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 Oct 1, 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, IAI CATALYST and the Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Technology Accelerator, the SATE Accelerator in Washington, 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 Terms vary by program and are mostly unpublished, so amounts and equity are null. Published examples: the SCALE FAQ says the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (Department of Commerce funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required), though SCALE's page still shows its 2023 Cohort 5 as the latest; IAI CATALYST, run by IAI North America and powered by Starburst for US-based early-stage startups, offers a $100K cash investment plus $100K in in-kind technical support over 20 weeks, and its Cohort 5 took applications March 15 to June 7, 2026 and kicked off September 23, 2026 (demo day March 9, 2027). The IAI CATALYST site shows a countdown for Cohort 6 applications but prints no close date.
- Equity taken
- Not publishedRuns 20+ partner accelerator programs worldwide (US programs include ICDA in San Marcos TX, IAI CATALYST and the Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Technology Accelerator, the SATE Accelerator in Washington, 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 Terms vary by program and are mostly unpublished, so amounts and equity are null. Published examples: the SCALE FAQ says the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (Department of Commerce funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required), though SCALE's page still shows its 2023 Cohort 5 as the latest; IAI CATALYST, run by IAI North America and powered by Starburst for US-based early-stage startups, offers a $100K cash investment plus $100K in in-kind technical support over 20 weeks, and its Cohort 5 took applications March 15 to June 7, 2026 and kicked off September 23, 2026 (demo day March 9, 2027). The IAI CATALYST site shows a countdown for Cohort 6 applications but prints no close date.
- 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, IAI CATALYST and the Starburst National Landing Launchpad in Virginia, the NASA Space Health Accelerator, SEISMIC MSI Defense Technology Accelerator, the SATE Accelerator in Washington, 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. Published examples: the SCALE FAQ says the program is completely free with no cash or equity charge (Department of Commerce funded, 13 weeks, two cohorts per year, pre-seed and seed, TRL 3+, Southern California presence required), though SCALE's page still shows its 2023 Cohort 5 as the latest; IAI CATALYST, run by IAI North America and powered by Starburst for US-based early-stage startups, offers a $100K cash investment plus $100K in in-kind technical support over 20 weeks, and its Cohort 5 took applications March 15 to June 7, 2026 and kicked off September 23, 2026 (demo day March 9, 2027). The IAI CATALYST site shows a countdown for Cohort 6 applications but prints no close date.
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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.
Starburst Aerospace Accelerator application deadlines
No application window is on record for this program yet. Check the official website for the next cohort.
Frequently asked questions
- When is the next Starburst Aerospace Accelerator application deadline?
- No upcoming application window is published for Starburst Aerospace Accelerator. We last verified this on Oct 1, 2026.
- How much does Starburst Aerospace Accelerator invest?
- Starburst Aerospace Accelerator does not publish an investment amount, so we record it as not published.
- How much equity does Starburst Aerospace Accelerator take?
- Starburst Aerospace Accelerator does not publish the equity it takes, so we record it as not published.
- Where is Starburst Aerospace Accelerator located and is it in person?
- Starburst Aerospace Accelerator is based in Los Angeles, CA and runs a hybrid program.
- Is Starburst Aerospace Accelerator still active?
- As of our last check on Oct 1, 2026, Starburst Aerospace Accelerator is active.
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Sources
Everything above was checked against these, verified Oct 1, 2026.