Startup grants and accelerators: Fintech

Australia and New Zealand's leading mentor-led accelerator — a 12-14 week program with A$120,000 investment (at an A$1.5M post-money valuation for first-time raisers) and access to a 4,000+ founder and investor network across ANZ.

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.

Abu Dhabi global tech ecosystem offering grants, investment access and relocation support for startups, with dedicated AI and ClimateTech program tracks.

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.

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.

Vertical fintech accelerator matching startups with banks, payment networks and corporate partners for pilots, funding access and market entry support.

A key activity of the Tezos Foundation is to deploy resources to entities and initiatives that will help ensure the long-term success of the Tezos blockchain. Grants are available for Tezos and Etherlink, across areas including core development, tech relations, infrastructure and tooling, arts and culture, DeFi, business development and gaming. Successful grants are paid out in milestones after a review of each milestone report.

The Seed Grants Program provides grants up to $25,000 in STRK as non-dilutive funding to early-stage teams building applications in the Starknet ecosystem. Teams must have an MVP or proof of concept and clarity on what they want to build on Starknet. Applications are accepted on an ongoing basis and reviewed in rounds.

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.

Europe's leading B2B accelerator (Estonia-based), running programs across the Baltics, Southern Europe, Turkiye, Ukraine and parts of Africa - around EUR 50,000 upfront for a negotiated 3-6% equity stake.

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.

South Park Commons runs a 6-month Residency program for technical founders and technologists to explore ideas, test them with peers, and find collaborators at no cost and no equity taken. For members who reach conviction on a venture-scale idea, SPC also provides funding from $1M to $10M to help launch the company.

BNB Chain Grants empowers developers involved in open-source initiatives to benefit the BNB Chain developer community. It provides funding and access to the BNB ecosystem's developers, with support including marketing exposure, tech support, ecosystem partnership building, and financial support. The program invites developers, entrepreneurs, researchers, and enthusiasts to submit proposals for novel and impactful solutions.

Entrepreneur First is a talent investor that helps individuals find cofounders and build startups from scratch, supporting them from early idea through first revenue and fundraising. It provides equity-free grants, direct investment, office space in London, Bangalore and San Francisco, and connections to top Silicon Valley investors and advisors.

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.

The Arbitrum Foundation is offering $1 million in grants to builders who launch DeFi agents, agent templates, or contributions to Vibekit, an Arbitrum-native MCP agent framework developed by Ember. Each submission is capped at $10k. Eligible contributions include DeFi agents, agent add-ons and plug-ins, open source agent templates, and capability integrations.

The dYdX Ecosystem Development Program offers grants to projects that involve, build on top of, or benefit the dYdX protocol and its community. Applications are assessed on relevance, benefit, feasibility, execution, qualification, originality and cost. Applicants complete an application form, and the Grants lead contacts them directly if the application is successfully considered.

Concierge-style 12-week equity accelerator (separate from the free gBETA track) - $100,000 investment via SAFE for 7.5% equity, only 5-6 companies per cohort, with curated introductions to mentors, corporates and investors. Runs cohorts in multiple US cities/states.

Austin-based accelerator and VC firm, the most active investor in Texas for over a decade - unusually founder-friendly terms at just 1% equity for up to $100,000 in investment, plus mentorship, coworking and the largest investor network in Texas.

State-backed venture capital program (part of Nevada's SSBCI allocation) targeting Nevada-based startups and high-growth tech companies raising seed, Series A or Series B rounds.

The worlds largest startup campus in Paris. The Fighters Program offers free desk space and support to founders who did not start from a privileged background, alongside 30+ specialized in-house programs.

The Hashgraph Association provides co-funding support for start-ups, enterprises, and government initiatives developing Hedera-powered solutions. Start-up projects using Hedera are funded and empowered by the Hedera community through a grant management platform. Enterprises can seek co-funding for large-scale projects in digital assets and decentralized finance.

Innosuisse funds science-based innovation projects of Swiss start-ups preparing for first market entry, covering up to 70% of direct project costs with the start-up contributing at least 30% itself. Only the start-up (not a research partner) is supported, and applications are evaluated by independent experts and the Innovation Council before a funding decision.

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.

The ElevenLabs Grants Program gives early-stage startups 12 months of free access to the full ElevenLabs voice AI platform, along with startup credits and support, so cost is not a blocker. It is open to startups and companies with fewer than 25 employees that have a business or monetization strategy. Grants cover products intended for long-term market launch, not one-off projects.

Mentorship-driven accelerator network running dozens of vertical and regional three-month programs worldwide, each backed by local investors and corporate partners.

Circle Developer Grants offers funding, co-marketing, and mentorship to exceptional teams building on Arc and the Circle Developer Platform. Funding is milestone-based, paid in tiered USDC tied to meaningful integrations and ecosystem impact. Teams also receive hands-on technical guidance and access to Circle teams and strategic ecosystem partners.

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.

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.

Keiretsu Forum is a global investment community of accredited private equity angel investors, venture capitalists and corporate/institutional investors. It has 53 chapters on 4 continents, and its members invest in high-quality, diverse investment opportunities. Startups can apply through the site to present to its investors.

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.

Europe leading pre-seed fund investing year-round with no batch deadlines. Backs exceptional founders across the continent from first call through partner pitch.

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.

The Flare Grants Program supports innovative and impactful projects growing the Flare ecosystem. Grants are offered to builders and teams with products that align with Flare's vision and goals and that require funding to continue their work. Support also includes partnership introductions, co-marketing, technical and advisory assistance, and Google Cloud credits of up to $200k ($350k for AI-focused projects).

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.

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

State-run programs for Arizona startups: a free six-week Venture Start accelerator plus the Arizona Innovation Challenge, an annual non-dilutive competition awarding up to $250,000 to early-stage companies.

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.

Gilion offers Growth Funding, which the page describes as the best non-dilutive funding for SaaS businesses, and a Seasonal Credit product for scaleups. The page says that in Germany Gilion operates as a loan broker and that the loans are granted by a third-party bank.

Uruguay's national innovation agency co-funds innovative ventures under 36 months old with non-refundable support (Uruguay contributes at least 40% of project cost, up to $300,000 over 3 years), plus a $40,000 non-refundable Softlandings track for startups relocating to Uruguay.

Fireblocks Grant Programs provide financial resources and support to initiatives within the blockchain and Web3 landscape. The stated aims are to help teams develop and launch projects, fund business expansion to reach milestones faster, and encourage ecosystem collaboration and broader adoption of digital assets. Recipients must commit to integrating the grant issuer's protocol in their proposed use case.

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.

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

Government-backed accelerator helping non-Korean startups expand into the Korean and Asian markets — up to KRW 950M (~$633,000) in program support across three phases, no equity required, free office space in Korea included.

Founders Factory is a venture studio and startup accelerator that co-founds and funds companies at idea, pre-seed and seed stage, offering capital plus operational support from a 60+ person team and access to corporate partners across Fintech, Health, Industrials and Deep Tech sectors. It runs multiple sector-specific accelerator programs globally (e.g. Fintech, Mining Tech, Climate, Health) in partnership with corporates like Aviva, Rio Tinto, WA Government, MSWA and HSBC.

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.

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.

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.

A three-month hybrid accelerator program for growth-stage, deeply technical African startups, pairing founders with Google and industry experts to solve technical challenges and grow their business. Benefits include equity-free support, mentoring, technical bootcamps, early access to Google AI products, and eligibility for Cloud credits and free Cloud TPU access.

Google for Startups Accelerator: Southeast Asia is a three-month, equity-free program for Seed-to-Series B startups in Southeast Asia, offering direct engineering support, 1-to-1 mentoring, technical workshops, and in-person bootcamps in Singapore and San Francisco. Participants also gain early access to Google AI products, potential Cloud credits, and free Cloud TPU access to accelerate their technology and business.

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.