The United States is the epicenter of startup activity in the whole world. Some of the world's most remarkable, inventive, and well-known businesses are founded and grown in the United States of America. With a huge number of startup accelerators, incubators, and other support services available, entrepreneurs have numerous opportunities to get the support they need to launch and scale their businesses. In this article, we have compiled a comprehensive list of all incubator and accelerator programs in the United States of America, which have been subdivided into applicability for startups in their 'ideation', 'launch', or 'growth' stages.
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FULL LIST OF STARTUP INCUBATORS AND ACCELERATORS IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
Ideation Stage Startup Incubators in the United States of America
Stage: Ideation
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Frontier Technologies, Rolling Focus
Stage: Ideation
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Science & Technology, UC Berkeley-affiliated Founders
Stage: Ideation
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Impact
Stage: Ideation
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: UrbanTech, Social & Climate, Transportation & Mobility, Built Environment & Real Estate, Food, Waste & Water, Energy & Grid
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Consumer Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Food & Beverage
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Healthcare
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Human & Planetary Health
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Life Sciences
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Life Sciences
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Multiple Sectors
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Process & Product, BioScience, Service, Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Science & Technology, The University of Chicago-affiliated Founders
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, Georgia Tech-affiliated Founders
Stage: Pre-seed, Seed
Who is it for: Early-stage startup founders
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: AI, Web3, Climate Tech, Blockchain, Deep Tech
Launch Stage Startup Incubators and Accelerators in the United States of America
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: B2B SaaS
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: CleanTech, Clean Energy, Zero Emissions Transportation, Smart & Sustainable Cities: Circular Economy
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Ideation, Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs without an idea / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, MedTech, Stanford-affiliated Founder
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: AgTech, Animal Health, Brand & Retail, Energy, Enterprise Tech, FinTech, Food & Beverage, Health, InsurTech, IoT, Maritime, Media & Ad, Mobility, New Materials & Packaging, Real Estate & Construction, Smart Cities, Supply Chain, Sustainability, Travel & Hospitality
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Blockchain
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Blockchain
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: CleanTech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: CleanTech, Clean Energy, Zero Emissions, Transportation, Smart & Sustainable Cities: Circular Economy
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Climate Economy, Energy
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: ClimateTech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: ClimateTech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: DeepTech, 5G Network, Mobility, Autonomous, Robotics, Logistics, Cybersecurity, Augmented & Virtual Reality
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: FinTech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder
Need to have an idea: No
Focus: Fintech, Healthcare & Health Services, Sustainability, B2B Application, Software Consumer & Commerce Enablement, Supply Chain Tech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: FinTech, MedTech, CommTech, Embedded Tech
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Future of Learning and Work
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Genomics, Therapeutics, Diagnostics, Agriculture, Synthetic Biology, Software, Direct-to-consumer Applications
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Geospatial-intelligence Technologies
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Hard Tech, B2B, Health, Consumer
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Healthcare AI, Analytics, and Machine Learning, Business and Administrative Technologies, Care Delivery Models, Care Management, Cybersecurity, Digital Health, Medical Devices, Revenue Cycles, Supply Chain Management, Biotechnology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: IoT
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Multiple Sectors
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Optics, Photonics, and Imaging (OPI)
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Science & Technology, UC Berkeley-affiliated Founders
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic, Female Founders
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic, Industrial IoT, FinTech / Cybersecurity, Climate Tech, Digital Health, Diversity
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Social Impact
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Software, Technology, Outdoor, Consumer Products, Chattanooga region
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technological, Social, Commercial, or Cultural Ventures, UIUC Student Founders
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, Female Founders, Black Founders, Circular Economy
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, International & Immigrant Founders
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, Software/Gaming, Travel & Tourism, Sustainability, Hawaii/East-West/Female (priority)
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, Web 3.0, HardTech, Human & Planetary Health
Stage: Launch
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: UrbanTech, Social & Climate, Transportation & Mobility, Built Environment & Real Estate, Food, Waste & Water, Energy & Grid
Growth Stage Startup Accelerators in the United States of America
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Industry 4.0, Additive Manufacturing, Advanced Materials, Artificial Intelligence, Big Data, Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Virtual Reality, Robotics, Industrial IoT
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Fashion Tech, Retail Tech, B2B, Female Founders
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Aspiring entrepreneurs with an idea and seeking cofounder / Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Healthcare
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Multiple Sectors
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: RetailTech, Consumer Goods, Consumerization of Healthcare
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: SportsTech, Fan/Player Engagement, Athlete/Player Performance, Media & Entertainment, Venue & Event Innovation, Team & Coach Success, Business of Sports, Fantasy Sports & Betting Esports
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Launch, Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: B2B SaaS
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team / Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Consumer, B2B SaaS
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Enterprise/Marketplace, Deep Tech, Consumer Products
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: FinTech
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Plant-based Product. Precision Fermentation, Cellular Agriculture, Ingredient Creator, Tech Enabler
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: SaaS
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sector Agnostic
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Sustainability / Technology, Future of Work, Sustainable Urbanization, Responsible Economy
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Mature startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, AI, Blockchain, Consumer Insights, Cybersecurity, EdTech, Enterprise, FinTech Future of Work, HealthTech, Marketing Tech, New Media, Retail Tech, Urban Tech, International Startups
Stage: Growth
Who is it for: Early startup with a team
Need to have an idea: Yes
Focus: Technology, University of Michigan-affiliated Founders
Closing Thoughts on Startup Incubators and Accelerators in the United States of America
Launching a startup in the USA offers significant advantages: access to a vast consumer market, robust venture capital ecosystem, and numerous accelerator programs. However, founders face intense competition, and securing spots in top-tier incubators like Y Combinator, Techstars, or 500 Startups remains highly competitive. Critical success factors include thorough due diligence on program alignment with your startup's vertical, stage, and growth objectives. The right accelerator provides mentorship, networking, funding opportunities, and demo day exposure to investors – potentially transforming your startup trajectory in the American entrepreneurial landscape.
Find Accelerators and Incubators in major USA Startup hubs:
Frequently Asked Questions on Startup Incubators and Accelerators in USA
What's the difference between startup incubators and accelerators?
Incubators typically support early-stage startups with workspace, mentorship, and resources over 1-3 years. Accelerators offer intensive programs (3-6 months) with seed funding, structured mentorship, and culminate in a demo day for investor exposure.
Which are the top startup accelerator programs in the USA?
Leading programs include Y Combinator, Techstars, 500 Startups, MassChallenge, and AngelPad. Each specializes in different verticals, funding amounts, and equity expectations.
What equity percentage do accelerators typically take?
Most US accelerators take 5-10% equity in exchange for capital ($50K-$150K), mentorship, and resources. Premier programs like Y Combinator take 7% for $125K, while others offer alternative funding structures.
How competitive is the application process?
Extremely competitive. Top programs like Y Combinator accept only 1-3% of applicants. Success requires a strong founding team, market validation, traction metrics, and a compelling vision.
What industries do US accelerators focus on?
A: While many are industry-agnostic, specialized accelerators exist for fintech (Barclays Accelerator), healthtech (Dreamit Health), sustainability (Cleantech Open), enterprise SaaS (Alchemist), and consumer products (SKU).
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