Illumina Ventures Labs (formerly Illumina Accelerator)
Biotech & Life Sciences · Run by Illumina / Illumina Ventures · Foster City, CA
The facts
All fields verified Jul 21, 2026- Terms model
- Equity for cashInvests cash in your company and takes equity (an ownership stake) in return.
- Investment
- up to $200,000 (optional convertible note) plus $20,000 credit line
- Equity taken
- 7%
- Program length
- 26 weeks
- Format
- In person
- Location
- Foster City, CA
- Cohorts per year
- 2
- Cohort size
- up to 5 per cycle
- Stage focus
- concept through seed (pre-Series A)
- Sub-vertical
- genomics / NGS applications
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- Illumina, Illumina Ventures
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Terms from Illumina's own Accelerator FAQ (fetched PDF): 7% fully diluted common stake per startup, optional up to $200k convertible notes, $20k secured credit line, plus sequencing credits, reagents, lab and office space; founders must relocate to the Bay Area. IMPORTANT: Illumina's startups page states the Accelerator ran 15+ cycles 2014-2023 (74 startups) and the program has transitioned to 'Illumina Ventures Labs' under Illumina Ventures; legacy FAQ terms may not exactly match the successor program. DEADLINE/STATUS NOTE: Historically two six-month cycles per year with twice-yearly deadlines; no dated 2026 deadline found on fetched Illumina pages. accelerator.illumina.com blocked fetching (robots).
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Terms in plain English
We have not written this program’s plain-English breakdown yet. Until we do, read the terms notes above and the program’s own documents.
Who this is actually for
We have not written our take on who this program fits yet. Use the facts above and the stage and demographic focus to judge fit for now.
Application windows
No application window is on record for this program yet. Check the official website for the next cohort.
Compare this program
Put Illumina Ventures Labs (formerly Illumina Accelerator) side by side with up to two others to weigh cash, equity, and timing.
Compare Illumina Ventures Labs (formerly Illumina Accelerator)Guides that explain these terms
Plain-English mechanics, with worked hypothetical numbers.
- Equity vs non-dilutive accelerators: a decision frameworkHow to weigh an accelerator that buys equity against one that gives non-dilutive money, with a cap-table walkthrough at three exit sizes.
- How accelerator SAFEs work: caps, discounts, and MFN clausesA plain-English walkthrough of the SAFE terms accelerators use, with a worked example of how an MFN clause converts at a later round's terms.
Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Jul 21, 2026.