Startup accelerators in the UK: the London programs, in their own words

On our list, 8 programs name the UK among their locations, and 5 of them London. Techstars London runs a three-month accelerator on Techstars' standard deal. Founders Factory's fintech program with Aviva offers £50k and four months of support. Seedcamp is a London seed fund that writes first checks for companies in Europe. Conception X runs a nine-month, mostly online fellowship for PhD researchers and takes no equity itself.

Four more run programs or offices in the UK: Entrepreneur First, Antler, MassChallenge and Wayra. Below is what each program's own pages say about the deal, where you work and when you can apply, as we read them on 2 October 2026. The UK has more programs than these; this guide covers the ones on our list, each with its source.

The table shows each program's terms in the short form our posters use. What the deals are worth side by side, with the arithmetic, is in how much equity accelerators take.

01The short answer

• Techstars London: a three-month program in London. Final deadline 18 November 2026; the program starts on 8 March 2027.
• Founders Factory (Aviva fintech program): £50k and four months of support, for fintech startups.
• Seedcamp: a seed fund, not a batch. It invests in companies based in Europe and Israel, from the idea stage on.
• Conception X: nine months, part-time and mostly online, for PhD researchers at UK and European universities. Apply by 6 December 2026.
• Entrepreneur First: London programs for founders based in Europe.
• Antler, MassChallenge and Wayra: a UK office or hub; their details are on other pages, linked below.

Deadlines change every cohort. The live dates are in the Next deadlines strip in room 03, each with the day we read it.

02Techstars London

Techstars describes its London program in one line:

A086Techstars London Accelerator·In their words

“Our London programs catalyse emerging startups from all over the world, across all verticals, leveraging the city's strengths in diversity, global outlook and talent.”

Its program page (opens in a new tab), read on 2 October 2026, gives the calendar: applications opened on 24 August 2026, the final deadline is 18 November 2026, the accelerator starts on 8 March 2027 and Demo Day is on 3 June 2027. The same page describes what you get: "Techstars Accelerators give early-stage startups three months of intensive, mentorship-driven support, connecting you with the specialized expertise, global community, and capital you need to grow faster."

The deal. The London page doesn't state one. Techstars' investment terms page (opens in a new tab), read on 2 October 2026, sets one offer for its accelerators and names a single exception: "The only exception is that Techstars accelerator programs in Asia-Pacific offer a $100,000 uncapped MFN Safe." So London is on the standard $220,000 deal, explained with Techstars' own example in YC vs Techstars vs a16z speedrun.

Where you work. The page calls London "one of the world's great startup cities" and welcomes founders "from all over the world", but doesn't say how many days a week you spend there. Ask before you plan a move. Techstars London on the list.

03Founders Factory: fintech with Aviva

Founders Factory runs several programs, each with a corporate partner. The one on our list is its fintech accelerator with Aviva:

A027Founders Factory·Terms

“Aviva & Founders Factory Fintech Accelerator Applications open £50k capital • 4 months operational support • London & Global”

Our reading: Aviva Fintech program: £50k capital plus 4 months of operational support

Its Aviva program page (opens in a new tab), read on 2 October 2026, spells out the money: "Receive £50k cash investment. Our investment team will support your capital raise requirements in-program and in years to come." It says who the program is for, "We're backing the most promising early stage Fintechs across Europe", and that it invests from "Pre-Seed to Series A".

What the page doesn't say is the stake the £50k buys. Ask for the instrument and the percentage before you apply. The page labels the program "London & Global"; its accelerator page labels it "London & Remote" (quoted in remote accelerators). Its other programs run in other cities. Founders Factory on the list.

04Seedcamp: a seed fund, not a batch

Seedcamp works from London, at the address on its contact page (opens in a new tab), but it doesn't run cohorts. It invests the way a seed fund does, one company at a time. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read on 2 October 2026, says where it invests: "we tend to focus on investing in companies based in Europe and Israel, or companies with a distinctively European angle."

The same FAQ answers the questions a founder asks first:

• Stage. "From the moment you have an idea through to early revenue, we'd love to hear from you. If you have already raised more than a couple of million dollars, we're probably not the right fit at that point".
• Documents. "For rounds we lead, we use documents based on the standard Seedsummit terms". It also says: "We're comfortable using either a convertible or equity structure".
• Board. "we do not take board seats but we do typically take up board observer roles."
• The US. "With team members now based in New York and on the West Coast, we give founders direct access to US commercial hires, customer networks, and capital relationships from day one."

Its first check is in the table above, and how fast it decides after a first meeting is in how long accelerators take to answer. Seedcamp on the list.

05Conception X: for PhD researchers

Conception X backs researchers before they have a company:

A069Conception X — Venture Scientist 100·In their words

“We back PhD researchers across the UK and Europe to turn breakthrough research into venture-scale deep tech companies. No equity taken. No fees.”

Its program, Venture Scientist 100, is for PhD researchers, and its program page puts the location rule in one line: "All UK- and Europe-based PhDs welcome". Read on 2 October 2026, the same page sets the rest:

• Format. "Mostly online but there will be 3 mandatory in-person events". It "runs part-time over 9 months, from March to November every year", alongside the PhD.
• Money. Conception X itself takes no equity and charges no fees. The page adds a route to investment from others: "Access up to £300k in equity investment through our partner XTX Ventures and the Conception X angel syndicate."
• Team. The page is "flexible about" team setup: "solo founder or team".
• When. "Apply by 6 December 2026 or join our next discovery session if you have more questions. Next cohort starts Spring 2027."

If you are a scientist, other programs built for research founders are in deep tech accelerators, and programs for students and young founders in accelerators for young founders. Conception X on the list.

06Entrepreneur First, Antler, MassChallenge and Wayra

These four have a UK base, and their own words are quoted on other pages:

• Entrepreneur First has office space in central London. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab), read on 2 October 2026: "If you're based in Europe, you can apply to our London programs or to our residency programs for Europeans." Its deal and format, next to Antler's, are in Antler vs Entrepreneur First, including its San Francisco program. If that, or any US program, is your next step, what US accelerators say about visas and relocation is in accelerators for international founders. Entrepreneur First on the list.
• Antler runs its UK residencies out of London, by its locations page (opens in a new tab). Its US terms are in Antler vs Entrepreneur First. Antler on the list.
• MassChallenge runs a hybrid hub out of London (remote accelerators) and takes no equity (equity-free accelerators). MassChallenge on the list.
• Wayra, Telefónica's venture arm, names the UK among its main markets (accelerators in Europe). Wayra on the list.

07Before you apply: what to check

The pages above answer different questions. Before you pick, get each of these from the program's own page:

1. Program or fund? Techstars London and Founders Factory run programs of a fixed length. Seedcamp invests like a fund, with no cohort. Conception X is a part-time fellowship run alongside a PhD.
2. What the money buys. Techstars publishes its stake. Founders Factory's Aviva page states the cash but not the stake. Seedcamp states a check range and agrees the documents round by round. Conception X takes nothing itself; investment comes through its partners.
3. Where you'll be. Conception X names three in-person events. Techstars London's page doesn't say how many days you spend in the city.
4. When. Techstars London closes on 18 November 2026 and Conception X on 6 December 2026. Seedcamp has no deadline.
5. Europe or the UK only? Seedcamp and Founders Factory's Aviva program look across Europe, and Conception X takes PhDs from UK and European universities. The rest of the continent's programs are in accelerators in Europe, and other regions in accelerators outside the US.

Put the programs you'll apply to in My launch with the + on each poster:

08How we checked

Every quote comes from the program's own pages, read on 2 October 2026: Techstars London's program page and Techstars' investment terms page, Founders Factory's Aviva page, Seedcamp's FAQ, Conception X's home and program pages, and Entrepreneur First's FAQ. A program is in this guide when its own pages put it in the UK. We don't know acceptance rates or results, and we don't rank the programs. Terms and dates change between cohorts: read the program's current page before you apply. Each table row and poster shows the date of our last link check.

Nobody pays to be listed or to appear in a guide. Read how we check for the details.

09Questions

01

What are the startup accelerators in the UK?

On our list: Techstars London, Founders Factory's fintech program with Aviva, Seedcamp (a London seed fund rather than a batch program) and Conception X, a fellowship for PhD researchers. Entrepreneur First, Antler, MassChallenge and Wayra also have a base in the UK. We don't rank them; the table in this guide shows their terms side by side.

02

Which UK accelerators take no equity?

On our list, Conception X says it takes no equity and charges no fees, though its partners may invest in the companies it backs. MassChallenge, which runs a hub in London, says as a nonprofit it takes no equity. Techstars London and Seedcamp invest for a stake, and Founders Factory's Aviva page states an investment without saying what stake it buys.

03

Is Seedcamp an accelerator?

Not in the batch sense. Seedcamp is a London seed fund that invests one company at a time, from the idea stage to early revenue, and mainly in companies based in Europe and Israel. Its first check is on its page on our list.

04

When is the Techstars London deadline?

Its program page, read on 2 October 2026, gives a final deadline of 18 November 2026, with the program starting on 8 March 2027 and Demo Day on 3 June 2027. Check the page for the current dates before you apply.