Download Our List of The Top 100 Accelerators & Incubators

This free sheet contains 100 accelerators and incubators you can apply to today, along with information about the industries they generally invest in.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Accelerators & Incubators
Download The List of the 100 Highest-Valued Unicorns

This free sheet contains all the information about the top 100 unicorns, including their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.
100 Top Unicorns
Get Free Access to The Founder's Handbook

This free Notion document contains the best 100+ resources you need for building a successful startup, divided in 4 categories: Fundraising, People, Product, and Growth.

The Founder's Handbook

Top 26 Space Accelerators and Incubators (2026)

Description

CTA

The space industry has a growing number of programs designed to help new companies succeed. For example, Y Combinator has made over 7,800 investments, while Techstars has completed more than 6,300.

Beyond the large, multi-industry players, there are also more focused programs. Starburst Accelerator, for instance, concentrates on aviation, space, and defense, with over 75 investments in these areas.

Below is our list of the best 26 Space accelerators and incubators.

Failory's Top 10 Picks

Fundraising OS
Tool
Fundraising OS

Everything you need to raise funding for your startup, including 3,500+ investors, 7 tools, 18 templates and 3 learning resources.

Buy It For $97 $297
Accelerators & Incubators List
Sheet
2,189 Accelerators & Incubators

Information about the industries, countries, and cities they generally invest in.

Get the Sheet for $50
Complete Unicorns List
Sheet
1,600+ Unicorns

Information about their valuation, HQ's location, founded year, name of founders, funding amount and number of employees.

Get the Sheet for $50
BioTech & Health Investors
Sheet
250 BioTech & Health Investors

List of startup investors in the BioTech, Health, and Medicine industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
AI Investors
Sheet
250 AI Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50
FinTech Investors
Sheet
250 Fintech Investors

List of 250 startup investors in the FinTech and Finance industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.

Get the Sheet for $50

They help launch early-stage startups across a vast array of industries by providing seed funding and an intensive mentorship program. Its community-centric approach has helped build legendary companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Stripe, making it one of the most prestigious programs for founders.

HeadquartersMountain View, California, United States
Year Founded2005
FoundersTrevor Blackwell, Jessica Livingston, Armand Cognetta, Paul Graham, Robert Morris
Investment Amount$500,000 ($125K for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE)
Equity Taken7% + SAFE conversion (~2.5% more typical)
Nº of Investments7818
Nº of Exits687
Program TypeOn-Site
Duration (Weeks)11
Techstars Logo

Techstars fuels the growth of early-stage startups by providing pre-seed investment and intensive mentorship across a diverse range of industries. Founders join a three-month, mentorship-driven program that offers hands-on support and access to a massive global network of investors and alumni.

HeadquartersBoulder, Colorado, United States
Year Founded2006
FoundersJakub Kulisa, Nikita Gupta, Jared Polis, Brad Feld, Asetila Koestinger Von Sonnenland, David Brown, Mike Romano, David Cohen
Investment Amount$220,000 ($200K uncapped MFN SAFE + $20K for 5% equity)
Equity Taken5% + SAFE conversion
Nº of Investments6394
Nº of Exits570
Program TypeOn-Site
Duration (Weeks)13

Backed by the University of Tokyo, this platform invests in early to later-stage startups to help commercialize academic research. They focus on turning deep-tech innovations from fields like life sciences, robotics, and AI into globally competitive companies.

HeadquartersTokyo, Tokyo, Japan
Year Founded2016
FoundersKatsuhiko Oizumi
Nº of Investments73
Nº of Exits9

The Accelerator Centre helps develop and commercialize technology startups through world-class mentorship and a network of facilities. As an award-winning not-for-profit, they provide founders with significant resources and a supportive community to build globally competitive companies, often without taking equity.

HeadquartersWaterloo, Ontario, Canada
Year Founded2006
Founders
Investment AmountAerospace Program: up to $600K in-kind tools/services
Nº of Investments211
Nº of Exits9
Program TypeOn-Site
Duration (Weeks)144

What If Ventures provides crucial early-stage funding to startups tackling mental health and addiction recovery. The firm also backs founders building the future of hard tech, with a focus on defense, space, and industrial technologies.

HeadquartersFrisco, Texas, United States
Year Founded2019
FoundersStephen Hays
Nº of Investments88
Nº of Exits7
Centech Logo

6. Centech

Centech champions deep tech startups, guiding companies with high growth potential through the complexities of scaling. They specialize in supporting ventures in demanding sectors such as space, semiconductors, and medical devices.

HeadquartersMontréal, Quebec, Canada
Year Founded1996
FoundersCarl Malartre
Nº of Investments106
Nº of Exits5
Program TypeOn-Site
Duration (Weeks)12104

Starburst Accelerator propels early-stage startups in the aviation, space, and defense sectors onto the global stage. They act as a critical link between groundbreaking technology and the major corporations, government agencies, and investors that define the aerospace industry.

HeadquartersLos Angeles, California, United States
Year Founded2015
FoundersAbhi Anuket, Francois Chopard, Sandra Budimir
Nº of Investments77
Nº of Exits5
Program TypeOnline
Duration (Weeks)52

By offering capital, a collaborative platform, and access to a deep network, the Vermont Center for Emerging Technologies gives local entrepreneurs a distinct advantage. They focus on accelerating startups across diverse emerging technology fields, from AgTech and FinTech to life sciences and aviation.

HeadquartersBurlington, Vermont, United States
Year Founded2005
Founders
Nº of Investments21
Nº of Exits3

Operating as part of the UK's Ministry of Defence, this accelerator finds and funds innovative technologies to address national security challenges. They provide a vital bridge connecting private sector innovators with the government resources and contacts needed to build a safer future.

HeadquartersSalisbury, Wiltshire, United Kingdom
Year Founded2016
Founders
Nº of Investments11
Nº of Exits3
CAS Star Logo

10. CAS Star

Stemming from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS Star focuses on incubating and investing in "hard and core" technology startups. They specialize in commercializing scientific breakthroughs in fields like optoelectronic chips, AI, and new materials through strategic investment and support.

HeadquartersXian, Hunan, China
Year Founded2020
FoundersHao Li, Lei Mi
Nº of Investments208
Nº of Exits2

16 Additional Space Accelerators and Incubators Worth Applying To

The programs we highlighted are excellent, but there are many other strong options for founders. Together, the accelerators and incubators listed below have invested in more than 350 companies.

These programs are spread across the United States and Europe, from Poland to the UK. Here’s a look at the rest of the startup accelerators helping founders in the space industry.

Accelerator/IncubatorCountryYear FoundedNº InvestmentsNº Exits
Space3ac logo Space3acPoland20151432
Qi3 Ventures logo Qi3 VenturesUnited Kingdom1999102
AFWERX logo AFWERXUnited States2017431
EDventure Holdings logo EDventure HoldingsUnited States11
I3P logo I3PItaly1999291
SAP.iO Foundry Berlin logo SAP.iO Foundry BerlinGermany201621
GIGA Venture logo GIGA VentureUnited Kingdom20231
Commercialization Reactor logo Commercialization ReactorLatvia20096
Catalyst Accelerator logo Catalyst AcceleratorUnited States20186
Hula logo HulaUnited States20184
Seraphim Space Accelerator logo Seraphim Space AcceleratorUnited States201817
Aerospace Xelerated logo Aerospace XeleratedUnited Kingdom201940
Thales Digital Factory logo Thales Digital FactoryFrance2017
Actuate Ventures logo Actuate VenturesUnited States20241
European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre, Noordwijk logo European Space Agency Business Incubation Centre, NoordwijkFrance200310
DigitalCPR logo DigitalCPRCanada39

Description

CTA
The All-In-One Newsletter for Startup Founders

90% of startups fail. Learn how not to with our weekly guides and stories. Join +40,000 other startup founders!

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.