Startup accelerators and incubators in San Francisco Bay Area
- 16 organizations
- 7 cities
- Oct 2026 last checked
The San Jose-San Francisco-Oakland area accounted for 52.4% of total US venture deal value in 2025, a historic high, and 22.3% of deal count. Startup Genome's 2026 report ranks Silicon Valley first among global startup ecosystems.
Sources: PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor Q4 2025, January 2026 · Startup Genome, Silicon Valley, GSER 2026
OpenAI, based in San Francisco, closed a $40 billion round in 2025, which Startup Genome calls the largest single venture raise in history. The region hosts Y Combinator alongside 50 other accelerators and about 200 co-working spaces, according to the same report.
16 of 16 shown
Nothing matches these filters.
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a16z Speedrun
Andreessen Horowitz accelerator for games and entertainment-technology founders, investing up to USD 1M and giving access to a16z operator teams for recruiting, go-to-market and marketing.
- Run by
- Andreessen Horowitz
- Funding
- up to USD 1,000,000
Media & creative
a16z.com Upcoming: Jan 2027 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Activate Berkeley
Two-year fellowship for scientist-entrepreneurs with a living stipend, R and D funding and access to Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory through the Cyclotron Road partnership.
- Run by
- Activate
- Funding
- USD 100,000 living stipend per year, USD 100,000 R&D support, USD 12,000 per year travel and professional development
Climate & energyHardware & IoTDeep tech
activate.org Latest activity: Sep 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Afore Founders-in-Residence
Two-month, in-person pre-seed cohort program in South Park run by Afore Capital, helping about 10 technical founder teams per cohort validate demand and raise follow-on funding.
- Run by
- Afore Capital
- Duration
- 2 months
- Funding
- $250-750k on customized terms
All sectors
afore.vc Latest activity: Oct 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Alchemist Accelerator
Silicon Valley accelerator for enterprise and B2B technical founders offering a six-month program with coaching, mentor access, workshops, an optional small SAFE investment and a virtual demo day.
- Duration
- 6 months
- Funding
- optional SAFE investment, average net proceeds about USD 30,000
AIB2B softwareDeep tech
alchemistaccelerator.com Latest activity: Jun 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Bakar Bio Labs
UC Berkeley and QB3 incubator at 2630 Bancroft Way offering lab and office space, shared core facilities, experts in residence and events to life-science startups.
- Run by
- UC Berkeley and QB3
Life sciences
bio.bakarlabs.org Latest activity: Sep 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Berkeley SkyDeck
UC Berkeley accelerator selecting about 20 startups every six months for a USD 200,000 investment from the SkyDeck Fund, plus mentoring, a demo day and an incubator and coworking track for earlier-stage teams.
- Run by
- University of California, Berkeley
- Funding
- USD 200,000 investment from the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund per accelerator cohort company
All sectors
skydeck.berkeley.edu Latest activity: Sep 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
JLABS San Francisco
Johnson and Johnson Innovation life-science incubator in South San Francisco offering lab and office space, startup support and investor hubs to biotech companies, who keep their intellectual property.
- Run by
- Johnson & Johnson Innovation
Life sciencesHealthtech
jnjinnovation.com Latest activity: Jun 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Neo
Residency and seed fund giving founders and student teams SF workspace, a bootcamp, mentorship and funding, alongside a separate Neo Scholars program for computer-science students.
- Duration
- 3 months (Residency)
- Equity
- participation rights up to 5% ownership in next equity round
- Funding
- startups get USD 750,000 uncapped; students get USD 40,000
neo.com Upcoming: Jan 2027 · Checked Oct 2026 -
PearX
Pear VC's twelve-week, pre-seed accelerator for founders who relocate to the Bay Area, offering direct investment, a recruiter, go-to-market support and free studio office space.
- Run by
- Pear VC
- Duration
- 12 weeks, two cohorts a year (winter and summer)
- Equity
- targets about 7% ownership
- Funding
- USD 500,000 to USD 2,000,000 per company
pear.vc Latest activity: Oct 2025 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Plug and Play Tech Center
Silicon Valley innovation platform that runs batch-based accelerator programs connecting startups with corporate, government and university partners across more than 25 industry verticals.
AIFintechInsurtechHealthtechClimate & energyMobilityDeep techFood & agricultureIndustry & manufacturingProperty & constructionRetail & e-commerceMedia & creativeLogistics
plugandplaytechcenter.com Upcoming: Nov 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
SOSV SF
SOSV's San Francisco deep-tech accelerator, formerly IndieBio, giving pre-seed startups lab space near UCSF and an initial investment of up to USD 550,000.
- Run by
- SOSV
- Funding
- up to USD 550,000 initial investment
Deep techLife sciencesAI
sosv.com Latest activity: Mar 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
South Park Commons
Community and residency for technical founders and researchers exploring new company ideas, offering a six-month no-cost no-equity residency plus venture-scale funding once a company forms.
- Duration
- 6 months (Residency)
- Equity
- no cost or equity for the Residency
- Funding
- USD 1M to USD 10M for founders building venture-scale companies
southparkcommons.com Upcoming: Oct 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship
Ten-month full-time fellowship at Stanford Biodesign training engineers, clinicians and business professionals to identify unmet health needs and invent new health technologies.
- Run by
- Stanford Mussallem Center for Biodesign
- Duration
- 10 months, August to early June
Healthtech
biodesign.stanford.edu Latest activity: Aug 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
StartX
Founder-led community exclusively for Stanford-affiliated founders offering an equity-free, fee-free accelerator with mentorship, a vetted investor network and specialized AI and biotech tracks.
- Equity
- no equity, no fees
AILife sciences
web.startx.com Latest activity: Oct 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
The Garage at Northwestern University
Northwestern University startup space offering student and alumni founders programs, funding, mentors and community at its Evanston location, with a second site in San Francisco.
- Run by
- Northwestern University
thegarage.northwestern.edu Latest activity: Oct 2026 · Checked Oct 2026 -
Y Combinator
Three-month batch accelerator in which founders relocate to San Francisco and receive a standard investment package in exchange for equity.
- Duration
- 3 months, four batches a year
- Equity
- 7% for the first USD 125,000 tranche
- Funding
- USD 500,000 total: USD 125,000 for 7% on a post-money SAFE plus USD 375,000 on an uncapped SAFE with MFN
All sectors
ycombinator.com Latest activity: Dec 2025 · Checked Oct 2026
How this list is made
Every card on this page passed the same three checks before it was published.
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Opened on its own website
Each organization was read on its own site, not on a directory or press page.
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Active in the last 18 months
A dated cohort, open call, demo day or news item is required. Its date is on the card; an announced one shows as Upcoming.
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Checked a second time
A separate review re-read every record. Anything it could not confirm was left out.
What gets listed
- Accelerator cohorts
- Incubation with coaching or lab access
- Startup studios
- University founder centers
- Public programs with an application process
What is left out
- Investment funds without a program
- Office or coworking space without a program
- Programs with no dated activity in 18 months
Only what they state
Sector focus, duration, equity and funding appear only where the organization states them itself. A blank means it does not say, not that the answer is none.
Spotted a mistake?
Something out of date, or a program missing? Write to info@mentornity.com with a link to the official page.
Running a program like these?
Our guide covers how accelerators and incubators set up mentor pools, match founders with mentors and keep track of sessions across a cohort.