Starburst Aerospace Accelerator
Defense & Space · Run by Starburst Aerospace · Los Angeles, CA
Every field is checked against a primary source where we can. How we verify.
The facts
All fields verified Jul 22, 2026- Terms model
- MixedA blend of the models above. Read the terms notes for the specifics.
- Investment
- Not publishedRuns 20+ partner accelerator programs worldwide (US programs include ICDA in San Marcos TX, Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Tech Accelerator, and SCALE in Los Angeles with UCLA) alongside a venture investment arm and consulting business. Terms vary by program and are mostly unpublished, so amounts and equity are null; the SCALE FAQ is the exception, stating the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (federally funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year planned, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required). SCALE's apply page still shows Spring 2023 Cohort 5 as the last cohort with applications closed. No 2026 US application deadlines were published as of 2026-07-22.
- Equity taken
- Not publishedRuns 20+ partner accelerator programs worldwide (US programs include ICDA in San Marcos TX, Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Tech Accelerator, and SCALE in Los Angeles with UCLA) alongside a venture investment arm and consulting business. Terms vary by program and are mostly unpublished, so amounts and equity are null; the SCALE FAQ is the exception, stating the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (federally funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year planned, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required). SCALE's apply page still shows Spring 2023 Cohort 5 as the last cohort with applications closed. No 2026 US application deadlines were published as of 2026-07-22.
- Program length
- Not published
- Format
- Hybrid
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- Cohorts per year
- Not published
- Cohort size
- Not published
- Stage focus
- early-stage aerospace/defense startups (150+ portfolio)
- Sub-vertical
- aerospace and defense
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- 60+ corporate and government partners
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Runs 20+ partner accelerator programs worldwide (US programs include ICDA in San Marcos TX, Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Tech Accelerator, and SCALE in Los Angeles with UCLA) alongside a venture investment arm and consulting business. Terms vary by program and are mostly unpublished, so amounts and equity are null; the SCALE FAQ is the exception, stating the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (federally funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year planned, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required). SCALE's apply page still shows Spring 2023 Cohort 5 as the last cohort with applications closed. No 2026 US application deadlines were published as of 2026-07-22.
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Terms in plain English
Starburst is an aerospace and defense venture firm that runs many separate accelerator programs with corporate, government, and university partners, plus its own investment arm, so there is no single standard deal. Its flagship and program pages do not publish investment amounts, equity percentages, or fees, and terms vary by program and sponsor. One published example: the FAQ for its Los Angeles SCALE program (run with UCLA) states 'There is no cash or equity charge. SCALE is completely free,' because it is federally funded. Assume nothing about terms for any specific Starburst program until that program's own page states them.
Who this is actually for
Early-stage aerospace and defense founders, including dual-use companies, who want deep industry connections to primes, agencies, and corporate sponsors through a partner-run program, and who are comfortable that terms, timing, and structure differ program by program.
Application windows
No application window is on record for this program yet. Check the official website for the next cohort.
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Plain-English mechanics, with worked hypothetical numbers.
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Jul 22, 2026.