Techstars Space Accelerator
Defense & Space · Run by Techstars · 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
- Equity for cashInvests cash in your company and takes equity (an ownership stake) in return.
- Investment
- $220,000 total: $20,000 via convertible equity agreement plus $200,000 uncapped MFN SAFE
- Equity taken
- 5%
- Program length
- 13 weeks
- Format
- In person
- Location
- Los Angeles, CA
- Cohorts per year
- 1
- Cohort size
- Not published
- Stage focus
- early-stage space and adjacent-industry startups
- Sub-vertical
- space technology
- Demographic focus
- Not published
- Backers
- Techstars, U.S. Space Force, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
- Notable alumni
- Not published
Terms notes: Standard Techstars terms, primary-verified at techstars.com/newsroom/investment-terms and stated to apply to all future US accelerator programs: $20,000 convertible equity agreement converting to 5% common stock (post-money, after conversion of all SAFEs and convertibles) upon a priced round of at least $1 million, plus a $200,000 uncapped MFN SAFE, with a side letter granting pro rata and information rights. Partners: U.S. Space Force and NASA JPL. 2026 cycle: applications 2026-03-02 to 2026-06-10 (closed), program 2026-09-08 to Demo Day 2026-12-10 (~13 weeks). No 2027 window announced as of 2026-07-22.
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Terms in plain English
Techstars invests $220,000 in every accepted company under its standard terms, which the Space Accelerator uses. That breaks down as $20,000 through a convertible equity agreement that converts into 5 percent of the company's common stock, on a post-money basis, once the company completes a priced round of at least $1 million, plus a $200,000 uncapped SAFE with a most favored nation clause, meaning it adopts the terms of the lowest-cap SAFE the company later issues. The program itself is roughly 13 weeks of in-person, mentorship-driven work in Los Angeles, run in partnership with the United States Space Force and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory.
Who this is actually for
Early-stage space technology companies across terrestrial, LEO, GEO, and lunar domains, plus dual-use startups and companies from adjacent industries such as automotive, agriculture, and energy that want a path into aerospace customers, including government ones.
Application windows
2026 cohort (Sep 8 to Dec 10, 2026): Opens Mar 2, 2026, closes Jun 10, 2026.
Verified date not recordedSource2027 cohort, not yet announced (applications have typically opened in early spring): Timing expected, exact dates not yet confirmed.
Verified date not recorded
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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.