Techstars vs 500 Global
How Techstars and 500 Global compare on investment, equity, format, stage and timing. Every figure comes from the programs' own sites, verified November 4, 2026.
| Techstars | 500 Global | |
|---|---|---|
| Investment | $220K | $50K |
| Equity | 5% | Not published |
| Deal terms | $220K: $20K for 5% common stock (post-money convertible equity agreement) + $200K uncapped MFN post-money SAFE | 500 Fellowship: up to $50K right away, with potential for up to $1M more; equity not disclosed; $35,000 Phase 1 program fee (excluding travel) |
| Format | Hybrid | In-person |
| Headquarters | Boulder, United States | San Francisco, United States |
| Stage | pre-seed, seed | pre-seed, seed |
| Sectors | general, ai, health, fintech, climate | general |
| Duration | 3 months | 4 months |
| Application cycle | Program-specific; multiple programs run spring and fall cohorts | Cohort-based; the current Fellowship runs Nov 30, 2026 to Apr 9, 2027 |
| Next deadline | November 18, 2026 | Not published |
Investment is the full standard package; where part of it is an uncapped SAFE, the equity stake covers only the fixed part (see deal terms). Terms change; confirm on each official site before applying.
About
Techstars
Global pre-seed investor founded in Boulder in 2006, running three-month, mentorship-driven accelerators in cities including Boston, Boulder, Chicago, New York, London and Tokyo, plus the remote Techstars Anywhere and corporate-partnered themed programs. Since 2025 its standard deal is $220K, and some programs, such as New York, now run in a hybrid format.
Notable alumni: SendGrid, DigitalOcean, ClassPass, PillPack
About
500 Global
Global early-stage VC firm (formerly 500 Startups) whose flagship program is now the 500 Fellowship, a four-month in-person program in San Francisco. It also runs regional and partner programs worldwide, such as the Sanabil Accelerator by 500 Global in Saudi Arabia.
Key differences
Techstars or 500 Global?
- Does Techstars or 500 Global invest more?
- Techstars invests more: $220K against $50K from 500 Global.
- When are the next Techstars and 500 Global deadlines?
- Techstars' next published deadline is November 18, 2026. 500 Global has no upcoming deadline published (application cycle: Cohort-based; the current Fellowship runs Nov 30, 2026 to Apr 9, 2027).
- Do I need to relocate for Techstars or 500 Global?
- Techstars runs hybrid (headquartered in Boulder, United States); 500 Global runs in person (headquartered in San Francisco, United States).
More comparisons: Y Combinator vs Techstars · Y Combinator vs 500 Global · Techstars vs Antler · Techstars vs Alchemist Accelerator · Techstars vs MassChallenge · Techstars vs ERA (Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator) · Techstars vs gener8tor · Techstars vs Plug and Play Tech Center · All comparisons
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