The Top 25 Best Startup Incubator in the USA (2023) Made Easy

Best Startup Incubators and accelerators started responding to the need for support and resources for early-stage ventures and promoting partnerships.

They are popular with tech Best Startup Incubators needing seed funding and small businesses looking for a seed-stage accelerator.

Using a Best Startup Incubator or accelerator program can launch your new venture much quicker than you may be able to do by yourself.

I compiled a list of the top accelerator and Best Startup Incubator programs so you can view the details quickly and efficiently to help you decide which is best for your Startup Incubator.

The Best Startup Incubator and Accelerator Programs

Y Combinator

(Startup accelerator)

“We help founders make something people want, and the results speak for themselves.”

1. Location- Silicon Valley, CA
2. Duration- 3 months
3. Funding- $500,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Airbnb, Coinbase, DoorDash, Dropbox, Instacart, Stripe

TechStars

(Startup accelerator)

“We support many of the world’s best entrepreneurs with access to capital, mentoring, finding customers, hiring talent, choosing the right infrastructure, and much more!”

1. Location- Virtual, Hybrid, or In Person
   1. Amsterdam, Netherlands
   2. Atlanta, Georgia
   3. Austin, Texas
   4. Baltimore, Maryland
   5. Berlin, Germany
   6. Birmingham, Alabama
   7. Boston, Massachusetts
   8. Boulder, Colorado
   9. Chicago, Illinois
   10. Denver, Colorado
   11. Detroit, Michigan
   12. Fort Worth, Texas
   13. Indianapolis, Indiana
   14. Lagos, Nigeria
   15. London, UK
   16. Los Angeles, California
   17. Miami, Florida
   18. Minneapolis, Minnesota
   19. New Orleans, Louisiana
   20. New York, New York
   21. Oak Ridge-Knoxville, Tennessee
   22. Oakland, California
   23. Oslo, Norway
   24. Paris, France
   25. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
   26. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
   27. Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
   28. San Diego, California
   29. San Francisco, California
   30. Seattle, Washington
   31. St. Paul, Minnesota
   32. Sydney, Australia
   33. Tel Aviv, Israel
   34. Torino, Italy
   35. Toronto, Canada
   36. Tulsa, Oklahoma
   37. Twin Cities, Minnesota
   38. Washington, D.C.
2. Duration- 3 months
3. Funding- $120,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Chainalysis, ClassPass, DataRobot, DigitalOcean, PillPack

LAUNCH

(Startup accelerator)

“We support founders and inspire innovation by backing builders.”

1. Location- not specified
2. Duration- 12 weeks
3. Funding- $25,000 to $5 million
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Robinhood, Uber, Density, Calm, 15five

SOSV

(Startup accelerator)

“Committed to helping founders create disruptive products and win venture capital investment.”

1. Location- Virtual or In Person
   1. Newark, New Jersey
   2. New York, New York
   3. San Francisco, California
2. Duration- 4 to 6 months, depending on which of the three programs they offer
3. Funding- $250,000 to $500,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Foundry, Founders Fund, Prime Movers Lab, Temasek, Mayfield

Plug and Play Tech Center

(Startup accelerator)

We catalyze technological advancement by connecting blue chip corporations with the brightest startups globally.”

1. Location- Silicon Valley, California
2. Duration- Not specified
3. Funding- $25,000 to $500,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Lending Club, Tenor, PayPal, Zoosk, Dropbox

500 Startups

(Startup accelerator)

“We invest in the world’s potential. Then we turn potential into performance.”

1. Location- Silicon Valley, California
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- $150,000 (There’s a $37,500 participation fee.)
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Talkdesk, ManyChat, Neighborly, RapidAPI, Shippo

MassChallenge

(Startup incubator)

“Our unique equity-free model allows us to accelerate high-impact startups with bold, disruptive ideas from non-traditional backgrounds.”

1. Location- Virtual
2. Duration- 3 months
3. Funding- $0 but provides opportunities to win cash awards and prizes
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Innovation Works

(Startup accelerator)

“Our mission is to introduce, connect, support, and expand the startup and entrepreneurial ecosystem within Southwestern Pennsylvania, making our region a center for innovative startups and tech investors from around the country.”

1. Location- Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
2. Duration- Not specified
3. Funding- $50,000 to $150,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Vivismo, Wombat Security, JazzHR, Voci, ShowClix

Alchemist Accelerator

(Startup accelerator)

“World’s best accelerator for early-stage startups that monetize from enterprises.”

1. Location-
   1. Memphis, Tennessee
   2. San Francisco, California
   3. Munich, Germany
2. Duration- 6 months
3. Funding- $25,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Scalvy, Torus, Agtools, Piedata, Budee Solutions

StartX (Stanford)

(Startup incubator)

“StartX is a nonprofit community of serial entrepreneurs, industry experts, tenured Stanford professors, and well-funded growth-stage startups.

We believe that entrepreneurs can achieve more as a group than we can as individuals.

We help our companies hire elite talent, secure funding, and tap into one of the world’s most potent and innovative networks: the Stanford University Alumni Network.”

1. Location- Stanford, California
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- n/a
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- 1up, 2RedBeans, adhusky, AccuraGen, Aligned Carbon

AngelPad

(Startup incubator)

“We have one simple motto, ‘Your Success is our Success’ – it’s simple: Everything we do has the single goal of making our founders and startups successful. If they succeed, we succeed – if they make money, we make money. We are 100% aligned with our Founders; we even own the same class of shares [as] them…”

1. Location-
   1. New York, New York
   2. Silicon Valley, California
2. Duration- 3 months
3. Funding- n/a
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Postmates, Pipedrive, Vungle, iterable, Zum

Google for Startups

(Startup incubator)

“Whether you’re starting or scaling to meet demand, connect with the right people, products, and best practices to help your startup grow.”

1. Location- Virtual
2. Duration- 6 weeks
3. Funding- n/a
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Village Capital

(Startup accelerator)

“At Village Capital, we fuel the growth of sustainable and impactful businesses by unlocking capital for early-stage entrepreneurs who are building emergent solutions for social, economic, and environmental challenges worldwide.”

1. Location- Virtual
2. Duration- 1 day to 12 days
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Arable, Cloud Currencies, Fig Loans, Hoop Fund, Knack

Forum Ventures

(Startup accelerator)

“Investing in bold, ambitious SaaS Founders. We build with founders from creation to sustainable.”

1. Location- virtual or In Person
   1. Toronto
   2. New York, New York
   3. San Francisco, California
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- $100,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

IndieBio

(Startup accelerator)

“Skip the accelerators.

Inflect with seasoned V.C.s. Over 200+ companies were born and built with IndieBio.

We’ve continued to work and learn alongside our companies as they grow.

This gives us expertise and experience to give our early-stage startups Growth-level diligence training at Pre-seed.”

1. Location- virtual or In Person
   1. New York, New York
   2. San Francisco, California
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- $525,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Upside Foods, NotCo, Prellis Biologics, Alkali Labs, VIA Fuels

Start a V.C.

(Startup Accelerator)

“Find.

Foster.

Fund.

We find, foster, and fund early-stage talent in tech through our ecosystem.”

1. Location- virtual or In Person
   1. New York, New York
2. Duration- 6 weeks to 3 months
3. Funding- $200,000 to $1 million
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Smart Teddy, FriendlyData, Insense, Collectly, Brave Up!

Capital Factory

(Startup accelerator)

“Our Texas-based ventures program offers valuable expertise and resources for seed-stage tech companies, along with access to angel investors and venture capital firms.”

1. Location- Austin, Texas
2. Duration- 6 months
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

(Startup incubator)

“The MIT community together with global partners empowering technology entrepreneurs.”

1. Location- Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- n/a
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Maine Technology Institute

(Startup incubator)

“We support new ideas, products, or methods with the potential to grow and diversify Maine’s economy and increase the number of quality jobs throughout the state through direct support of innovators and through support of programs and infrastructure that encourage innovation.”

1. Location- Maine
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Boomtown Accelerators

(Startup accelerator)

“Boomtown provides a groundbreaking solution to external innovation challenges with a completely customized program to identify and nurture the best new offerings exclusively for your organization based on your goals.

You get a professionally managed, bespoke innovation platform to expedite the development of game-changing products and services that complement your existing internal innovation program with minimal risk and maximum ROI.”

1. Location- not specified
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

HAX

(Startup accelerator)

“Hard problems in human and planetary health require hard tech solutions.”

1. Location- not specified
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

Quake Capital Partners

(Startup accelerator)

“As a team, we look to build startup ecosystems and enhance innovation across multiple industry verticals and geographies.

We aim to merge investment capital with intense hands-on training and leadership development.”

1. Location- Virtual
2. Duration- 3 months
3. Funding- $100,000 to $150,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- not specified

TechNexus Venture Collaborative

(Startup accelerator)

“TecheNexus helps leading corporations and ambitious entrepreneurs develop mutually beneficial relationships that accelerate growth opportunities.

A first-of-its-kind Venture Collaborative, we invest capital, incubate, and collaborate to create new growth opportunities.

TechNexus has initiated hundreds of favorable outcomes between mature corporations and early-stage companies for over a decade to create new business models, revenue streams, and products.”

1. Location- Virtual
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Roby, Sentenai, Podfund, Renewables, Streem

Obvious Ventures

(Startup accelerator)

“Our purpose is to support positive global entrepreneurs budling these disruptive solutions. Together, we can reimagine huge sectors for the global economy in ways that move the planet forward.”

1. Location- not specified
2. Duration- not specified
3. Funding- not specified
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Good Eggs, Happiest Baby, galileo, Forum Mobility, nerve

Capital Innovators

(Startup accelerator)

“Capital Innovators provides startups with the resources and connections they need to reach the next level.

Through proprietary processes and techniques developed and iterated on over the program’s 12-year history, the Accelerator Program has consistently been ranked as one of the top programs in the United States.”

1. Location- St. Louis, Missouri
2. Duration- 13 weeks
3. Funding- $50,000
4. Successful companies in their portfolio- Airworks, Cambrio, City Data, PolySentry, PixElement

What are the best startup incubators and startup accelerators?

Although similar, there are some main differences between startup incubator and startup accelerator programs.

Both are intended to help you if you’re an early-stage startup, but both allow you to access venture capital.

The pre-seed startups program aims to assist with providing a mentor network and furthering business development. It may be considered a pre-accelerator program stage and does not usually act as a venture catalyst by investing venture capital in startup companies.

Best Startup Incubator

A startup incubator is an organization or program designed to support and nurture early-stage entrepreneurial ventures, providing them with the necessary resources, mentorship, and infrastructure to grow and succeed.

Startup incubators offer a time-bound and intensive environment where founders can refine their business ideas, access venture fund opportunities, receive expert guidance, and collaborate with a community of other startup founders.

This startup environment is a mentorship-driven program designed to accelerate business development without providing seed funding or any other early-stage venture fund.

Although these programs don’t aim to provide seed funding, they often present ways for external funding opportunities.

Most incubators are geared toward very early-stage startups that may not even have a product or team.

Technology startups/tech startups are commonly the type of companies that use these programs, but it is not limited to just tech startups.

These incubators act as catalysts for new startups, helping them overcome initial challenges, validate their concepts, and accelerate their business development to help them achieve success.

Often, the most significant opportunities are the office space they provide with a tech center, tech-focused events, connection to portfolio companies, and an international network.

The main difference between startup accelerators and incubators is that incubators don’t always invest directly into a business, as investments into the business now are the bread and butter of accelerator programs.

Best Startup Incubator Accelerators

A startup accelerator program is a time-limited, highly focused initiative to propel early-stage tech startups and other companies to rapid growth and success.

Unlike incubators, accelerators typically work with companies that have already developed a viable product or service and have some initial traction in the market.

By joining an accelerator program, your business will receive intensive mentorship, access to an international network of industry experts, corporate partners, and investors, and often venture catalysts to receive seed funding in exchange for equity and put you on a joint venture.

The accelerator’s primary goal is to help startups refine their business models, scale their operations, and secure additional funding to reach their full potential in a condensed period.

An accelerator program will create a structured and competitive environment that encourages startups to iterate quickly, test hypotheses, and make significant progress within the program’s timeframe, setting them up for future success in the market.

These programs have a shorter timeline since the goal is rapid growth and turnaround on their investment.

Pros and Cons of a Business Best Startup Incubator or Accelerator Program

Here is a list of the pros and cons of the best startup incubator programs offered in 2023.

Pros

Mentorship Driven Program and Expert Guidance

The best startup incubator programs provide startups access to experienced mentors, industry experts, and successful entrepreneurs who offer valuable insights, advisory services, and guidance.

This mentorship helps founders avoid common pitfalls, make informed decisions, and develop their business acumen.

Global Network Opportunities

The best startup incubator companies offer a vibrant community of like-minded entrepreneurs and fellow startup founders.

This mentor network will allow startups to connect with potential collaborators, partners, customers, and investors, expanding their professional network and opening doors on their startup journey.

Access to Venture Capital

Many incubators provide startups with company access to seed funding or facilitate introductions to venture capital investors.

Securing early-stage funding is often challenging for startups, and being part of an incubator can increase their credibility and attract potential investors.

Infrastructure and Resources

Incubators often provide startups with free office space, shared resources, and access to specialized tools and technologies.

This support from the best startup incubator network helps reduce operational costs and enables startups to focus on their core activities.

Accelerated Growth

The structured and intensive nature of the best startup incubator and accelerator programs pushes startups to iterate quickly, validate their business models, and achieve significant progress relatively quickly.

This accelerated growth sets them up for success in the competitive market.

Validation and Market Insights

The best startup incubators help validate their ideas and offerings through feedback and market validation exercises.

This process provides crucial insights into customer needs, preferences, and market trends, helping startups fine-tune their products or services.

Skill Development

Participating in one of the best startup incubator programs allows founders to enhance their entrepreneurial skills, such as pitching, negotiation, leadership, and problem-solving.

These skills are valuable not only for the current venture but also for their future entrepreneurial endeavors.

Long-term Support for Best Startup Incubator

The best startup incubators continue to support their alumni even after the program ends, providing ongoing mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to resources as the startups grow and scale.

Cons

1. Equity Dilution

In exchange for incubators’ resources and support, startups typically give up equity or ownership stakes.

This can lead to significant equity dilution, reducing the founders’ ownership and control over their venture.

2. Time Constraints

Incubator programs are often time-bound and have strict schedules.

While this can help accelerate progress, it may not allow some startups sufficient time to develop their products or services fully.

3. Limited Independence

Startups in incubator programs may have to follow specific rules, guidelines, or reporting requirements, which could limit their independence and decision-making freedom.

4. Geographic Constraints

Incubator programs are often location-specific to their office space, which might require startups to relocate to access the benefits, posing challenges for some founders.

5. Extremely Selective

Getting into an incubator program can be challenging, and the application process can be grueling.

Types of Best Startup Incubator

There are three main types, all having their purpose. Read through to help decide which type you’d like to work with.

University Best Startup Incubator

University startup incubators are programs or facilities established within academic institutions to support and foster entrepreneurial ventures led by students, faculty, or alumni.

These incubators leverage the university’s resources, expertise, and industry connections to provide startups with a conducive environment for growth and success.

University-affiliated startups benefit from access to cutting-edge research, mentorship from experienced professors and industry professionals, potential collaboration with other departments or research centers, and networking opportunities with potential investors and industry partners.

University incubators play a vital role in bridging the gap between academia and the business world, encouraging the commercialization of innovative ideas and technologies developed within the university ecosystem, and driving regional economic development by creating new businesses and job opportunities.

Nonprofit Best Startup Incubator

Nonprofit startup incubators are organizations or programs that aim to support and empower early-stage startups for social impact or community benefit.

Unlike traditional for-profit incubators, nonprofit incubators focus on nurturing startups that address social, environmental, or humanitarian challenges.

Their commitment to fostering socially responsible businesses makes them valuable catalysts for driving meaningful and sustainable change.

Corporate Startup Best Startup Incubator

Corporate startup incubators are initiatives companies establish to foster innovation and support early-stage startups within their industry or related sectors.

These incubators are often driven by the corporation’s desire to stay at the forefront of technological advancements, explore new business models, and tap into the entrepreneurial ecosystem.

Corporate startup incubators serve as a win-win collaboration, allowing startups to grow with the backing of an established brand and corporations to stay competitive and explore new market opportunities through collaboration with agile and innovative startups.

Get Serious About Getting Your Startup in a Best Startup Incubator Program

How Do I Choose the Best Startup Incubator Program?

Finding the right startup incubator or accelerator that will be best for you and your startup journey is essential. Not all incubators offer assistance to all industries. You will want to start by finding the startup incubators and accelerators that work with your industry.

Find the Right Fit

You can narrow down your options by asking the following questions:

1. Am I an early-stage startup, or do I already have a team and product but need startup funding?
2. Am I willing to relocate to meet at their office space, or must I attend virtually?
3. Do I need to be familiar with successful businesses in their portfolio?

Begin the Application Process

Visit the website of the startup incubator or startup accelerator program you want to be a part of and sign up for an account.

Most have time windows that they accept applications in. Startups that submit early often have a slight advantage because they have more time to review it.

Process of Best Startup Incubator

There is an interview process, and it’s common for you to be the company’s founder to apply and complete an interview.

If accepted, many companies have a startup week or weekend where you are introduced to the program and portfolio companies, corporate partners, other participating companies, and carefully selected investors and venture capitalists.

These are your first steps to becoming part of a vibrant startup community where you have access to an extensive, often global, network where you can connect to a venture capital firm. This startup environment will help you thrive and combine technology to achieve success.

When To Join a Best Startup Incubator Program

Many successful startups don’t use incubator or accelerator programs to get traction in their industry. However, the success rate drastically increases if you have help.

Technology startups/tech startups are popular, but other small businesses also benefit from these scale programs.

Suppose you’re stuck and need help with a startup plan, business development, innovative solutions, or a worldwide network. In that case, it’s time to consider a startup incubator or accelerator program.

There are accelerators worldwide, but there is an advantage to choosing one that is geographically convenient to you and has similar portfolio companies.

There are also multiple nationally ranked accelerator programs on this list, and although all the companies on the list are superior, nationally ranked accelerator companies may have a more extensive worldwide network.