A living directory of the grants, accelerators, seed funds, and startup
credits taking applications from pre-seed and seed teams — Y Combinator included. Read the
terms, then apply direct. No middleman.
16 programs · researched July 2026 ·
terms change — always confirm on the official site
Accelerator$500K
Y Combinator
San Francisco · 3-month batch · twice a year
The accelerator every other one is measured against. YC invests $500K in each company — $125K for 7% equity plus a $375K uncapped SAFE — then runs an intense three-month program ending in Demo Day. Alumni include Airbnb, Stripe, and Coinbase. Famously selective (~1–3%).
$125K / 7% + $375K SAFE
Idea → seed
Any sector
GlobalDemo Day
Who qualifiesAny sector, any stage from just an idea up, founders of any nationality. Solo founders and teams both apply; you work full-time, and companies incorporated outside the US, Canada, Singapore, or Cayman add a parent company in one.
A mentorship-driven accelerator running dozens of themed and city programs across the globe. As of 2025 it invests $220K — a $20K convertible for 5% common stock plus a $200K uncapped MFN SAFE — alongside $4M+ in perks and one of the deepest alumni networks anywhere.
$20K / 5% + $200K SAFE
Pre-seed–seed
Themed cohorts
GlobalMentor-led
Who qualifiesEarly-stage teams able to commit to the full ~13-week program, in person for most. Each program sets its own theme, sector, and stage focus. Free to apply, worldwide.
Andreessen Horowitz's own accelerator. It invests $500K for 10% upfront on a SAFE, plus a further $500K in your next round within 18 months, and layers on $5M+ in cloud/AI/software credits and priority access to model providers and app stores. Brutally competitive (<1%).
$500K / 10% + $500K follow-on
Pre-seed–seed
$5M+ in credits
AIConsumerGames
Who qualifiesPre-seed to seed teams in AI, consumer, games, or media. You'll relocate to San Francisco for the 12 weeks. Any nationality — an idea plus a strong team is enough to apply.
A growth-focused, four-month program from one of the most globally active early-stage firms. 500 invests $150K for 6% (a $37.5K fee is deducted), with follow-on rights, and pairs it with a hands-on GTM curriculum and a huge international investor network.
$150K for 6%
Seed stage
Growth curriculum
GlobalGTM
Who qualifiesSeed-stage startups with a working product and early traction, any sector, worldwide. Requires relocating to the Bay Area for the four-month in-person program.
A "day-zero" investor that backs the founder before the company exists. Join a residency, form a team, and validate an idea from scratch; in the US Antler invests roughly $250K at a ~$2.75M post-money (~9%). Applications run year-round with no fixed deadlines.
~$250K for ~9% (US)
Idea / pre-team
Global residencies
Any sectorCo-founder
Who qualifiesIndividuals at the idea or pre-team stage — no company or co-founder needed. You commit full-time and relocate to a residency location. Open to operators, engineers, and domain experts globally.
EF invests in exceptional individuals before they have a company or a co-founder, paying an equity-free talent stipend during the program. Form a company and it invests up to $250K — $125K for 8% plus a $125K uncapped MFN SAFE — with six months of hub office space.
$125K / 8% + $125K SAFE
Pre-team → pre-seed
Talent stipend
Deep techGlobal
Who qualifiesExceptional individuals before they have a company or co-founder — strong technical or domain talent willing to leave their job and move to a hub (SF, London, Bangalore…). No idea required to apply.
The rare accelerator built exclusively for enterprise and B2B startups. Its edge is a network of 550+ corporate partners — Fortune 500s actively looking to pilot and buy from each cohort. Invests ~$25–30K for a single-digit stake; 50%+ of alumni raise institutional rounds within a year.
~$25K for ~5%
Pre-seed–seed
550+ corporate partners
B2BEnterprise
Who qualifiesEnterprise / B2B startups only — your revenue must come from businesses, not consumers. Early-stage; consumer companies aren't accepted. Applicants worldwide.
The world's largest non-profit, zero-equity accelerator. It takes no stake and charges no fee — you keep 100% of your company — and awards up to $1M+ in equity-free cash prizes across each competition-based cohort, plus mentorship, corporate access, and space.
No equity, no fee
Any stage
Equity-free cash prizes
Any sectorNon-dilutive
Who qualifiesEarly-stage startups, typically having raised under ~$2M and under ~$2M in revenue (varies by program). No incorporation needed to apply and MVP or pre-revenue is fine — one founder must attend the in-person events.
A pre-seed fund that famously backs "hilariously early" founders and writes fast. Checks run $50K–$750K (sweet spot ~$150K), often leading rounds, with a public application path — you don't need an introduction to get in front of them. Strong in AI, fintech, and healthcare.
$50K–$750K checks
Pre-seed
Cold-friendly
AIFintech
Who qualifiesPre-seed startups, often on day one — no warm intro required. Strongest fit in AI, fintech, healthcare, and B2B. Apply through their public form.
A first-check pre-seed firm that leads rounds and backs founders others overlook. Writes $250K–$500K into B2B software, consumer, and connected hardware, and — like Hustle Fund — reads cold inbound, so a warm intro isn't a prerequisite to being considered.
$250K–$500K checks
Pre-seed–seed
Leads rounds
B2BConsumerHardware
Who qualifiesPre-seed and seed startups, with a real welcome for first-time and underrepresented founders. B2B software, consumer, and connected hardware. Cold outreach is read — no intro needed.
The largest source of non-dilutive early-stage funding in the US — ~$4B/year set aside across 11 agencies (NIH, NSF, DoD, DOE, NASA…). Phase I awards run up to ~$314K for feasibility work; Phase II can exceed $2M. No equity, no repayment. STTR requires a research-institution partner.
Phase I up to ~$314K
No equity, no repayment
R&D / deep tech
US onlyNon-dilutive
Who qualifiesUS for-profit small business, under 500 employees, at least 51% owned by US citizens or permanent residents, doing R&D. SBIR: your lead researcher is mostly employed by the company. STTR: partner with a US nonprofit research institution.
A $250,000 grant paid over two years to a tiny cohort of founders 22 or younger who skip or leave school to build. No equity taken — it's a grant plus mentorship and a network of founders, investors, and scientists. Around 20–25 spots against thousands of applicants.
$250K over 2 years
Age 22 and under
No equity
GlobalNon-dilutive
Who qualifiesIndividuals 22 years old or younger, from any country, willing to skip or leave school and build full-time. It's a grant to a person, not a company.
The most accessible large credits program: up to $150K in Azure plus GitHub Enterprise, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn Premium, and Azure OpenAI access. Unlike the others it needs no VC backing or incorporation docs — any startup with an idea and a work email can join.
Up to $150K Azure
Any stage
+ OpenAI, GitHub
CloudSelf-serve
Who qualifiesAny privately-held startup building a software product it owns, pre-Series D — bootstrapped is fine, no funding or referral needed for the entry tier. The top Azure tiers need existing Azure usage or a partner-VC referral.
Amazon's startup program. The self-serve Founders tier gives any early company $1K in credits and support; the Portfolio tier (via an accelerator or VC) goes up to $100K, with a Generative-AI track reaching further. Widely stacked alongside Google and Microsoft credits.
$1K self-serve → $100K
Any stage
Cloud + support
CloudGenAI track
Who qualifiesFounders tier is self-serve for bootstrapped startups: pre-Series B, under 10 years old, no prior Activate credits, with a company website. The larger Portfolio tier requires being tied to an AWS Activate provider (accelerator or VC).
Google Cloud's startup program offers up to $200K in credits over two years — and up to $350K for AI-first startups — plus technical support and go-to-market help. The most generous option for data-heavy and model-training workloads.
Up to $200K ($350K AI)
Seed–Series A
2-year runway
CloudAI-first
Who qualifiesStart tier: bootstrapped or pre-funded startups under 10 years old. Scale tier (the big credits): equity-funded from seed to Series A (Series A within 12 months), under 10 years old, with ≤$5K of prior Google Cloud credits.
The largest equity-crowdfunding platform in the US — ~$980M raised across 2,200+ startups. Post a profile, deck, and video and raise up to $5M a year from your own users and the crowd under Regulation CF. Any US startup, pre-revenue to growth; investors buy real equity from $100.
Raise up to $5M / year
Any stage
Investors from $100
USCommunity-led
Who qualifiesAny US-incorporated company (C-Corp, LLC, S-Corp, or Benefit Corp) with a real product — not publicly traded and not in a restricted industry (cannabis, firearms, gambling, adult, crypto…). Raise up to $5M per year.
Figures are researched summaries as of July 2026 and can change at any time —
investment amounts, equity, deadlines, and eligibility are set by each program. Always confirm the
current terms on the official site before applying. Brotherhood is not affiliated with the programs listed.