Participating in a startup accelerator can be a great way for founders to accelerate their growth and increase their chances of success. Here are the top 10 accelerators in the world.‍

1. Y Combinator

Y Combinator is one of the most well-known startup accelerators, having helped launch companies like Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit. They provide funding, mentorship, and access to a network of successful entrepreneurs and investors.‍

Website: www.ycombinator.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ycombinator

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/y-combinator

Founded: 2005

Top Industries active in: Software, Information Technology and FinTech.

Number of Investments: 5441

Exits: 489

2. Techstars

Members of this accelerator can expect access to capital, mentorship, and more. Techstars also hosts Startup Week and Startup Weekend, two impactful events for the startup community to accelerate their companies quickly. Techstars's most notable exits include Uber, Twilio, and Remitly.‍

Website: www.techstars.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Techstars

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/techstars

Founded: 2006

Top Industries active in: Software, Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology.

Number of Investments: 3594

Exits: 358

3. 500 Startups

500 Startups is a global venture capital firm with a network of startup programs headquartered in Silicon Valley with over $454M in committed capital across 4 main funds and 15 thematic funds.‍

Website: www.500.co

Twitter: https://twitter.com/500GlobalVC

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/500-startups

Founded: 2010

Top Industries active in: Software, E-Commerce and Internet

Number of Investments: 2997

Exits: 358

They have invested in 2,200+ technology startups globally since its inception in 2010 including Twilio (NYSE: TWLO), Credit Karma, SendGrid, Grab, GitLab, Bukalapak, Canva, Udemy, TalkDesk, Intercom, Ipsy, MakerBot (acquired by SSYS), Wildfire (acquired by GOOG), and Viki (acquired by Rakuten).‍

4. MassChallenge

MassChallenge is the most startup-friendly accelerator on the planet. No equity and not-for-profit, MassChallenge is obsessed with helping the most-promising startups across industries and regions around the world.‍

Website: www.masschallenge.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/MassChallenge

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/masschallenge

Founded: 2009

Top Industries active in: Health Care, Software and Information Technology.

Number of Investments: 3035

Exits: 182

In addition to providing expert mentorship, tailored curriculum, and unrivaled access to corporate partners, MassChallenge awards top startups with portions of several million dollars in cash prizes. With accelerators in Boston, Israel, Mexico, Switzerland, Texas, and the UK, MassChallenge strengthens innovation-driven economic development around the world.‍

5. Plug and Play Tech Center

Plug and Play is a seed and early-stage investor focused on great teams leading emerging growth companies. Plug and Play runs 12 industry-specific accelerator programs twice a year, that acts as a platform for major corporations and high quality startups to connect and collaborate.‍

Website: www.plugandplaytechcenter.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/PlugandPlayTC

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/plug-and-play-ventures

Founded: 2006

Top Industries active in: Software, Artificial Intelligence and Information Technology.

Number of Investments: 1561

Exits: 153

Located in the heart of Silicon Valley, Plug and Play participates in Seed, Angel and Series A funding where they often co-invest with their strategic partners. Portfolio companies include Dropbox, CourseHero & LendingClub.‍

6. Startupbootcamp

Startupbootcamp is a global network of industry-focused startup accelerators that provides investment and mentorship services.

Website: www.startupbootcamp.org

Twitter: https://twitter.com/Sbootcamp

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/startupbootcamp

Founded: 2010

Top Industries active in: Software, Financial Services and Information Technology

Number of Investments: 541

Exits: 39

Startupbootcamp was founded in 2010 and operates in cities such as Amsterdam, Barcelona, Berlin, Copenhagen, Miami, New York, Cape Town, Dubai, Istanbul, London, Chengdu, Rome and Mumbai.‍

7. AngelPad

Ranked the No. 1 accelerator by MIT's Seed Accelerator Benchmark since 2015, AngelPad boasts an impressive amount of startup funding, averaging $14 million in funding for startups that are a part of the program. This is a seed-stage accelerator based in New York and San Francisco.‍

Website: https://angelpad.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/angelpad

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/angelpad

Founded: 2010

Top Industries active in: Software, E-Commerce and Internet

Number of Investments: 183

Exits: 39‍

8. Village Capital

Village Capital uses the power of peer support to change the traditional dynamics between investors and entrepreneurs, providing access to entrepreneurship for everyone.‍

Website: www.vilcap.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/villagecapital

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/village-capital

Founded: 2009

Top Industries active in: Innovation, Financial Services, FinTech and Software.

Number of Investments: 300

Exits: 17

Village Capital support early-stage startups across thematic areas in emergent sectors including: Climate Innovation & Adaptation, Economic Mobility, and Equitable Access to Essential Services‍

9.  Entrepreneur First

Entrepreneur First is the place where the ambitious come together to build globally important technology companies.‍

Website: www.joinef.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/join_ef

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/entrepreneur-first

Founded: 2011

Top Industries active in: Artificial Intelligence, Software and Machine Learning.

Number of Investments: 386

Exits: 23

EF companies include Tractable (Computer Vision, currently valued at $1bn as of June 2021), Magic Pony Technology (AI, acquired by Twitter for a reported $150m), Represent (social commerce, acquired by CustomInk), BloomsburyAI (acquired by Facebook), Cleo (fintech), OpenCosmos (space), CloudNC (manufacturing), Transcelestial (satellite communications) and many more.‍

10. Seedcamp

Seedcamp is a European seed fund that identifies and invests early in founders attacking global markets.‍

Website: https://seedcamp.com

Twitter: https://twitter.com/seedcamp

Crunchbase: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/seedcamp

Founded: 2011

Number of Investments: 533

Number of Exits: 58

They focus more on startups that have global ambition and use tech to become successful. Seedcamp have invested in over 400 companies that have disrupted industries, including nine European unicorns.

Want more? Check our full list of 700+ Accelerator & Incubators.

* The number of investments and exits presented is accurate as of April 2023. Source: Crunchbase.