of all sizes and industries, providing valuable mentorship and access to capital, networks, and partners.
  • Research the application and selection process for the accelerator. This will help you understand what is involved in applying to the program, what is required of startups, and any extra requirements or considerations.
  • Look at the size of batches accepted by the accelerator. This will help you decide if an accelerator is a good fit for your startup’s situation.
  • Consider the accelerator’s commitment to diversity and inclusion. This will help you ensure that your startup is part of a program that supports diverse startups and environments, providing mentorship and opportunities for growth and development.

In Conclusion, When startups are new and venture capital is scarce, accelerators provide startup companies with mentorship, access to capital, and industry expertise. They also provide startup companies with office space and tech resources in exchange for a percentage of the startups’ equity. Many startups that benefit from startup Accelerators in the USA include online retailers, fintech companies, and tech-enabled service companies.

With the right mentorship, startups can utilize accelerator programs to help them understand their startup business model, build their startup teams, and learn new tech skills. Besides benefiting from mentorship, startups can also utilize resources such as startup incubators, startup hackathons, startup competitions, and industry conferences. If you’re a startup company looking to grow your company or if you’re an entrepreneur seeking startup mentorship, visit our blog for more insights!

More Article To Read: Upstart Company

FAQ

What are the benefits of being an entrepreneur?

There are many great benefits to being an entrepreneur, including the following:
Gain access to corporate partners, industry-specific accelerator programs, and services. Networking opportunities with investors, partners, and team members to boost business, access to unparalleled resources and opportunities, as well as brand exposure and association.

What are the key steps that need to be taken in order to become an entrepreneur?

There are a few key steps that you need to take in order to become an entrepreneur you’ll need to understand the needs of the market and develop a business idea that meets the needs. Secondly, you’ll need to connect with potential co-founders and build a team of individuals who can help you achieve your goals. Thirdly, you’ll need to attend accelerator programs and pre-seed investment events in order to gain valuable experience and funding before pitching your business on demo day. Lastly, it’s important to make sure that you secure funding so that your business can move forward.

What are some common challenges that new entrepreneurs face?

There are many common challenges new entrepreneurs face when starting their business including securing funding, finding the right resources, gaining exposure and building a network of support, and developing an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) and viability of the product or service.

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