Ecosystem

A global, mentorship-driven pre-seed accelerator and venture firm that runs three-month programs across many cities and industry verticals worldwide.

Model: As of 2025, Techstars invests $220,000 per company: $200,000 via an uncapped MFN SAFE plus $20,000 via a post-money convertible equity agreement, for a minimum 5% stake plus whatever the uncapped SAFE later converts into. Programs run roughly three months and are heavily mentor-driven, organized by city and vertical.

An early-stage venture fund and seed accelerator known for its global reach, founded in 2010 by Dave McClure and Christine Tsai and rebranded from 500 Startups to 500 Global in 2021.

Model: Its Flagship Accelerator offers $150,000 for a 6% stake, with a $37,500 program fee deducted so companies net about $112,500. The flagship program is an in-person batch run in Silicon Valley; the firm is one of the most active early-stage investors globally, having backed thousands of companies across 80+ countries.

An early-stage 'day zero' venture firm founded in 2017 by Magnus Grimeland and Fridtjof Berge that helps individuals find co-founders and build companies from scratch, operating across more than 30 cities globally.

Model: Antler runs a residency where individuals join without an idea or team, form co-founding partnerships, and then receive investment in the startups that emerge—typically an initial $150,000 (often structured as $100,000 for ~10% via SAFE plus $50,000 via an uncapped MFN SAFE), with substantial follow-on matching capital available.

A small, highly selective seed accelerator launched in September 2010 by ex-Google product manager Thomas Korte and Carine Magescas, operating out of San Francisco and New York.

Model: AngelPad runs two ten-week cohorts per year, picking only roughly 15–20 teams from about 4,000 applicants each cycle. It has invested on the order of $100,000–$120,000 per startup and is run hands-on by a tiny partner team rather than a large staff.

A fully remote, globally accessible 'startup generator' founded in 2018 by Daniel Gross and Rishi Narang, designed to find and back ambitious 'outsiders' anywhere in the world.

Model: Pioneer ran a gamified monthly online 'tournament' in which applicants earned points by making weekly progress; winners became Pioneers and received a small initial investment (around $5,000) with the possibility of a $100,000 follow-on, mentorship, and access to a private community. It stopped making new investments in 2024.

A 'talent investor' founded in 2011 in London by Matt Clifford and Alice Bentinck that backs exceptional individuals before they have a company or co-founder, helping them form teams and build startups.

Model: Participants join an intensive ~12-week program (FORM) as individuals (Founders-in-Residence), get matched into co-founding pairs, and develop ideas. EF's pre-seed offer includes a roughly $125,000 post-money SAFE for about 8%, with an additional optional uncapped MFN SAFE, plus an upfront talent stipend during the program.

HAX is the hard-tech / deep-tech pre-seed program operated by the venture fund SOSV, founded in 2011 by Cyril Ebersweiler (with SOSV's Sean O'Sullivan), with its first program run in Shenzhen in 2012.

Model: HAX provides up to about $550,000 in pre-seed funding (an initial $250,000–$500,000 from SOSV) and requires founders to relocate for a roughly six-month, lab-based residency. Its Newark facility houses machine shops and mechanical, chemical, and electronics labs to support physical-product founders in climate, industrial automation, and health.

A company-building immersion program launched by top-tier VC Sequoia Capital in 2022, run twice a year for small cohorts of pre-seed and seed-stage founders in the Americas and Europe.

Model: Every company accepted into Arc receives a $1 million upfront investment from Sequoia, made immediately on acceptance and before the program begins. Terms are company-specific rather than standardized; Sequoia does not publish a fixed equity percentage. Cohorts are kept to roughly 10 companies, centered on a multi-day 'Arc Intensive' curriculum.

A Silicon Valley innovation platform and venture firm founded in 2006 by Saeed Amidi that connects startups with Fortune 500 corporations and investors across many industry verticals.

Model: Plug and Play runs many industry-specific accelerator programs (e.g., fintech, mobility, health, insurtech, sustainability), most of them non-equity, that pair startups with corporate partners for pilots, proofs-of-concept, and potential investment or acquisition; it has been among the most active startup investors in the world by deal count.