Founder Programs

500 Global founder programs include a Silicon Valley flagship and regional accelerators. Check the specific program for region, cohort, application timing and terms.

Antler accepts investment interest by founder stage, region and city. The old apply route now redirects to pitch; local program and investment conditions vary.

Founder Institute provides structured company-building support and mentors. The current Silicon Valley virtual cohort lists an October 21, 2026 deadline and $1,199 entrance fee; other chapters vary.

Equity-free technical mentoring and training for scalable startups, ideally Seed to Series A, with active technical leadership. Choose a regional cohort and check its application window.

Microsoft for Startups provides eligible Azure credits, AI tools, technical resources and go-to-market support through its startup portal. Check current benefits and qualification.

Free startup membership with technical resources and eligible benefits; no application fee, membership fee or equity requirement. Maintain current product and company details.

Accelerators organized around startup cities and specialist industries, with mentorship, networks and capital. Review the specific program and its current application terms.

Y Combinator is accepting Winter 2027 applications for January to March in San Francisco. The on-time deadline is November 2, 2026 at 8pm PT; later applications are still considered.

Alchemist maintains a public application route and links to its flagship and regional programs. Check each program for fit, cohort timing and investment conditions.

Technology labs, expert guidance, and community for underrepresented app-driven founders. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A specialist program for generative AI startups with technical guidance, credits, and investor connections. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

An accelerator combining university resources, advisors, investment, and a Demo Day. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

An awards and fellowship program for women impact entrepreneurs across regions and themes. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Cloudflare product credits, architecture support, and startup ecosystem resources. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A talent-investor program for ambitious individuals who want to find cofounders and build venture-scale companies. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

GitHub product benefits and technical resources for eligible early-stage startups. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Non-dilutive support and founder programming for eligible Black-led startups in participating regions. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Discounted CRM and marketing software plus startup education and ecosystem support. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Zero-equity accelerator programs, challenges, and corporate innovation opportunities. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Open innovation challenges connecting selected social-impact ventures with funding and support partners. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Vertical accelerator programs connecting startups with corporations, mentors, and investors. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A European seed fund and founder platform supporting technology companies from their earliest stages. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A hands-on accelerator and investment program for hard-tech startups. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A science and biotech startup development program with lab support, mentors, and investment. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A founder fellowship for people at the earliest stage of building a high-growth company. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A nonprofit Stanford-affiliated founder community and accelerator with no program equity requirement. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A remote accelerator and investment program designed for independent B2B SaaS companies. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

A founder program and network for early-stage company builders, with cohort terms set per intake. Check the current cohort, geography, funding, and equity terms before applying.

Startup investment and hands-on support for sales, hiring, fundraising, and company building. International founders can access guidance on relocation and visas.

A 12-week pre-seed accelerator with recruiting, customer development, and fundraising support. Teams must relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area during the program.

A focused residency for repeat founders. Review the current application, participation format, and funding terms directly with the program.

A New York technology accelerator connecting startups with mentors, investors, and an established founder network. Review the current cohort and investment terms.

A 12-week accelerator focused on customer learning, product growth, and fundraising in Australia and New Zealand. Check the next cohort and participation requirements.

Founder-led startup support with customer, fundraising, and investor guidance for Southeast Asia. Review the current application process and investment terms.

A free founder development program with no fees or equity taken. Select a local or industry cohort and confirm its eligibility, dates, and time commitment.

Connect with founders, mentors, and corporate partners to enter Taiwan and expand across Asia. Check the current cohort focus, including AI and emerging technologies.

Pre-seed support for B2B technology founders, combining capital, operator guidance, customer introductions, and fundraising preparation. Confirm current investment and participation terms.

A two-year fellowship for applicants aged 22 or younger without a university degree. Selected fellows must leave school to participate; the program does not take equity.

Free, self-paced online startup education from Y Combinator covering MVPs, finding users, and company building. Suitable for early founders and people exploring a startup.

Founder residency with weekly mentorship and a concluding investor Demo Day. Review the current schedule, location, application window, and participation terms.

Free matching platform from Y Combinator for meeting potential co-founders, with or without an existing startup idea. Profiles are visible to approved participants rather than the public internet. No equity required.

Equity-free workshops, mentorship and networking for founders and marketing leaders developing customer acquisition and international growth strategies. Check regional program availability and application windows.

Free, confidential business mentoring for aspiring and established owners of U.S.-based businesses. Request a mentor through SCORE and agree on practical next steps.

Startup investment reference for open-source software. Review AI Grant’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Funding programme reference for research and development. Review AI Singapore 100 Experiments’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Funding programme reference for web3 projects. Review Alliance.xyz’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review Arbitrum Foundation General Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for early-stage technology companies. Review ARIA Funding Opportunities’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for open-source software. Review Block Goose Grant’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review BMBF KMU-innovativ’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Startup investment reference for early-stage technology companies. Review Conviction Embed’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Funding programme reference for research and development. Review EIC Accelerator’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review Ethereum Foundation ESP’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review Filecoin Dev Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for open-source software. Review FLOSS/fund’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review Foresight Institute AI Safety/Science Nodes’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Startup investment reference for early-stage technology companies. Review Founders Inc. AI Hardware Residency’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for open-source software. Review GitHub Secure OSS Fund’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review John Templeton Foundation’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review Manifund Regranting’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review NIH SBIR/STTR’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review NSF POSE’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review NSF SBIR Phase II’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for open-source software. Review NumFOCUS Small Dev Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Research fellowship reference for early-stage technology companies. Review Pillar VC Encode’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review Solana Foundation Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Funding programme reference for open-source software. Review Sovereign Tech Fund’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review Sui Foundation Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for research and development. Review Survival and Flourishing Fund’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Grant programme reference for web3 projects. Review The Graph Grants’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

Funding programme reference for open-source software. Review UK Sovereign AI Fund’s published selection criteria, supported work and current application route before preparing a proposal.

An objectives-based founder program for scalable seed-stage science and technology ventures. Compare program sites and streams, then verify the current intake, eligibility and any participation conditions with the selected site.

A founder accelerator focused on LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs. The source offers no-cost, zero-equity support and currently invites founders to the next-cohort waitlist; waitlist registration is not admission to an open cohort.

MIT’s student-founder accelerator combines a summer venture-building program with mentorship and a demo day. The published 2026 cohort has finished; consult the next official call and affiliation requirements before applying.

A two-week customer-discovery program for NYU venture teams. The official page lists January 4–15, 2027 for the sprint and a November 20, 6pm application deadline; confirm the cutoff timezone and team eligibility with NYU.