accelerator-application

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- Founder wants to apply to Y Combinator, Techstars, or other accelerator programs
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SKILL.md

---
name: accelerator-application
trigger: When the user wants to apply to startup accelerators, incubators, or fellowship programs. Also use when the user mentions "YC application", "Techstars", "accelerator", or "apply to programs".
related: [pitch-deck, fundraising-email, investor-research]
reads: [startup-context]
---

# Accelerator Application

## When to Use
- Founder wants to apply to Y Combinator, Techstars, or other accelerator programs
- Founder wants to identify which accelerators are the best fit for their stage and sector
- Founder wants help drafting application essays and preparing for interviews
- Founder wants to batch-apply to multiple programs efficiently

## Context Required
- Company stage, product, and traction metrics
- Founder backgrounds and why this team is uniquely positioned
- What the founder wants from an accelerator (funding, network, credibility, customers, mentorship)
- Industry/vertical (some accelerators are sector-specific)
- Geography and willingness to relocate
- Previous applications or rejections (to improve this round)

## Workflow

1. **Match accelerators to the startup** — filter the directory below by stage fit, sector focus, geography, and program terms. Recommend a shortlist of 5-10 programs ranked by fit.
2. **Research each program's preferences** — review recent cohort companies, partner bios, and published advice from each accelerator on what they look for. Note any patterns (YC values technical founders and fast growth; Techstars values coachability and market size).
3. **Draft the core narrative** — write the foundational answers that most applications share:
   - What does your company do? (one sentence, no jargon)
   - What problem are you solving and for whom?
   - Why now? What's changed that makes this possible?
   - Why is this team the right team?
   - What traction do you have?
   - What's your unfair advantage or unique insight?
4. **Customize per application** — adapt the core narrative to each program's specific questions, word limits, and culture. YC applications are famously terse. Techstars wants to see coachability. Others want market size.
5. **Prepare the video** (if required) — draft a script for the 1-2 minute application video. Structure: problem → solution → traction → team → ask. Keep it authentic, not polished.
6. **Prepare for interviews** — draft answers to common accelerator interview questions (see below). Practice the 30-second pitch.

## Top US Accelerators Directory (40+)

### Tier 1 — Generalist, Top-Tier
| Program | Website | Investment | Equity | Duration | Location | Best For |
|---------|---------|-----------|--------|----------|----------|----------|
| Y Combinator | [ycombinator.com](https://www.ycombinator.com/) | $500K ($125K for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE) | 7% (on $125K portion) | 3 months | San Francisco | Technical founders, fast-growing startups at any stage |
| Techstars | [techstars.com](https://www.techstars.com/) | $120K | 6% | 3 months | Multiple cities | Coachable founders, strong mentor network needs |
| 500 Global | [500.co](https://500.co/) | $150K | 5% | 4 months | San Francisco | International founders, diverse backgrounds |
| Antler | [antler.co](https://www.antler.co/) | $250K | 8-10% | 6 months | NYC, Austin | Pre-team / pre-idea founders looking for co-founders |
| Launch Accelerator | [launchaccelerator.co](https://www.launchaccelerator.co/) | $100K | 6% | 3 months | San Francisco | Consumer and SaaS, media exposure via TWIST network |
| Entrepreneur First | [joinef.com](https://www.joinef.com/) | $80-125K | ~10% | 6 months | NYC, London, global | Pre-team, build with a co-founder from the cohort |
| South Park Commons | [southparkcommons.com](https://www.southparkcommons.com/) | Fellowship | No equity | Ongoing | San Francisco | Experienced operators exploring what to build next |
| Pioneer | [pioneer.app](https://pioneer.app/) | $20K | 1% | Remote | Rolling (weekly) | Very early stage, global, remote-first |
| HF0 | [hf0.com](https://www.hf0.com/) | Fellowship + community | No equity | Ongoing | San Francisco | Deeply technical founders, hacker community, ex-FAANG builders |

### Tier 2 — Sector-Specific
| Program | Website | Focus | Investment | Location |
|---------|---------|-------|-----------|----------|
| a16z Speedrun | [a16z.com/speedrun](https://a16z.com/speedrun/) | Consumer tech | $750K | San Francisco |
| Neo | [neo.com](https://neo.com/) | Enterprise / deep tech | Varies | San Francisco |
| Alchemist Accelerator | [alchemistaccelerator.com](https://www.alchemistaccelerator.com/) | Enterprise sales | $36K | San Francisco |
| Dreamit Ventures | [dreamit.com](https://www.dreamit.com/) | HealthTech, UrbanTech | $50-100K | Philadelphia / NYC |
| Plug and Play | [plugandplaytechcenter.com](https://www.plugandplaytechcenter.com/) | Industry verticals | Varies (no equity) | Sunnyvale |
| ERA (Entrepreneur Roundtable) | [era.co](https://www.era.co/) | NYC ecosystem | $100K | New York |
| Gener8tor | [gener8tor.com](https://www.gener8tor.com/) | Midwest / emerging markets | $100K | Milwaukee, multiple |
| Founders Factory | [foundersfactory.com](https://foundersfactory.com/) | Corporate-backed verticals | Varies | NYC, London |
| Boomtown Accelerator | [boomtownaccelerators.com](https://www.boomtownaccelerators.com/) | Media, tech, sustainability | $50K | Boulder, CO |
| Mucker Capital | [muckercapital.com](https://www.muckercapital.com/) | B2B SaaS, consumer | $150K | Los Angeles |
| Indie Bio | [indiebio.co](https://indiebio.co/) | Biotech / life sciences | $250K | San Francisco |
| HAX | [hax.co](https://hax.co/) | Hardware / deep tech | $250K | Newark, NJ |
| Techstars AI | [techstars.com](https://www.techstars.com/) | AI-native startups | $120K | Multiple |
| Google for Startups Accelerator | [startup.google.com](https://startup.google.com/) | AI, Cloud, various | $0 (no equity) | Multiple |
| Microsoft for Startups | [microsoft.com/startups](https://www.microsoft.com/startups) | Cloud / AI | Credits (no equity) | Remote |
| AWS Activate | [aws.amazon.com/activate](https://aws.amazon.com/activate/) | Cloud infrastructure | Credits (no equity) | Remote |

### Tier 3 — Non-Profit, University & Government
| Program | Website | Focus | Location |
|---------|---------|-------|----------|
| MassChallenge | [masschallenge.org](https://masschallenge.org/) | Social impact, any sector ($0, no equity) | Boston, multiple |
| StartX (Stanford) | [startx.com](https://www.startx.com/) | Stanford-affiliated | Palo Alto |
| Creative Destruction Lab | [creativedestructionlab.com](https://www.creativedestructionlab.com/) | Science-based ventures | Multiple |
| NSF I-Corps | [icorps.nsf.gov](https://new.nsf.gov/funding/initiatives/i-corps) | Deep tech commercialization | National |
| SBIR/STTR | [sbir.gov](https://www.sbir.gov/) | Government R&D grants | National |
| Lassonde Entrepreneur Institute | [lassonde.utah.edu](https://lassonde.utah.edu/) | Student founders | Salt Lake City |
| Berkeley SkyDeck | [skydeck.berkeley.edu](https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/) | UC Berkeley-affiliated | Berkeley |
| MIT delta v | [entrepreneurship.mit.edu](https://entrepreneurship.mit.edu/) | MIT-affiliated | Cambridge |
| Columbia Startup Lab | [startup.columbia.edu](https://startup.columbia.edu/) | Columbia-affiliated | New York |
| Carnegie Mellon Swartz Center | [cmu.edu/swartz-center](https://www.cmu.edu/swartz-center-for-entrepreneurship/) | CMU-affiliated | Pittsburgh |

*Note: Terms, investment amounts, and equity percentages change frequently. Verify current terms on each program's website before applying.*

## Output Format

```markdown
## Accelerator Application Plan

### Recommended Programs (ranked by fit)
1. **[Program]** — [why it's a fit] | Deadline: [date] | Apply: [link]
2. ...

### Core Narrative
- **One-liner:** [what you do in one sentence]
- **Problem:** [2-3 sentences]
- **Solution:** [2-3 sentences]
- **Why now:** [1-2 sentences]
- **Traction:** [key metrics]
- **Team:** [why you're the right people]
- **Unique insight:** [what you know that others don't]

### [Program Name] Application Draft
**Q: [Question from application]**
A: [Draft answer within word limit]
...

### Interview Prep
**30-second pitch:** [draft]
**Common questions and answers:**
- "What do you understand that others don't?" — [answer]
- "How do you acquire users/customers?" — [answer]
- "What's the biggest risk?" — [answer]
- "Why hasn't this been done before?" — [answer]
- "What will you do if this doesn't work?" — [answer]
```

## Frameworks & Best Practices

**What top accelerators look for:**
- **YC:** Founders who build fast. Technical co-founders. Clear thinking, not polish. "Make something people want." They read applications in under 2 minutes — be concise.
- **Techstars:** Coachability and self-awareness. Market size. The "why you" answer. They call references on founders.
- **500 Global:** Diverse founders, international-friendly. Traction and hustle over pedigree.

**Application writing principles:**
- Lead with what you've built and what's working, not the market opportunity
- Use specific numbers ("1,200 users, 40% WoW growth") not vague claims ("rapidly growing")
- Show velocity — what you've accomplished in the last 4 weeks matters more than a 5-year vision
- Be honest about what's not working — self-awareness is a signal of founder quality
- Write at a 6th-grade reading level. No jargon, no buzzwords, no "leveraging AI to disrupt"

**Common mistakes:**
- Applying to every accelerator instead of targeting the best 5-7 fits
- Writing what you think they want to hear instead of what's true
- Burying the traction (put numbers in the first sentence)
- Over-explaining the market instead of showing what you've done
- Sending a polished video instead of an authentic one (YC explicitly says don't do this)
- Not researching which partners/mentors at the program are relevant to your space

## Related Skills
- `pitch-deck` — accelerator interviews often involve a short pitch
- `fundraising-email` — for follow-up communication with program partners
- `investor-research` — accelerator partners are also investors

## Examples

**Prompt:** "Help me apply to YC for the next batch. We're a developer tools startup with 500 users."

**Good output includes:** Tailored YC application draft with concise answers to each question, emphasis on technical depth and growth rate, a 60-second video script, and interview prep focused on YC's known question patterns.

**Prompt:** "What accelerators should I apply to for my healthtech startup? We're pre-revenue but have LOIs from 3 hospitals."

**Good output includes:** Filtered list prioritizing Dreamit (HealthTech focus), YC (strong health portfolio), and relevant sector programs. Application strategy emphasizing LOIs as traction signal.
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