Startup grants and accelerators: E-commerce & Consumer

The most prominent startup accelerator in the world. Runs quarterly batches offering funding, mentorship, and access to a vast alumni network across virtually every industry.

Z Fellows is a one-week programme that brings technical builders together with founders of billion-dollar companies. Participants are mentored by these founders, and the programme continues to help them for the life of their company. Participants can join without money, or receive a $10,000 investment at a $1B valuation cap that converts into stock at the next priced round.

Karmen is a fintech offering short-term business loans of 1 to 24 months and factoring of B2B customer invoices. Companies apply online and can receive a financing offer within 48 hours. The page describes the service as aimed at small and medium-sized businesses.

Global, virtual-first fellowship backing early-stage founders, run by a group of unicorn entrepreneurs. Two tracks: Ideation for founders without revenue traction, Traction for founders already generating revenue, users, pilots or patents. Roughly 35-40 startups accepted a year.

Wayflyer is a financing partner for fast-growing businesses in e-commerce, retail, software and services. It offers funding from €5.000 to €20 Mio. € that is repaid as fixed instalments or as a percentage of revenue, with no equity given up and no personal guarantees. The page says there are no restrictions on how the funds can be used.

20-week accelerator offering a $40,000 equity-free grant plus a $20,000 SAFE investment ($60,000 total) to international startups willing to scale from Puerto Rico, with structured mentoring and investor access.

Tokyo-backed seed investor with offices in Nairobi and Lagos, writing $50,000-$150,000 checks into early-stage African startups, with a track record across Kenya, Nigeria, Uganda, Ghana, Morocco, and Cameroon.

Global early-stage venture capital firm and founder residency program. Accepts applicants even without a co-founder or fully formed idea, across 27 cities worldwide.

The Conflux grant program supports developers and entrepreneurs building key components of the Conflux technology stack, with a focus on growth. Funded projects should enhance the ecosystem by attracting liquidity, increasing network activity, and building developer tooling and infrastructure. A committee evaluates whether each project benefits the ecosystem, and grants are paid out against agreed milestones.

AWS Activate provides startups with promotional cloud credits, ranging from up to $5,000 for self-funded founders to up to $200,000 for pre-Series B startups backed by an Activate Provider (accelerator, angel investor, or VC firm). Invite-only additional credits beyond $200,000 are available for AI startups ready to scale post Activate Portfolio.

Edge is a bespoke three-month company-building program for select pre-idea, pre-seed and seed founders, with fully flexible financing. It gives access to Greylock's resources, AI Researchers in Residence, hiring and customer services, plus $500K+ in credits with AWS, Google, Microsoft and more. Greylock does not require Edge companies to take its capital, and funding ranges from a priced seed round to an uncapped SAFE note, or no capital at all.

Entrepreneurs Roundtable Accelerator (ERA) describes itself as NYC's leading tech accelerator, with 400+ startups and $2.5B+ raised by its companies. The page says it offers access to a network of 500+ mentors, including serial entrepreneurs, corporate executives, and investors. It lists a $150K/6% Post-Money SAFE investment alongside its W'27 and S'27 cohorts.

PearX is an accelerator for pre-seed founders that takes teams from idea to real traction in 12 weeks. Pear invests between $500K and $2M, tailored to each company's needs, and provides $4.5M in credits and deals, founder-to-founder mentorship, fundraising support, recruiting help, GTM support, and free office space at Pear Studio for up to 6 months.

Working capital for high-growth consumer brands and retailers, used to fund inventory, marketing spend and purchase orders. The capital is repaid out of revenue rather than exchanged for equity, and applying does not affect the founder's credit score.

Monthly grants for women entrepreneurs, named after Amber Wigdahl. One application is considered for every grant WomensNet gives that year.

Free, equity-free 7-week accelerator program from gener8tor - no investment, no fees, no equity taken. Runs cohorts in 50+ US cities across a range of industry verticals, selecting up to 5 companies per cohort.

Bahrain's first angel investor network, backing local startups with BHD 20,000-30,000 (~$50,000-75,000) plus mentorship and connections across the Gulf, including support to expand into Saudi Arabia.

Four-month in-person accelerator in Silicon Valley for early-stage founders building for the US and global markets, backed by one of the most active seed-stage VC firms.

Latin America's largest startup acceleration program — a free, equity-free six-week program (Acceleration + Connection phases) with mentorship and training, running two cohorts a year and selecting up to 220 startups per cycle.

The Accelerator Grant helps create the next generation of FSF alumni-led companies. It prepares FSF alumni-led early-stage startups for success through a year of expert mentorship and a grant of $50,000. It is open to former FSF Scholarship recipients whose startups operate in the fashion industry.

Golden Seeds is an angel investment network that invests in exceptional women-led startups. It is committed to supporting and funding U.S.-based women-led startups across all industry sectors. Founders can learn about the investment criteria and process, and apply for funding.

TCA Venture Group, formerly Tech Coast Angels, is an angel investment organisation in Southern California with about 400 members and five angel funds. It supports startups through seed, bridge and early A-round funding, and provides connections, mentorship and operational support. Entrepreneurs can apply for funding through its website.

Government-backed non-dilutive grant (up to Rs 20 lakh, ~$24,000) for proof-of-concept, prototyping and product trials, applied for through DPIIT-approved incubators, plus optional convertible-debt funding for market entry.

BANSEA is Asia's oldest angel investment network, established in 2001, and promotes early-stage investment in Southeast Asia. It offers startups investment opportunities from its angel investors, along with help to fine-tune business plans and mentoring. Startups can submit their company through the site to raise with BANSEA.

Angel Academe's EIS Fund is described as the UK's first EIS fund for female founders, investing alongside its angel network. Female founders can apply to pitch to the network. The page does not state investment amounts or deadlines.

Leading early-stage venture fund based in Utah with a second office in Colorado, investing in pre-seed and seed rounds for enterprise software, fintech, healthtech, marketplace, and consumer SaaS startups across Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.

Government co-investment for first-time Singapore-based founders: Enterprise Singapore matches your own paid-up capital 1:1, up to S$50,000, plus mentorship from an Accredited Mentor Partner.

Central hub for Saudi Arabia's Vision 2030 non-dilutive startup support, including a free University Startup Accelerator Program - founders keep 100% equity. Foreign startups need to incorporate locally or partner with a Saudi institution.

Competitive pitch program offering grants up to $10,000 to early-stage Connecticut companies getting their product to market, plus related CTNext grants (Growth Company Grants up to $25,000, Technology Talent Bridge up to $25,000).

India-focused accelerator and founders academy helping early-stage teams go from idea to market, connecting founders with mentors and seed investors across the region.

Sponsor-funded South African accelerator for post-revenue startups with early customer traction - free to join, no upfront equity taken, focused on getting scaling fundamentals in place.

Argentine government program offering an interest-free honor loan (0% interest, no collateral, no fees) of up to $250,000 for early-stage ventures, or up to $700,000 for the Impacto track focused on social and environmental impact projects, accessed through an authorized incubator.

Alabama's longest-running business plan and pitch competition (since 2006) - up to $100,000 in non-dilutive funding for winning startups across technology, life sciences and consumer goods tracks, plus a 12-week mentorship program. Has invested over $6.6 million in 124 Alabama startups to date.

Africa's largest philanthropic entrepreneurship program - $5,000 in non-refundable seed capital, business training, mentorship, and access to Africa's largest entrepreneur network. Open to citizens and legal residents of any African country; application is completely free.

Founderpath provides non-dilutive capital to ambitious founders, with Revenue Financing, Term Loans and Merchant Cash Advances, and no equity taken. The page says founders can connect their data and get funded in under 24 hours. It is aimed at software, brick-and-mortar and CPG businesses with recurring or repeat revenue.

Leading MENA seed accelerator with location-specific programs across Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Tunisia, Bahrain and Palestine, backed by regional seed funds.

Corporate-backed equity-free accelerator for APAC startups (including New Zealand and Australia) working on circular economy, climate action or sustainable agriculture - $20,000 equity-free grant, with an additional $100,000 available to program winners.

Barcelona-based seed-stage accelerator running two five-month cohorts a year (plus Madrid and Galicia editions), providing over EUR 400,000 in services, mentorship, and investor access in exchange for 4-7% equity.

Fuse provides grants to advance Web3 projects, drive mainstream adoption, and simplify non-custodial consumer fintech application launches for businesses. Grants support businesses building Web3 payment systems, consumer clubs and loyalty programmes, non-custodial wallets and mobile fintech, and branded stablecoins. Selected applicants also receive technical mentorship and marketing support.

Government non-reimbursable grants up to $30,000 for Colombian entrepreneurs and startups, plus technical assistance and training - no equity, no cost to apply.

We select promising early-stage startups and build their MVP for free, in exchange for helping them get investor-ready. No equity taken as part of the grant itself. We evaluate applicants on product-market fit, technical feasibility, and founder commitment. Selected projects get a working, fundable product built by our team.

The Gold House Ventures Accelerator is a 14-week immersive program for diverse-led tech startups across the United States. Benefits include weekly masterclasses, 1:1 advising from experienced founders and operators, curated investor introductions, and a public Demo Day. Founders also get strategic networking with Gold House's network of Asian Pacific creatives, executives, and venture capitalists, and the page says they are eligible for seed funding.

Fully sponsored 12-month entrepreneurial training program in Accra, Ghana for aspiring African tech entrepreneurs, with seed investment for top graduating teams.

One of the world's most established public accelerators — equity-free grants from $15,000 (Build) up to $100,000 (Growth) for founders of any nationality, plus a 2-year Chilean startup visa. You keep 100% of your company.

A cohort accelerator for LGBTQ+ founders ready to scale, built around an 18-month business plan, mentoring and introductions. Demo days in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

Non-dilutive MICRO ($10,000) and SEED ($50,000) grants for North Carolina-based startups, twice a year. Requires at least one full-time founder residing in North Carolina.

Two-stage programme for young founders from Latin America and Africa: a seven-week online incubator taking an idea to MVP through workshops and community, followed by a four-month accelerator in Switzerland with mentorship and introductions to investors. The page states the accelerator ends with a network and potential investment, but names no fixed funding amount.

LAN Accelerator runs a six-week acceleration programme for early-stage tech startups in Latin America, combining masterclasses, 1:1 mentoring, the LAN Brain team memory tool, and a Demo Day in Santiago de Chile. LAN takes equity through a SAFE at the startup's current valuation to cover the programme cost. The page says the top startups of the batch may receive cash investment through a SAFE at the cap of their own round.

Early-stage non-dilutive grant funding for tech and growth-oriented Mississippi startups - no repayment required. Applicants build out a business plan and pitch live to the Seed Fund Investment Board for a funding decision.

Non-dilutive grants (3:1 state-to-business match) for Delaware small businesses with 10 or fewer employees - up to $100,000 for science and technology companies, or up to $50,000 for other sectors. Rolling applications, decisions within 45 days.

Voucher-based reimbursement program for North Dakota entrepreneurs - up to $50,000 across two $25,000 phases, funding customer and market research with hands-on coaching from regional entrepreneur centers. Recurring biennial program; check the current application window before applying.

Google for Startups Black Founders Fund: Africa provided equity-free cash awards along with ongoing Google mentorship, Google Cloud credits, and product support to help Black-led startups in Africa grow. The program ran as a hybrid, 6-month initiative, part of a broader global Black Founders Fund that has awarded more than $40 million since its 2020 launch.