Cyber accelerators
Accelerators for Cyber founders
The cyber vertical is small but varied, and it now spans classic cohort accelerators and programs that are not accelerators at all. Newer additions are straightforward cohorts: the CrowdStrike, AWS, and NVIDIA Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator is an online, equity-free program, and Tampa Bay Wave CyberTech|X runs a zero-equity Tampa cohort. Alongside them sit three programs with unusual structures. DataTribe is a foundry: it co-builds companies with founders, often from the intelligence community around Fort Meade, and negotiates investment and equity per company rather than publishing standard terms. Its annual DataTribe Challenge is open now, with submissions due September 11, 2026 and finals in Washington, DC in late October. MACH37 is a 90 day program with rolling applications for its Fall 2026 and Spring 2027 cohorts, though its current investment and equity terms are unpublished. DreamPort is not an investment program at all but a USCYBERCOM-linked prototyping facility whose route is government contracts; its site has gone stale and its operator has rebranded, so read its status note before planning around it.
What counts as a cyber accelerator here: any US program that gives early-stage cybersecurity startups structured support, whether it invests for equity, provides credits and mentorship for no equity, or routes teams toward government customers. Every figure is the program's own published number; where a program does not publish a figure, we say so instead of guessing.
Showing 5 of 5 programs, plus 1 that has ended
| Check size | Equity | Terms | Format | Next window | Signal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cyber Howard Acceleratorcybersecurity products (software and hardware) | Not publishedTwelve-week accelerator for early-stage cybersecurity companies led by the Howard County Economic Development Authority in Maryland, with six to eight companies per cohort supported by a dedicated entrepreneur-in-residence and mentors in cybersecurity, sales and funding. The program pages publish no investment, equity or fee terms. Applicants must be U.S.-based companies with their own cybersecurity product (software or hardware), or a demonstrable prototype with market research and a go-to-market timeline, and must commit to at least 11 of the 12 weekly three-hour meetings. Graduates can continue at the Maryland Innovation Center. Cohort Four is the current cohort; its applications are closed, and applications are accepted now for the next cohort, anticipated to begin in early spring 2027. | Not publishedTwelve-week accelerator for early-stage cybersecurity companies led by the Howard County Economic Development Authority in Maryland, with six to eight companies per cohort supported by a dedicated entrepreneur-in-residence and mentors in cybersecurity, sales and funding. The program pages publish no investment, equity or fee terms. Applicants must be U.S.-based companies with their own cybersecurity product (software or hardware), or a demonstrable prototype with market research and a go-to-market timeline, and must commit to at least 11 of the 12 weekly three-hour meetings. Graduates can continue at the Maryland Innovation Center. Cohort Four is the current cohort; its applications are closed, and applications are accepted now for the next cohort, anticipated to begin in early spring 2027. | Not publishedTwelve-week accelerator for early-stage cybersecurity companies led by the Howard County Economic Development Authority in Maryland, with six to eight companies per cohort supported by a dedicated entrepreneur-in-residence and mentors in cybersecurity, sales and funding. The program pages publish no investment, equity or fee terms. Applicants must be U.S.-based companies with their own cybersecurity product (software or hardware), or a demonstrable prototype with market research and a go-to-market timeline, and must commit to at least 11 of the 12 weekly three-hour meetings. Graduates can continue at the Maryland Innovation Center. Cohort Four is the current cohort; its applications are closed, and applications are accepted now for the next cohort, anticipated to begin in early spring 2027. | MD | Not published | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| Cybersecurity Startup Accelerator (CrowdStrike, AWS, NVIDIA)cybersecurity | Not publishedAn equity-free accelerator for seed-stage cybersecurity startups run by CrowdStrike with AWS and NVIDIA. Per the program page CrowdStrike links from its own announcement, 2027 applications run October 5 to November 2, 2026; the program opens with an in-person kickoff in New York City on January 5 and 6, 2027, followed by an eight-week virtual program from January 11 to March 8, 2027, and a final pitch event at RSA on April 5 to 8, 2027 for 10 selected companies. Listed benefits include go-to-market and cloud support, CISO mentors, fundraising workshops, a Demo Day pitch session, and up to 70% off CrowdStrike Falcon Go and Pro. The program takes no equity and makes no cash investment, though finalists may separately be considered for a CrowdStrike Falcon Fund investment. The 2026 cohort of 35 startups ran an eight-week program from January 5 to March 3, 2026. The AWS program page (the record's website) still shows the older 2025 timeline. | Not publishedAn equity-free accelerator for seed-stage cybersecurity startups run by CrowdStrike with AWS and NVIDIA. Per the program page CrowdStrike links from its own announcement, 2027 applications run October 5 to November 2, 2026; the program opens with an in-person kickoff in New York City on January 5 and 6, 2027, followed by an eight-week virtual program from January 11 to March 8, 2027, and a final pitch event at RSA on April 5 to 8, 2027 for 10 selected companies. Listed benefits include go-to-market and cloud support, CISO mentors, fundraising workshops, a Demo Day pitch session, and up to 70% off CrowdStrike Falcon Go and Pro. The program takes no equity and makes no cash investment, though finalists may separately be considered for a CrowdStrike Falcon Fund investment. The 2026 cohort of 35 startups ran an eight-week program from January 5 to March 3, 2026. The AWS program page (the record's website) still shows the older 2025 timeline. | Equity-free | Not published | Hybrid | Nov 2, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| DataTribe (Cyber Foundry & DataTribe Challenge)cybersecurity company creation (foundry/studio) | Not publishedFoundry/startup-studio model: co-builds and seed-invests in cybersecurity companies (typically drawing founders from the NSA/intelligence-community talent pool around Ft. Meade). Investment amounts and equity are negotiated per company and not published on the site, hence nulls. Annual DataTribe Challenge (free to enter; a signature program of the DataTribe-run Cyber Innovation Conference): 2026 submissions closed September 11; finalists are announced October 2; five finalists pitch October 27, 2026 at the conference in Washington, DC for a share of $25,000 in prize money. The old datatribe.com/challenge page now returns 404. Exits include ReFirm Labs (Microsoft), Code Dx (Synopsys), Attila Security (ID Technologies). | Not publishedFoundry/startup-studio model: co-builds and seed-invests in cybersecurity companies (typically drawing founders from the NSA/intelligence-community talent pool around Ft. Meade). Investment amounts and equity are negotiated per company and not published on the site, hence nulls. Annual DataTribe Challenge (free to enter; a signature program of the DataTribe-run Cyber Innovation Conference): 2026 submissions closed September 11; finalists are announced October 2; five finalists pitch October 27, 2026 at the conference in Washington, DC for a share of $25,000 in prize money. The old datatribe.com/challenge page now returns 404. Exits include ReFirm Labs (Microsoft), Code Dx (Synopsys), Attila Security (ID Technologies). | Equity for cash | MD | In person | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| MACH37 Cyber Acceleratorcybersecurity product startups | Not publishedApplications are accepted on a rolling basis for the U.S.-based Spring 2027 cohort per mach37.com/pages/apply (no close date published); the Fall 2026 cohort is no longer offered. The apply page's Apply Here button links to platform.mach37.com, whose security certificate has expired. The programs page describes a 12 week accelerator and says the U.S. (Washington, DC) and European (Netherlands) programs are virtual. Current investment amount and equity are not disclosed, so both are null; the programs page says companies may explore investment services through VentureScope but that investment is not assured; historically reported at $50,000 initial investment per company (Dark Reading, secondary source, not assumed current). cohorts_per_year is null because no cadence is published: the cohorts page lists Fall 2025, Spring and Fall 2024, and Fall 2023 as the most recent cohorts. State VA reflects the program's SparkXYZ listing (Tysons, VA); exact city not stated on MACH37's own pages. The site also sells market intelligence reports through an online shop. | Not publishedApplications are accepted on a rolling basis for the U.S.-based Spring 2027 cohort per mach37.com/pages/apply (no close date published); the Fall 2026 cohort is no longer offered. The apply page's Apply Here button links to platform.mach37.com, whose security certificate has expired. The programs page describes a 12 week accelerator and says the U.S. (Washington, DC) and European (Netherlands) programs are virtual. Current investment amount and equity are not disclosed, so both are null; the programs page says companies may explore investment services through VentureScope but that investment is not assured; historically reported at $50,000 initial investment per company (Dark Reading, secondary source, not assumed current). cohorts_per_year is null because no cadence is published: the cohorts page lists Fall 2025, Spring and Fall 2024, and Fall 2023 as the most recent cohorts. State VA reflects the program's SparkXYZ listing (Tysons, VA); exact city not stated on MACH37's own pages. The site also sells market intelligence reports through an online shop. | Equity for cash | VA | Remote | None confirmed | Sep 28, 2026 | Verified |
| Tampa Bay Wave CyberTech|Xcybersecurity | Not publishedA zero-equity, no-fee accelerator run by Tampa Bay Wave for early-stage cybersecurity startups, selecting about 15 companies from the Tampa Bay region, the US, and internationally. No capital is invested and no equity is taken; the program provides mentorship and more than $100,000 in resources and credits. The 2026 cohort's applications ran October to December 2025; the next window is expected but not yet posted. | Not publishedA zero-equity, no-fee accelerator run by Tampa Bay Wave for early-stage cybersecurity startups, selecting about 15 companies from the Tampa Bay region, the US, and internationally. No capital is invested and no equity is taken; the program provides mentorship and more than $100,000 in resources and credits. The 2026 cohort's applications ran October to December 2025; the next window is expected but not yet posted. | Equity-free | FL | Hybrid | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
Programs that have ended
| Check size | Equity | Terms | Format | Next window | Signal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DreamPortcyber capabilities for USCYBERCOM/DoD | Not publishedEnded: dreamport.tech has shown a web host's placeholder since January 2024 (Last-Modified Jan 23, 2024; /about-us.php returns 404), and the operator, renamed from MISI to the Technology Advancement Center in November 2023, no longer mentions DreamPort on its site. When active it ran Rapid Prototyping Events, workshops, and tech exchanges; solutions were procured via FAR contracts, OTAs, and prize competitions; no equity and no fixed award amounts. | Not publishedEnded: dreamport.tech has shown a web host's placeholder since January 2024 (Last-Modified Jan 23, 2024; /about-us.php returns 404), and the operator, renamed from MISI to the Technology Advancement Center in November 2023, no longer mentions DreamPort on its site. When active it ran Rapid Prototyping Events, workshops, and tech exchanges; solutions were procured via FAR contracts, OTAs, and prize competitions; no equity and no fixed award amounts. | Non-dilutive | MD | Hybrid | None | Sep 29, 2026 | VerifiedProgram endedThe operator has said this program ended, or its program pages are gone and it has shown no activity for two years or more. We keep the record so its history stays visible. |
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