Guides

A practical planner for lining up applications, references, and materials so a deadline never surprises you.

How league, media, and corporate pilot programs differ from cash accelerators, what they actually pay you in, and the questions to ask before trading equity for access.

How to weigh an accelerator that buys equity against one that gives non-dilutive money, with a cap-table walkthrough at three exit sizes.

How fintech and insurtech programs differ on compliance support, bank partnerships, and the terms they ask for.

A plain-English walkthrough of the SAFE terms accelerators use, with a worked example of how an MFN clause converts at a later round's terms.

Grants, federal R&D money, and farmer-partnership programs that fund agtech and foodtech startups without taking equity, and the eligibility traps to check first.

Grants, prizes, and programs that fund climate and energy startups without taking equity, and how to stack them.

Phase I, II, and III mechanics, open versus conventional topics, how AFWERX and SpaceWERX style pipelines run, and an honest look at timelines.

A plain-English breakdown of Techstars' investment terms: the 220,000 dollar deal, 5 percent minimum, and the uncapped MFN SAFE, with worked dilution math.

Why there is no single equity number for accelerators, and how the stake depends on the funding model a program uses.

Translating a small-sounding equity number into real dollars across a range of exit outcomes.

A narrative companion to the glossary that reads the terms sheet clause by clause.

An honest look at when an accelerator helps, when it does not, and what to do instead if the answer is no.

A decision guide for health and medtech founders weighing clinical validation, regulatory support, and payer access against equity.