How long accelerators take to answer: each program's stated timeline, quoted

Most accelerators on our list don't give one number for how long they take. The batch programs tie their answer to a deadline: Y Combinator decides on-time applications by a fixed date, and Alchemist within three weeks of its deadline. The rolling programs give a range instead: a16z speedrun says four to six weeks, Seedcamp two weeks from the first meeting. At the slow end, AlphaLab says it can take up to five months to fund you.

This guide quotes what each program says about its own timeline, from its own pages, with the day we read it (29 or 30 September 2026). It covers the programs whose pages state a timeline or say how they review. We don't apply to programs, and we don't know how long any single application really took, so this is what the programs promise, not what founders report.

01The short answer

• Batch programs answer on a date. You apply before a deadline and hear back by a day the program names, or within a set time after the deadline closes.
• Rolling programs review applications as they come in. They give a range (weeks) or only say that review is rolling. The ones on our list are in a table below.
• Some programs time the whole process, from application or first meeting to money in the bank. Those numbers are longer because they include the deal.

Here are the programs that state a length of time, in the short form our posters use. Hover a value for the full sentence, or open a program's page for the source:

The deadlines themselves change every batch, so we don't copy them into this guide. The live list is in the Next deadlines strip at the top of room 03, soonest first, each with the day we read it.

02Batch programs: you hear back by a date

Y Combinator. YC's apply page (opens in a new tab), as we read it on 30 September 2026: "The deadline to apply on-time is November 2 at 8pm PT; if you apply before the deadline, you will get a decision by December 11." The same page, read on 29 September, says what happens if you miss it: "If you apply after the deadline, we'll still consider the application but can't promise exactly when we'll get back to you." So an on-time YC application has a known worst case of about five and a half weeks after the deadline; a late one has none. How YC's deal compares with Techstars' and speedrun's is in YC vs Techstars vs a16z speedrun. YC on the list.

Alchemist counts from its deadline:

A011Alchemist·Approval

“Within three weeks of the application deadline, you will hear back from us regarding your application status.”

Our reading: Decision within 3 weeks of the application deadline

Endless Frontier Labs runs one cycle a year. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read on 29 September 2026: "Applications are open on our website from mid-May through the end of July. Top applicants are invited to interview virtually during the first week of September. Admission decisions and orientation take place in mid-September". That is six to seven weeks from the close to a decision, and the next window opens in May. Endless Frontier Labs on the list.

Startmate names the month. Its accelerator page, read on 30 September 2026, says applications close on 1 November 2026 and "Offers go out in mid-December", and that "Every application is reviewed independently by at least five selectors from across the Startmate community." Startmate on the list.

03Techstars: two pages, two answers

Techstars gives two different timelines on two of its own pages, and search results tend to show only one.

The application site, read on 30 September 2026: "Given the velocity of our investments, you may hear back from us immediately, but typically within 60–90 days of applying, or 4 weeks after applications close." We don't link that page from guides because it is where the application form lives; the quote and the page are on Techstars' page on the list.

The help center. Its article When will I hear back about my Techstars application? (opens in a new tab), last modified on 17 May 2024 and read by us on 30 September 2026, says: "After applications close, we'll review applications and spend time getting to know even more about your team, market, progress and idea. We will do our best to notify those receiving interviews within 4 weeks."

The two agree on one thing: about four weeks after applications close. The help center promises only an interview invitation in that time, and only to the teams that get one. The 60–90 days from applying appears only on the application site. Read it this way: if you apply to a program with a deadline, expect to know within about a month of the close whether you have an interview; a final answer can take longer. Techstars Anywhere's final deadline is in the Next deadlines strip in room 03.

04Rolling programs: weeks, not a date

A rolling program reads applications as they arrive, so the day you apply sets the clock. Only a few say how long the clock runs.

A003a16z Speedrun·Approval

“Our team reviews applications on a rolling basis, usually within 4–6 weeks.”

Our reading: Rolling review, usually within 4–6 weeks

speedrun's FAQ (opens in a new tab) adds what happens after a deadline: "If you miss the deadline, don't stress. We'll automatically review your application for the next cohort."

The others say they review on a rolling basis but give no length of time, in their own words:

• Antler (US): "we review applications year-round", on its US page (opens in a new tab), read 29 September 2026.
• Accel Atoms: "Since applications are accepted on a rolling basis, you can apply whenever you're ready", on its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read 29 September 2026.
• AI House: "Applications are rolling. You do not need to wait for a batch or cohort date", on its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read 29 September 2026.
• Rockstart: its support package "runs throughout the year on a rolling basis", on its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read 30 September 2026.
• Thiel Fellowship: "we accept applications year round", on its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read 30 September 2026.
• Entrepreneur First and Z Fellows also say they review on a rolling basis; Entrepreneur First adds that "You will receive an email from us regardless of the outcome of your application." Both quotes are on their pages on the list.

Rolling does not always mean no deadline. Entrepreneur First reviews on a rolling basis and also lists dated deadlines for its city programs; the next one is in the strip in room 03.

Accelerators with rolling applications

Every program on our list whose own pages say it reviews on a rolling basis or year-round, with its stated review in short form:

They split two ways:

• Apply whenever you're ready. Accel Atoms, AI House, Antler, Rockstart, the Thiel Fellowship and Z Fellows take applications at any time or year-round; Z Fellows says outright that "there is no deadline to submit an application." None of them says how long a reply takes.
• Rolling review, dated cohorts. a16z speedrun and Entrepreneur First read applications as they arrive but still close each cohort on a date, shown in the Next deadlines strip in room 03. With these, the deadline matters more than the rolling review: miss it and speedrun moves your application to the next cohort.

05Programs that time each step

A few programs time a stage of the process rather than the whole of it.

Seedcamp times the whole investment process from the first meeting, not from the application:

A034Seedcamp·Approval

“We hate nothing more than wasting a founder’s time which is why we aim to run an end-to-end process within two weeks of meeting you.”

Our reading: Aims to run the full investment process within two weeks of first meeting

Boost VC times the steps after the first call. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read on 29 September 2026: "we aim to provide next steps within the week", then "founders will have one or two follow-up calls with additional investment team members over the next week or two before we make a final decision".

Forum Ventures times the first reply. Its accelerator page (opens in a new tab), read on 30 September 2026: "We'll then get back to you within 1-2 weeks on whether or not it makes sense to have a call with our team."

Alliance says interview invites go out within a week of applying, and Founders, Inc. says "We'll get back to you within a month." Both quotes are on their pages on the list: Alliance, Founders, Inc..

500 Global gives no number. Its flagship page (opens in a new tab), read on 29 September 2026: "We try to respond to everyone with a yes or no, but it could take up to a few weeks to get a response." 500 Global on the list.

06The slow end and the fast end

AlphaLab is the longest stated timeline on the list, because it counts to the money and the start of the program:

A017AlphaLab·Approval

“It could take up to five months from the time of application to the disbursement of funds and the program’s kickoff.”

Our reading: Up to 5 months from application to funding and kickoff

Microsoft for Startups is the shortest. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read on 29 September 2026: "Most applications are reviewed in about three business days (longer if we must verify information)." It is a different kind of program: it gives cloud credits, not an investment, so there is no deal to agree. The terms of every program, credits included, are compared in how much equity accelerators take.

07Programs closed when we checked

Some programs on the list take applications only in set windows, and a few say they are closed. As we read them on 30 September 2026:

• TinySeed: its announcement (opens in a new tab) says there is "no fall batch this year, and the next TinySeed Accelerator batch will be Spring 2027."
• South Park Commons Founder Fellowship: two intakes a year; its Fall 2026 applications were closed and Spring 2027 was due to open later in 2026, by its own page.
• Betaworks Camp: the next applications open December to January, for a session that starts in March.

Each program's page on the list has the quote and the source.

08What to do while you wait

Weeks of waiting are weeks you can keep building and launching. If you are launching at the same time, the launch plan puts the launch sites and the programs on one calendar.

Put the programs you apply to in My launch with the + on each poster, mark each one submitted when the form is in, and write the day you expect to hear back in the note. Here are the programs in this guide:

09How we checked

Every timeline here comes from the program's own pages, with the page and the exact words, as we read them on 29 or 30 September 2026; each program's page on the list shows the date of each fact. Every poster and table row shows the date of our last link check. Programs change their process between batches, so read the current page before you plan around a date.

We don't apply to programs and don't collect founders' reports of how long they waited. Nobody pays to be listed or to appear in a guide. Read how we check for the details.

10Questions

01

How long does it take to hear back from Y Combinator?

It depends on when you apply. YC's apply page, as we read it on 30 September 2026, says the on-time deadline is November 2 at 8pm PT and that applicants who apply before it get a decision by December 11. Late applications are still considered, but YC does not promise when it will answer them.

02

How long does Techstars take to respond?

Techstars gives two answers. Its application site says typically within 60 to 90 days of applying, or 4 weeks after applications close. Its help center article, last modified in May 2024, says it will do its best to tell the teams it wants to interview within 4 weeks of applications closing. Both were read on 30 September 2026.

03

Which accelerators have rolling applications?

On our list, Accel Atoms, AI House, Antler, Rockstart, Z Fellows and the Thiel Fellowship say they take applications at any time or year-round. a16z speedrun and Entrepreneur First also review on a rolling basis, but they still close each cohort on a date. Only a16z speedrun says how long its review takes: usually within four to six weeks. See room 03 for the rest.

04

Can I apply to YC after the deadline?

Yes, by YC's own apply page: it still considers applications that come in after the deadline, but it can't promise exactly when it will get back to you.

05

Why hasn't an accelerator answered me yet?

We can't know why a single application is taking longer. Check the program's own stated timeline first: some count from the deadline rather than from the day you applied, some only promise an interview invitation in that time, and some count to the day the money arrives.