California is home to some of the world's most active startup programs. Y Combinator has made over 7,800 investments, while 500 Global has backed more than 3,100 companies.
Other established names like Plug and Play have also funded over 2,200 startups. The state offers a wide variety of programs for founders to consider.
Below is our list of the best 300 accelerators and incubators in California.
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2,189 Accelerators & Incubators
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1,600+ Unicorns
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250 AI Investors
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Get the Sheet for $50Operating one of the world's most prestigious startup accelerators, Y Combinator offers a standard $500,000 deal to early-stage companies across a wide range of industries. Their intensive program has served as the launchpad for household names like Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox, cementing their reputation for building category-defining businesses.
| Year Founded | 2005 |
| Founders | Trevor Blackwell, Jessica Livingston, Armand Cognetta, Paul Graham, Robert Morris |
| Investment Amount | $500,000 ($125K for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE) |
| Equity Taken | 7% + SAFE conversion (~2.5% more typical) |
| Nº of Investments | 7818 |
| Nº of Exits | 687 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 11 |
With a mission to back the world's most brilliant founders, 500 Global provides early-stage capital and mentorship to fast-growing tech companies. Their global reach and extensive network have helped launch notable startups like Canva, Talkdesk, and Grab.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Kai Roh, Dave McClure, Christine Tsai |
| Investment Amount | $150,000 (minus $37.5K program fees = $112.5K net) |
| Equity Taken | 6% |
| Nº of Investments | 3177 |
| Nº of Exits | 423 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 16 |
Acting as a global innovation platform, Plug and Play bridges the gap between startups and a vast network of corporations and investors across dozens of industries. Their unique ecosystem has helped launch some of the world's most recognizable tech companies, including PayPal, Dropbox, and N26.
| Year Founded | 2006 |
| Founders | Jojo Flores, Ali Safavi, Saeed Amidi, Jackie Hernandez |
| Investment Amount | $50K-$250K (investment arm); Accelerator is FREE |
| Equity Taken | 1-5% (investment arm only); 0% for accelerator |
| Nº of Investments | 2273 |
| Nº of Exits | 205 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
As Google's initiative for entrepreneurs, Google for Startups connects a global community of founders with the company's products, people, and best practices. They provide hands-on programs and resources to help early-stage companies build and scale their vision.
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | — |
| Nº of Investments | 1753 |
| Nº of Exits | 101 |
StartX supports Stanford's most promising entrepreneurs through a non-profit accelerator program that provides extensive resources and a powerful community. As a defining feature, they take zero equity while helping launch notable companies like Lime and Patreon.
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Matt Man, Richard Rabbat, Anuj Khandelwal, Christopher Morace, Arthur Meng, Dan McEleney, Danny Yu, Katie Fo, Steve Petersen, Lily Sarafan, Dan Ha, Jonathan Golden, Juan Vera, Haamid Ali, Charles Blanluet, Karen Katz, Cameron Teitelman |
| Nº of Investments | 339 |
| Nº of Exits | 81 |
Alchemist Accelerator exclusively supports startups monetizing from enterprises, providing them with initial funding and a structured growth program. Founders receive guidance on navigating complex enterprise sales cycles and achieving early market traction.
| Year Founded | 2012 |
| Founders | Charles Blanluet, Ravi Belani, Haamid Ali |
| Investment Amount | $36K-$50K |
| Equity Taken | ~5% |
| Nº of Investments | 598 |
| Nº of Exits | 68 |
| Program Type | Online |
| Duration (Weeks) | 26 |
LAUNCH propels early-stage startups forward with its intensive 16-week online accelerator program. Selected founders across a wide range of industries receive a $100,000 investment and dedicated support to help them scale their companies and secure future funding.
| Year Founded | 2011 |
| Founders | Jason Calacanis |
| Investment Amount | $100K per startup |
| Equity Taken | 6% |
| Nº of Investments | 595 |
| Nº of Exits | 61 |
| Program Type | Online |
| Duration (Weeks) | 16 |
AngelPad provides intensive mentorship and seed funding to a small cohort of early-stage startups, guiding them toward product-market fit and initial validation. Their highly selective program has helped launch successful companies like Postmates and Buffer.
| Year Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Carine Magescas, Thomas Korte |
| Investment Amount | $120K |
| Nº of Investments | 183 |
| Nº of Exits | 43 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 12 |
As a non-profit technology incubator, EvoNexus helps entrepreneurs in deep tech fields like robotics and semiconductors build commercially viable companies. They stand apart by providing resources and mentorship without taking equity or fees, a model that has helped launch successful startups like Aira and AttackIQ.
| Year Founded | 1998 |
| Founders | Rory Moore, Walter Davis |
| Nº of Investments | 227 |
| Nº of Exits | 43 |
As a venture firm built by founders, NFX backs pre-seed and seed-stage startups that have network effects at their core. They provide capital and access to an exclusive founder community, having supported the growth of companies like Poshmark and Lyft.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | James Currier, Gigi Levy Weiss, Pete Flint, Stan Chudnovsky |
| Investment Amount | $500K-$2M standard; $1.5M-$3M for FAST program |
| Equity Taken | 15% (standard terms) |
| Nº of Investments | 436 |
| Nº of Exits | 42 |
| Duration (Weeks) | 12 |
290 Additional California Accelerators and Incubators Worth Applying To
While our top picks are a great place to start, they're just the beginning of what California has to offer. The programs below have collectively invested in over 7,300 startups and helped more than 500 of them reach an exit.
There are hundreds of other organizations doing important work to support founders across the state. Here’s a look at the rest of the startup accelerators helping founders in California.