Top 10 AI Startup Accelerators in 2025
Sep 8, 2025
Artificial intelligence continues to dominate the startup ecosystem, and 2025 is shaping up to be a landmark year. For founders, the right accelerator can provide critical mentorship, early capital, technical resources, and investor exposure. Here’s our list of the top AI startup accelerators in 2025 that every AI-first founder should know about.
1. Y Combinator
Still the most famous accelerator in the world, YC has doubled down on AI-first companies, with a significant portion of recent cohorts dedicated to applied AI, automation, and foundation models.
2. AI2 Incubator
Backed by the Allen Institute for AI, AI2 supports research-heavy ventures and has already produced companies raising hundreds of millions in funding.
3. Google for Startups Accelerator: AI
A global, equity-free program with mentorship, product credits, and access to Google Cloud’s AI ecosystem—perfect for scaling AI infrastructure quickly.
4. NVIDIA Inception
A virtual accelerator that provides compute credits, GPUs, marketing exposure, and investor connections—without taking equity.
5. Techstars AI
Located in Montreal, Techstars AI offers a 13-week program with funding, mentorship, and demo-day investor exposure, with a strong track record in AI startups.
6. Berkeley SkyDeck
UC Berkeley’s accelerator blends academia with Silicon Valley connections, investing $100K for 5% equity and offering extensive mentorship.
7. Entrepreneur First
EF is unique in helping individuals find co-founders before they even have a company, making it a breeding ground for new AI-first startups.
8. Deep Science Ventures
A UK-based accelerator that combines scientific research with venture creation, ideal for AI projects grounded in deep tech.
9. Pi Campus
Rome’s Pi Campus provides €50K–€200K in funding and focuses on nurturing AI-first startups across Europe.
10. Conception X
Based in the UK, Conception X helps PhD researchers turn dissertations into AI-driven startups, bridging academia with entrepreneurship.
Final Thoughts
From Silicon Valley to Rome, AI accelerators are shaping the future of tech in 2025. Each program offers its own unique mix of mentorship, capital, and community support—but all share one thing: the ability to transform early-stage ideas into scalable, world-class companies.
And once startups graduate from these accelerators, the challenge shifts to building credibility with investors, partners, and customers. That’s where tools like Peony come in—helping founders manage files intelligently, create branded data rooms, and track engagement with investors. For AI startups looking to scale fast, having an accelerator behind you and a platform like Peony at your side is the perfect combination.