Developing a groundbreaking idea is, of course, the essential factor in any startup’s success, but a concept for an amazing product or service is only the first step in the long road to viability. In the vibrant and competitive Silicon Valley tech scene, many entrepreneurs might find themselves wondering exactly how to find their audience and take their ideas to the next level.
Thankfully, the startup world has incubators and accelerators to lend a hand. Established by networks of investors and consultants with an unwavering belief in the power of the startup economy, incubators and accelerators can help fledgling businesses carve out their own paths, from the product development stages to investor pitching and team building. For pre-existing startups, accelerators can offer a necessary boost to help maintain steady growth, while seed stage startups can establish strong business foundations with the help of an incubator. Each provide professionals with the opportunity to connect with potential collaborators and venture capitalist investors, providing participant startups with both practical support and the tools to succeed in the greater tech market. From backing women-led companies to investing in sustainability, check out how these 14 incubators and accelerators in Silicon Valley are investing in the world’s next great ideas.
Top Incubators and Accelerators in Silicon Valley
- Edvenswa Tech
- Y COmbinator
- 500 Startups
- Women's Startup Lab
- World Innovation Lab
- GSVlabs
- Prospect Silicon Valley
Location: San Jose
Funding Focus: Software, AI
What they do: Working with well established large companies and small-scale startups, Edvenswa Tech provides technological solutions and corporate acceleration services to companies in the enterprise software industry. Edvenswa Tech offers assistance with projects such as UX/UI design, mobile application development, cloud and DevOps integration. The company’s incubation model guides startups through the stages of incorporation from the brainstorming stage to the growth stage, providing support for prototyping, networking and customer engagement. Edvenswa Tech has roots in Atlanta, but shortly after their founding in 2012 the company expanded to Silicon Valley following the influx of startups to the area.
Who they work with: Paypal, Berkeley Haas, United States Cold Storage, Nuvasive, March of Dimes and more.
Location: Berkeley
Funding Focus: Software, Data, Robotics
What they do: Originally instituted to accelerate companies founded by entrepreneurs associated with UC Berkeley, Berkeley Skydeck provides incubation services to any startup affiliated with the campuses of University of California. They work with early stage startups to prepare for aspects of growth such as investment rounds and social media marketing, with a well-rounded professional development program that includes workshops, networking events, advising and showcase events.
Who they work with: Concha Labs, STYCKR, DevSpace, DocuVision, Empowerly, Hayden AI and more
Location: Mountain View
Funding Focus: Startups and Global Ventures
What they do: Y Combinator operates on a unique startup funding model that functions similarly to a residency program, through which they invest a small amount of money twice a year in a large number of national startup companies. Once they do so, the companies move to Silicon Valley and begin an intensive coaching program where Y Combinator collaborates with each entrepreneur to prepare their companies for investor and demo pitches. Since their founding in 2005, Y Combinator has worked with over 2,000 companies, with a combined client value of over $100 million.
Who they work with: Stripe, Reddit, Airbnb, Cruise, Doordash, Instacart, Dropbox, and more.
Location: Palo Alto
Funding Focus: Global Startups
What they do: Launched in 2009 at Stanford University, Founder Institute is the world’s biggest pre-seed startup incubator and accelerator. Their incubation support program provides structure and feedback to early stage startups and entrepreneurs looking to expand their businesses, connecting them with a network of startup experts to generate funding and recruit team members. While originally founded to only be local to the Bay Area, Founder Institute now operates in over 185 cities globally, and has locations based in six continents.
Who they work with: Udemy, Appota, Pathgather, PetHub, Ceres Robotics, and more.
Location: San Francisco
Funding Focus: Global Startups and Ventures
What they do: 500 Startups is a global venture capital firm that is focused on boosting early stage startups and providing development services that help them establish themselves as valuable companies. With a global portfolio spanning over 75 countries, 500 Startups assists startups and entrepreneurs in digital marketing, fundraising techniques and customer retention, connecting them to potential investors and partners through their hosted conferences and educational events.
Who they work with: CreditKarma, Talkdesk, Justo, Tranqui, Bustle Digital Group, ZipMatch, and more.
Location: Menlo Park
Funding Focus: Women-Owned Businesses
What they do: Focused particularly on women’s contributions to the tech industry and the opportunity gaps in STEM, Women’s Startup Lab provides incubation and acceleration services to ventures and startups led by women. Their team of advisors and funding resources help women entrepreneurs and their collaborators accelerate their market success and connect with potential mentors from established global companies. Access to the on-site resources at Women’s Startup Lab help women leaders in tech become comfortable with the Silicon Valley culture and develop their ideas with community support and workshops.
Who they work with: Pandia Health, Razzberry, BabyQuip, Mihuru and more.
Location: Santa Clara
Funding Focus: Global Startups
What they do: BetterLabs works to provide early stage startups with access to resources that encourage rapid development and product launch at low investment rates. The startup incubator is in the process of expanding their global network of angel investors, venture capital firms and enterprise founders through which their community of startups can develop their ideas, gain support and build customer bases. BetterLabs additionally hosts invite-only mixers where investors, company leaders, engineers, marketers and others can gather to network and discuss future opportunities.
Who they work with: Skill Lync, Khatabook, Inito, Rodeo, InterviewMocha, Cradlewise, WorkAppsChat and more.
Location: Palo Alto
Funding Focus: Consumer and Enterprise Technology
What they do: With two locations in Palo Alto and Tokyo, World Innovation Labs positions itself as a global startup ecosystem through which early stage ventures can utilize resources like capital and mentorship to grow into established enterprises. Their incubation and acceleration model begins with direct investments in startups and venture capital funds, following up with workshops, pitch contests and mentorship programs designed both for startups and academic communities. Both programs provide support to pre-existing startups and help entrepreneurs with the creation of new businesses and spin-off companies.
Who they work with: DocuSign, Twitter, HubSpot, BrightRoll, Fortinet, RingCentral and more.
Location: Redwood City
Funding Focus: Fintech
What they do: GSVlabs is an immersive startup incubator that works with over 200 global partners to connect early venture entrepreneurs to venture capitalists and other potential investors. Among their acceleration services is a mobile app called GSV Passport, a social media and professional networking app for early stage startup teams to connect with global tech leaders to pitch their products and grow as companies. GSVlabs additionally offers workshops, coworking spaces and professional events designed to connect people of all experiences in the tech community.
Who they work with: Inventurist, Teamed, Loadtap, Chalk and more.
Location: Palo Alto
Funding Focus: Startups and Early Stage Ventures
What they do: 42Angelitos seeks to fill the gap in startup support by providing incubation services for startups in the super early stage of development, while other incubators tend to focus on companies in the pre-seed stages or later. They focus on global entrepreneurs and their early ideas, providing an array of professional support and mentorship services designed to help companies break into the competitive Silicon Valley market.
Who they work with: Storycap, 4Good, Twingz, GetHppy, Vocita and more.
Location: San Jose
Funding Focus: Greentech, Sustainability
What they do: Prospect Silicon Valley seeks to invest in a greener future through technology, connecting government, corporations and academia to startups working in clean energy and greentech. From autonomous electric vehicles to energy efficient building design, the company sponsors entrepreneurs and teams to help realize their solutions to urban sustainability. In the next decade, Prospect Silicon Valley projects that its investments will result in a reduction of nearly 150 million pounds of CO2 in the coming decade.
Who they work with: Adara Power, AutoGrid, LYT, Quanergy, Swiftly, Trio Motors.
Location: Menlo Park
Funding Focus: Global Enterprises and Ventures
What they do: Mach49 assists pre-existing Global 1000 companies design and launch new ventures from within their own organizations, helping businesses develop a portfolio of startups. Through various 12 week programs located in either Silicon Valley, Boston or San Francisco, Mach49 gives company teams the chance to brainstorm and develop products and services to disrupt the current markets and expand their existing ventures. The incubator additionally works with startups to test products, seek out market fits and develop scalable revenue models to help them independently reach escape velocity.
Who they work with: Standard Bank, JetBlue, Purina, Stanley Black & Decker, Schneider Electric, and more.
Location: Menlo Park
Funding Focus: Consumer Internet, Mobile Computing Startups
What they do: YouWeb is an early stage startup incubator that works with tech professionals to develop new, market-ready products and business models. Over the course of a year, entrepreneurs can take advantage of YouWeb’s incubation resources to develop their ideas, build their revenue streams, and reach the ultimate goal of launching their own startups. With a focus on gaming, mobile, and other consumer technology, YouWeb’s clients have a record of 30 exits and over $10 billion in acquisitions.
Who they work with: Discord, Spaceport, Crowdstar, Fit-Any, Agawi, OpenFeint and more.
Location: Palo Alto
Funding Focus: Data and AI Startups
What they do: The Hive collaborates with startup founders on developing and co-launching enterprise AI ventures. With a team of serial entrepreneurs and successful investors, they work to propel startups through the various stages of growth and development, from seed financing to market testing. The Hive additionally provides their clients with a coworking space in downtown Palo Alto where they can collaborate with fellow entrepreneurs on new business ideas.
Who they work with: Geminus, LiveObjects, Peritus, Blockstream, FogHorn, and more.
