Best Startup Incubators in the USA

Tip 1 - Y Combinator: The most prestigious program for budding digital entrepreneurs

In 2005, Y Combinator developed a new model of startup funding. Twice a year we invest a small amount of money ($14-20k + an $80k note) in a large number of startups (most recently 68). The startups move to Silicon Valley for 3 months, during which we work intensively with them to get the company into the best possible shape and refine their pitch to investors. Each cycle culminates in Demo Day, when the startups present their business plans to a carefully selected, invite-only audience. But YC doesn't end on Demo Day. We and the YC alumni network continue to help founders for the life of their company, and beyond.

Since 2005 we've funded over 630 startups, including Reddit, Loopt, Clustrix, Wufoo, Scribd, Xobni, Omgpop, Weebly, Dropbox, Disqus, Songkick, WePay, Twitch, Heroku, A Thinking Ape, Machine Zone, Cloudant, Airbnb, Cloudkick, Stripe, Mixpanel, Listia, RethinkDB, Cardpool, Optimizely, MemSQL, Docker, AeroFS, Homejoy, E la Carte, PagerDuty, Hipmunk, Pebble, FiveStars, Parse, Meteor, Rap Genius, Codecademy, SocialCam, 42Floors, iCracked, Rescale, LendUp, ZenPayroll, Grouper, Clever, Coinbase, Instacart, Thalmic, Airware, Zenefits, and Teespring.

Tip 2 - AngelPad mentorship program founded by ex-Googler Thomas Korte

AngelPad is a mentorship program founded by ex-Googler Thomas Korte to help web-technology startups build better products, attract additional funding and ultimately grow more successful businesses

Twice a year, we provide an extensive mentorship program to carefully selected startups, during the course of 10 weeks, in our San Francisco (in the Spring) and New York (in the Fall) offices.

The 10 weeks program covers all aspects of a company launch – from idea to product, market fit, customer acquisition and fundraising. We also take care of the less glamorous things like incorporation, immigration visas or fundraising documents.

A strong emphasis is also put on helping founders to prepare for demo day, which occurs towards the end of each program and allows companies to present their idea/vision/product to several hundred investors.

Tip 3 - Startup Weekend is an active incubator in the Bay Area

 Startup Weekend is an active incubator in the Bay Area, almost always with a big event right around the corner.  Headquartered in Seattle and with branches in Europe and Mexico, as well as the Bay, Startup Weekend hosts events where entrepreneurs build businesses over the course of a weekend.

Tip 4 - TechNexus, Chicago

Doesn’t have time limits on companies it accepts. Invests in its companies on case-by-case basis. Founded in 2007.

Tip 5 - Vodafone Xone is a incubator and accelerator in Redwood City

Keeping it simple.
Find it. Build it. Launch it.

We’re obsessed with pushing the limits of technology for our customers.

 Vodafone Xone is a relatively new incubator and accelerator in Redwood City. “Where collaboration and innovation unite,” Xone is a space where qualified startups can get the attention you’d receive at a world class incubator such as this.

But on top of that, Xone is able to offer the full suite of testing tools available to Vodafone.  Currently a 45% stakeholder in Verizon, Vodafone enables startups to have an easy way to test new prototypes on a wide range of devices.

Tip 6 - 500 Startups provides early-stage companies with up to $250K in funding

500 Startups provides early-stage companies with up to $250K in funding, our startup accelerator program, and unique events like SmashSummit, UnSexy, and GeeksOnaPlane. With hundreds of experienced startup mentors around the world, our creative work space in the heart of Silicon Valley, and a vibrant community of startup founders, we help companies succeed in ways other venture firms do not. We are 500.

Dave McClure
Founding Partner & Sith Lord

Christine Tsai
Managing Partner & Chief Pug Herder

Christen O’Brien
Managing Partner & Chief Geek Whisperer

Tip 7 - San Francisco: Pivotal Labs is one of the most active startup incubators in Bay Area

Pivotal Labs is one of the best and most active startup incubators in the San Francisco Bay Area, located in SoMa, nurturing startups, holding free and paid events for the public, and exerting influence all over the web.

We’ve been at the forefront of agile development for more than two decades building highly scalable mobile and web software that reaches across a variety of industry verticals, software platforms and device types. We help you bring a new product vision to market, accelerate your existing development efforts and prepare your team to bring agile practices home to strengthen your in-house development.

Tip 8 - TheFounderInstitute the world’s largest entrepreneur training and startup launch Pad

Our Vision
Starting a company is an arduous and lonely journey, and technology entrepreneurship is a constantly evolving discipline. The Founder Institute aims to improve the rate of startup success by creating local startup ecosystems that emulate the unique characteristics of Silicon Valley.

Our Formula
Great People + Expert Training + Collaboration = Exponentially Better Chance of Success

Great Companies Start With Great People
It's very hard to judge a new founder by the quality of their idea, because there is too much subjectivity involved. To apply to the Founder Institute, you do not need to provide an idea. Instead, we use a proprietary Predictive Admissions Test to find the most talented people.

To date, over 20,000 people have applied, and the Founder Institute can predict with 85% accuracy somebody's potential to become a successful technology entrepreneur. Our revolutionary entrepreneur research has been featured in The New York Times, CNN, and Forbes.