Startup accelerators in Colorado
5 verified startup accelerators on Accelerator Atlas are based in Colorado. They span Climate & Energy, Defense & Space, and EdTech. Programs here include Catalyst Accelerator (Catalyst Space Accelerator), Techstars Workforce Development Accelerator, and Third Derivative (D3). Each listing shows its source and the date we last checked it.
Showing 5 of 5 programs
| Check size | Equity | Terms | Format | Next window | Signal | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Catalyst Accelerator (Catalyst Space Accelerator)space and national-security tech for U.S. Space Force | Not publishedDefense customer-discovery accelerator connecting startups with DoD/Space Force stakeholders (Space Delta 7 AI/ML 'CAAMO' cohort and BMC3I TAP Lab Cohort 4 ran in Spring 2026); 6-week Stage 1 cohort experience. The site does not publish stipend/investment figures or equity terms, so those are null; historically cohorts have been non-dilutive with no equity taken. BMC3I TAP Lab Phase 1 applications, opened at the July 21 to 23, 2026 Mission Catalyst Summit, are now closed. New in Fall 2026: an Investment Readiness Boot Camp (CAIRB; customer AFRL) for pre-Series A space-technology companies with no more than $5M in investment, not focused on government customer discovery; applications ran August 20 to September 16, 2026, the boot camp runs October 12 to 23, 2026 in Colorado Springs, and lodging is provided for 11 nights per company. No next application window was posted as of 2026-09-28. | Not publishedDefense customer-discovery accelerator connecting startups with DoD/Space Force stakeholders (Space Delta 7 AI/ML 'CAAMO' cohort and BMC3I TAP Lab Cohort 4 ran in Spring 2026); 6-week Stage 1 cohort experience. The site does not publish stipend/investment figures or equity terms, so those are null; historically cohorts have been non-dilutive with no equity taken. BMC3I TAP Lab Phase 1 applications, opened at the July 21 to 23, 2026 Mission Catalyst Summit, are now closed. New in Fall 2026: an Investment Readiness Boot Camp (CAIRB; customer AFRL) for pre-Series A space-technology companies with no more than $5M in investment, not focused on government customer discovery; applications ran August 20 to September 16, 2026, the boot camp runs October 12 to 23, 2026 in Colorado Springs, and lodging is provided for 11 nights per company. No next application window was posted as of 2026-09-28. | Non-dilutive | CO | Hybrid | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| Techstars Workforce Development Acceleratorworkforce / labor-market technology | $220,000 | 5% | Equity for cash | CO | In person | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | VerifiedPossibly dormantWe could not confirm a recent or upcoming cohort. It may have paused or wound down. Verify before applying. |
| Third Derivative (D3)climate tech across all emissions sectors; industrial, cooling, batteries | Not publishedVirtual 18-month accelerator; admissions are rolling with multiple intakes per year and about a three-month application-to-decision process. Eligibility: minimum two full-time employees, working prototype (TRL 4+), for-profit, no basic science risk, global applicants welcome. Investment amounts and equity terms are not published and vary by cohort initiative, so amounts left null. Future Industries Partnership open call active as of July 2026 (Southeast Asia, India, Middle East focus); no deadline posted. | Not publishedVirtual 18-month accelerator; admissions are rolling with multiple intakes per year and about a three-month application-to-decision process. Eligibility: minimum two full-time employees, working prototype (TRL 4+), for-profit, no basic science risk, global applicants welcome. Investment amounts and equity terms are not published and vary by cohort initiative, so amounts left null. Future Industries Partnership open call active as of July 2026 (Southeast Asia, India, Middle East focus); no deadline posted. | Mixed | CO | Remote | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN2)clean energy for built environment, housing, food-energy-water | up to $250,000 non-dilutive per startup, delivered as NLR technical assistance | Not publishedFully non-dilutive; no equity. IN2 is a $55 million energy technology program funded by Wells Fargo & Company and co-administered by the National Laboratory of the Rockies (NLR), formerly NREL. Emerging Tech track: selected startups receive up to $250,000 in nondilutive funding in the form of hands-on technical assistance from NLR scientists, not cash. There is no open application: startups are referred by IN2 Channel Partners (more than 60 accelerators, incubators, and university programs, per NLR) during program application windows and evaluated by NLR researchers and the Wells Fargo and Executive Advisory Boards; application inquiries go to IN2@nlr.gov. The most recent Emerging Tech startup cohort news on the IN2 site dates from November 2025, and no 2026 startup cohort had been announced as of September 28, 2026. The separate Scalable Tech track helps corporations, municipalities, and other adopters pilot vetted technologies; on July 23, 2026 its second cohort awarded a $750,000 pool to four of nine participating organizations. Channel Partner Strategic Awards fund partner organizations, not startups. | Non-dilutive | CO | Hybrid | None confirmed | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
| West Gate Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Programlab-embedded fellowship for energy and hard-tech innovators | $115,000 per year living stipend for up to two years, plus $150,000 in technical assistance redeemed at NLR | Not publishedTwo-year fellowship at the National Laboratory of the Rockies in Golden, Colorado, one of the Department of Energy's Lab-Embedded Entrepreneurship Program nodes alongside Chain Reaction Innovations, Cyclotron Road and Innovation Crossroads. Selected innovators receive a $115,000 annual stipend paid quarterly for up to two years; relocation, health insurance and travel stipends for qualifying candidates; and two-year technical assistance funding worth $150,000 that is redeemed at NLR for technical services rather than paid to the innovator or company. The FAQ says the program takes no equity. Applicants apply as individuals, must be U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, must relocate to Golden or the greater Denver area, and must have raised no more than $2 million from nongovernment sources in the prior three years. Up to five innovators are selected per cohort. Cohort 6 applications opened September 15, 2026 and close October 30, 2026. | Non-dilutive | CO | In person | Oct 30, 2026 | Oct 1, 2026 | Verified |
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