Y Combinator, Techstars and a16z speedrun compared: the deal, the timeline, the format

The three deals are built differently. Y Combinator invests $500,000: a fixed 7% for the first $125,000, and the rest on a SAFE that converts at your next round. Techstars invests $220,000 for 5% of the company in common stock, plus a SAFE on the same model. a16z speedrun invests $500K for 10% up front and commits another $500K to your next round. YC and speedrun run in person in San Francisco; Techstars Anywhere is remote-first.

This guide quotes each program's terms, timeline and format from its own pages, as we read them on 29 and 30 September 2026, and shows the arithmetic each program gives for its own deal. It doesn't rank the three: we don't have their acceptance rates or their results, and we don't take money from any program.

01At a glance

Y Combinator

• Money: $500,000, on two SAFEs.
• Stake: a fixed 7% for $125,000, plus an uncapped MFN SAFE for $375,000.
• Answer: on-time applicants hear back by a set date.
• Format: in person in San Francisco.

Techstars

• Money: $220,000 (in Asia-Pacific the uncapped MFN Safe is $100,000; see below).
• Stake: 5% in common stock for $20,000, plus an uncapped MFN Safe for $200,000.
• Answer: two different timelines on two pages.
• Format: depends on the program; Techstars Anywhere is remote-first.

a16z speedrun

• Money: up to $1M: $500K up front, $500K in your next round within 18 months.
• Stake: 10% for the first $500K, on a SAFE.
• Answer: rolling, usually within four to six weeks.
• Format: in person in San Francisco for the 12-week program.

The details, with each program's words, follow.

02The deal, line by line

Y Combinator

A041Y Combinator·Terms

“The way it works is this: we invest $500,000. $125,000 of our investment converts into a fixed 7%, and the other $375,000 is invested on an uncapped MFN SAFE.”

Our reading: $500K per company: $125K for 7% + $375K uncapped MFN SAFE

The $125,000 buys a fixed 7%: YC's deal page (opens in a new tab) says that SAFE "will convert in the priced round into 7% of the company's equity (including any existing option pool) after all the SAFEs and other convertible instruments have converted". The other $375,000 has no cap. It converts on the best terms you give anyone else, in YC's words "on the terms of the lowest cap SAFE (or other most favorable terms, such as a discount) issued between the specific MFN start date (around the start of the batch) and the priced round."

YC's own example: "In a typical scenario where you raise your next SAFEs at a $15M post-money valuation cap, the $375,000 MFN SAFE would convert into $375,000 / $15,000,000 = 2.5% of the company." In that example YC holds 7% + 2.5% = 9.5% before the priced round dilutes everyone. A lower cap on your next SAFEs means a bigger stake for YC; a higher one, a smaller stake. The same page adds a pro rata right: "YC also gets a right to continue to invest in subsequent rounds of financing you raise".

Techstars

A002Techstars·Terms

“Techstars invests $220,000* in companies accepted into its accelerator programs. … *The only exception is that Techstars accelerator programs in Asia-Pacific offer a $100,000 uncapped MFN Safe.”

Our reading: $220K per company: $200K uncapped MFN Safe + $20K CEA for 5% common stock; Asia-Pacific programs offer a $100K uncapped MFN Safe

The equity is stated on the same terms page (opens in a new tab), dated 17 April 2025: "The total equity Techstars receives will be 5% of the company in common stock plus the future value of the $200,000 uncapped MFN Safe." Its example: "if your next round is valued at $20M pre-money, the $200,000 MFN Safe would then convert into 1% additional ownership at that time." So 5% + 1% = 6% in that example.

The asterisk in that quote is the one exception the page names: Techstars accelerator programs in Asia-Pacific offer a $100,000 uncapped MFN Safe. The page doesn't restate the total for those programs.

Some pages that rank for "YC vs Techstars" still show Techstars at $120,000 for 6%. Techstars' own page, as we read it on 30 September 2026, gives the terms above.

a16z speedrun

A003a16z Speedrun·Terms

“Up to $1M in funding. We invest $500K for 10% upfront in a SAFE and another $500K in your next round within 18 months”

Our reading: Up to $1M: $500K for 10% on a SAFE upfront + $500K in your next round within 18 months

The first $500K for 10% implies $500,000 ÷ 10% = $5M. The second $500K is a commitment to invest in your next round; the FAQ (opens in a new tab) doesn't give its price, which is set by that round. The same FAQ lists what comes with the deal, including "No board seat. We believe founders should control their boards at this stage", and says speedrun companies receive "cloud, AI, and software credits worth >$10M".

Side by side

• Money up front: YC $500,000; speedrun $500K; Techstars $220,000.
• Fixed stake: speedrun 10% for $500K; YC 7% for $125,000; Techstars 5% for $20,000.
• Uncapped part: YC $375,000 and Techstars $200,000, both on an uncapped MFN SAFE, so the final stake depends on your next round. speedrun's first $500K has no uncapped part.
• Next round: speedrun commits another $500K within 18 months; YC has a pro rata right to invest again.

03When you hear back

The full timelines, with the quotes, are in how long accelerators take to answer. In short:

• YC decides by a date: on-time applicants get a decision by a day its apply page names, and late ones have no promised date. The response-times guide quotes it.
• Techstars gives two timelines on two pages: typically 60–90 days after you apply, or four weeks after applications close, on its application site; interview invitations within four weeks, in its help center. The response-times guide quotes both.
• speedrun reviews on a rolling basis, "usually within 4–6 weeks", and a late application is "automatically" reviewed for the next cohort.

Deadlines move every batch. The live dates for all three are in the Next deadlines strip in room 03, each with the day we read it. As we read them on 30 September 2026: speedrun's priority window for its next cohort runs "October 12 through November 1", YC's on-time deadline is 2 November, and Techstars Anywhere's final deadline is 18 November 2026.

04Where you work, and solo founders

Y Combinator. Its apply page (opens in a new tab): "The batch will take place in-person at YC's campus in San Francisco. It starts with a 3-day, in-person kick-off and features regular meetups in San Francisco." On solo founders, its FAQ (opens in a new tab): "Can a single person apply for funding? Yes. We regularly accept solo founders."

a16z speedrun. Its FAQ (opens in a new tab): "Our next cohort (SR008) runs from late January through April 2027 in San Francisco. In-person attendance is required." And: "Absolutely. You can apply to speedrun as a solo founder!", though the same answer says "we generally prefer teams with multiple founders who bring complementary skill sets."

Techstars runs many programs. Techstars Anywhere (opens in a new tab) "is a remote-first Techstars accelerator with no relocation necessary." Where the other programs meet is on each program's own page. We didn't find a statement on solo founders on the Techstars pages we read.

All three were read on 30 September 2026.

05What each says it looks for

In their own words, from the taglines on their pages on the list:

• Y Combinator: "In 2005, Y Combinator developed a new model of startup funding. Four times a year we invest $500k in a select group of startups."
• Techstars: "Techstars finds and funds ambitious founders through leading vertical and city accelerator programs."
• a16z speedrun: "The speedrun program is a fast-paced, 12-week startup program that guides founders through every critical stage of their growth."

speedrun's FAQ is the most specific of the three. It says it looks for teams that show "A proven capacity to go from zero to one without waiting for permission", "Rapid development and execution" and "Unique insights or "earned secrets" that offer a distinct competitive advantage", among others.

None of the three publishes an acceptance rate on the pages we read, so we can't say which is harder to get into.

06Other programs with similar checks

If the size of the check is what you're comparing, three more programs on the list invest in the same range:

Neo's Residency gives "$750K uncapped", PearX invests "between $500K and $2M", and Accel Atoms "up to $1M- $2M". Their full terms, and those of every other program that publishes them, are in how much equity accelerators take.

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

07How we checked

Every term, date and quote comes from the program's own pages, with the page and the exact words, as we read them on 29 and 30 September 2026. The arithmetic uses only the numbers in those quotes and the examples the programs give. Each poster and table row shows the date of our last link check. Terms change between batches: read each program's current terms before you apply. We are not lawyers, and this is not legal or investment advice.

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

08Questions

01

Is Techstars easier to get into than YC?

We can't tell you. Neither Y Combinator, Techstars nor a16z speedrun publishes an acceptance rate on the pages we read, and we don't use third-party estimates. Compare the deals, timelines and formats instead; they are quoted in this guide.

02

How much does a16z speedrun invest?

Its own FAQ splits the check in two: half up front on a SAFE for a fixed stake, and half in your next round within 18 months. The amount and the exact terms are quoted in this guide.

03

Can I apply to YC and Techstars at the same time?

The calendars allow it. As we read them on 30 September 2026, YC's on-time deadline was 2 November with decisions by 11 December, and Techstars Anywhere's final deadline was 18 November. The live dates are in the Next deadlines strip in room 03. We only quote what the programs say about timing.

04

Do YC, Techstars and speedrun require you to move to San Francisco?

YC says its batch takes place in person at its San Francisco campus, and speedrun says in-person attendance in San Francisco is required. Techstars Anywhere is remote-first with no relocation needed; each other Techstars program states its own format on its page.