26 Questions to Ask Before You Commit
Most founders evaluate accelerators on brand name alone. That's how you end up in a 3-month program with mentors who've never sold to your customer, in a city your team doesn't live in, giving up equity you didn't need to give. Ask these questions — in writing — before signing anything.
- What percentage are you taking, and is it uncapped, capped, or converted at a future round?
- What is the total investment amount, and when is it disbursed?
- Are there follow-on rights, pro-rata, or preferred terms beyond the initial investment?
- What happens to my equity if I raise a round during the program?
- Have any portfolio companies bought back equity or exited the program early?
- Who are the 3 most active partners/mentors, and what did they build or sell?
- How many hours per week do partners spend with each company?
- Is mentorship structured (scheduled) or ad hoc (on request)?
- Can I speak to 3 founders from the last cohort before committing?
- What's the ratio of companies to active partners?
- How many portfolio companies have raised a Series A or above?
- What is the active alumni network size, and how structured is access?
- Can you connect me with 2 alumni who have raised from your network post-program?
- What % of your portfolio has gone on to raise from investors introduced by the program?
- Is relocation required, and for the full duration?
- What are the residency expectations (days per week, hours per day)?
- What are the grounds for removal from the program?
- Is Demo Day participation mandatory, and what's the format?
- What introductions do you make to investors after Demo Day, and how?
- Do you have a dedicated platform/portfolio team for post-program support?
- What perks (AWS, Stripe, Notion, etc.) are included, and what's their actual dollar value?
- How long does your follow-on investor relationship typically last?
- What percentage of current portfolio companies are in my sector?
- What is the average monthly revenue or traction of accepted companies?
- Have you invested in my exact model (e.g., bootstrapped SaaS, vertical AI, hardware)?
- What's the one type of company you consistently pass on, and why?
Red Flags to Watch For
Programs that shouldn't exist have learned to talk like programs that should. Here are the signals that the program in front of you is going to cost you time, equity, and momentum — not generate it.
Equity above 10% for a pre-seed check
Standard is 5–8% for pre-seed programs. 10%+ means the economics don't work in your favor — especially before your cap table gets complicated by dilution from a seed round.
Walk away threshold: >10% for under $150KNo verifiable portfolio outcomes
If you can't find 5 portfolio companies with public funding announcements, active websites, and a founder you can email — the program hasn't produced outcomes. Press releases about "partnerships" don't count.
Ask for 5 founders' emails. If they hesitate, leave.Vague mentorship commitments
"Access to our network of 200+ mentors" means nothing. What you need to know: who shows up, how often, and can any of them make intros that matter for your specific business. Vague = zero.
Ask for the partner schedule from last cohortMandatory relocation to a mismatch city
If your customers, co-founder, or technical team are in one city and the program requires 3 months in another, factor in the distraction cost. Programs that say "remote-friendly" but push you to relocate are not remote-friendly.
Ask: what % of last cohort actually relocated?Pressure to pivot your model before joining
If the program is suggesting you change your business model during the application process, they're optimizing for their demo day narrative — not your company. A program that believes in you should back you as you are.
Red flag if they can't articulate why your current model worksNo recent investments in the last 12 months
Programs that haven't made a new investment in over a year are stalled — they've run out of LP capital, lost partner interest, or can't attract companies. Check Crunchbase for their last portfolio company.
Verify: last Crunchbase portfolio entry datePartners can't name their own portfolio
In the interview, ask the partner to name 3 portfolio companies and explain what they do. If they struggle, they're not engaged with their companies. An invested partner knows their founders cold.
Test it in your intro call — don't warn themCurriculum-heavy, access-light programs
15 workshops on lean startup methodology are not what you need at pre-seed. You need investor intros, customer intros, and someone who's built in your space. Too much curriculum = the program is compensating for lack of network.
Ask for last cohort's schedule. Count workshops vs. 1-on-1 time.Get our Accelerator Match Report
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Program Comparison: YC vs Techstars vs TinySeed vs Forum Ventures vs AngelPad
Five programs that founders reference constantly — but are rarely compared clearly. Here's what each one actually looks like in 2026: equity, investment, cohort structure, focus, and what happens after Demo Day.
| Y Combinator | Techstars | TinySeed | Forum Ventures | AngelPad | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Equity | 7% | 6% common | 6–8% SAFE | 7% | 7% |
| Investment | $500K | $20K + $100K note | $120K–$140K | $150K | $120K |
| Cohort size | 200+ / batch | 10 / cohort | 15–20 / year | 8–12 / cohort | 15 / batch |
| Duration | 3 months | 3 months | 12 months | 4 months | 3 months |
| Location | SF/remote hybrid | 30+ cities globally | Remote-first | NYC | NYC / SF |
| Best for | Traction stage validated model | Enterprise corp. partnerships | Bootstrapped SaaS revenue focus | B2B SaaS early NYC | Consumer + SaaS small cohort |
| Focus sectors | All sectors; AI, SaaS strongest | Enterprise, corporate, IoT | SaaS only (no moonshots) | B2B SaaS, NYC ecosystem | Consumer, SaaS, marketplace |
| Post-program | YC alumni network; Bookface access | Techstars Network (40K+) | Ongoing cohort Slack + perks | Forum portfolio network | Strong alumni; small but tight |
| Acceptance rate | ~1.5% | ~1–3% | ~1–2% | ~3–5% | ~2% |
| Standout strength | Brand signal is unmatched for fundraising | Mentor density + corporate access | SaaS-specific + longer engagement | NYC network; B2B customer access | Small cohort = real partner time |
* Equity/investment figures are approximate based on publicly available program information as of early 2026 and may change by cohort. Always confirm current terms directly with the program before applying.
Looking to negotiate better terms? See our Accelerator Equity Negotiation Playbook — what's actually negotiable, leverage points, and a step-by-step framework for getting better terms.
Decision Framework by Stage
The right accelerator is not the most prestigious one — it's the one that matches where you are right now. Applying too early wastes a year of dilution on a program you weren't ready for. Applying too late means you needed the money and credibility 12 months ago.
You have conviction but no product
You know the space, you've identified a pain, but there's no prototype, no customers, and no defined business model yet.
- YC, Techstars, Forum — they want traction evidence
- Any program charging application or demo fees
You have a working product + early users
You've built v1, you have 10–100 users or beta customers, and you're generating early signal but not meaningful revenue yet.
- YC — highly competitive without strong growth signal
- TinySeed — needs revenue already in place
You have customers and growing MRR
You're generating recurring revenue ($5K–$50K MRR range), customers are staying, and you have evidence the model works.
- Pre-seed incubators — you're past that stage
- Programs that take 10%+ equity — you're too valuable now
You have product-market fit, raising Seed+
You're at $50K+ MRR or post-seed, growing fast, and looking at accelerators primarily for the credentialing and investor network.
- Most traditional accelerators — the equity cost doesn't justify the return
- Any program with >3 month in-person requirement
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