What accelerators really offer
Check sizes, equity and implied valuations across 62 active startup accelerators, each checked against its official terms on November 3, 2026.
Median check
Median equity
Median implied valuation
Take no equity
Key findings
- Across the 13 programs that publish both a check size and an equity stake, the median deal is $150K for 7% equity.
- That implies a median post-money valuation of about $2.9M at entry.
- 46% of programs that state their equity terms take no equity at all; most of these are run by governments, universities, corporates or nonprofits and offer support or grants rather than a large check.
- Most programs don't publish a standard check at all: only 13 of 62 state both numbers, so compare offers directly before you apply.
- Generalist programs such as Y Combinator sit well above the median on check size; many regional and sector programs invest under $150K.
Terms by region
Region of the program's headquarters. Regions with fewer than two priced programs are omitted.
| Region | Programs | Median check | Median equity |
|---|---|---|---|
| North America | 11 | $210K | 7% |
| Asia-Pacific | 2 | $74K | 7% |
Largest standard checks
| Program | Investment | Equity | Implied valuation |
|---|---|---|---|
| a16z speedrun | $1M | 10% | $10M |
| AI House | $600K | 7% | $8.6M |
| PearX | $500K | 7% | $7.1M |
| Y Combinator | $500K | 7% | $7.1M |
| Techstars | $220K | 5% | $4.4M |
| Berkeley SkyDeck | $210K | 7.25% | $2.9M |
| ERA (Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator) | $150K | 6% | $2.5M |
| LAUNCH Accelerator | $125K | 7% | $1.8M |
| AlphaLab | $100K | 3% | $3.3M |
| Forum Ventures | $100K | 7.5% | $1.3M |
Methodology
We checked every program in the XRaze accelerator directory against its official website (and reputable press where the site was silent) on November 3, 2026. Closed programs, venture funds without a cohort program, and duplicates were removed, leaving 62 active programs. Medians use the 13 programs that publish both a standard check size and a non-zero equity stake. Where a program offers a headline package made of several instruments (for example a priced SAFE plus an uncapped MFN SAFE), the check is the total package and equity is the stake fixed at entry, so implied valuations are indicative only. Non-USD checks use the program's own USD figure where given.
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