Washington is home to a variety of startup programs, with key centers in both Seattle and Washington D.C. These accelerators support companies across many industries, from technology to government services.
Microsoft for Startups has supported over 140 companies with its resources. In the B2B space, 9Mile Labs has made more than 50 investments into early-stage businesses.
Below is our list of the best 48 accelerators and incubators in Washington.
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2,189 Accelerators & Incubators
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1,600+ Unicorns
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250 BioTech & Health Investors
List of startup investors in the BioTech, Health, and Medicine industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
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250 AI Investors
List of 250 startup investors in the AI and Machine Learning industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
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250 Fintech Investors
List of 250 startup investors in the FinTech and Finance industries, along with their Twitter, LinkedIn, and email addresses.
Get the Sheet for $50Microsoft for Startups equips founders with the resources to build and scale by providing free access to powerful tools, including Azure, OpenAI, and GitHub. The program's main value lies in offering significant cloud credits and software licenses without taking any equity, enabling startups to accelerate growth while keeping full ownership.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | — |
| Investment Amount | $0 cash; Up to $150K Azure credits (4 years); $2,500 OpenAI API credits; Free software: GitHub Enterprise (20 seats), Visual Studio Enterprise (5 seats), Microsoft 365 (50 users) |
| Equity Taken | 0% |
| Nº of Investments | 141 |
| Nº of Exits | 10 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 8 |
As both a research institute and startup incubator, the Allen Institute for Artificial Intelligence (AI2) is dedicated to building AI-first companies. This unique model provides entrepreneurs with deep technical expertise, leading to successful spinouts like Xnor.ai and Kitt.ai.
| Year Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Paul Allen |
| Nº of Investments | 15 |
| Nº of Exits | 6 |
9Mile Labs ran a high-tech accelerator program dedicated to nurturing early-stage B2B and enterprise software startups. The intensive program provided companies with critical mentorship and seed funding to accelerate their growth in the cloud technology space.
| Year Founded | 2013 |
| Founders | Tom Casey, Enrique Godreau, Kevin Croy, Sanjay Puri, Kevin Croy, Sandy Sharma |
| Nº of Investments | 54 |
| Nº of Exits | 5 |
DFS Lab backs early-stage fintech startups that are building the future of digital commerce across Africa. They provide capital and hands-on support through intensive bootcamps, helping launch notable companies like Chipper Cash.
| Year Founded | 2016 |
| Founders | Jake Kendall |
| Nº of Investments | 44 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
| Duration (Weeks) | 24 |
As a non-profit innovation hub, CivStart builds a more responsive govtech ecosystem by connecting startups with local governments. They provide founders with the resources and network needed to deploy solutions for community challenges in sectors like transportation and healthcare.
| Year Founded | 2018 |
| Founders | Nick Lyell, Anthony Jamison, Sarah Nicoll (Kerner) |
| Nº of Investments | 19 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
| Duration (Weeks) | 104 |
Backed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, Mission Daybreak is a $20 million grand challenge created to accelerate new suicide prevention solutions for Veterans. It supports innovators and tech startups by awarding prize money and resources to develop and scale life-saving tools and novel care strategies.
| Year Founded | 2022 |
| Founders | — |
| Nº of Investments | 28 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
Through a partnership with Amazon Web Services and Mercy Corps, the PeaceTech Accelerator helps scale startups using cloud technology to promote peace and stability. The program provides critical support for companies building solutions to help people in conflict-affected regions around the world.
| Year Founded | 2017 |
| Founders | Andre Pienaar |
| Nº of Investments | 29 |
| Nº of Exits | 3 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
| Duration (Weeks) | 8 |
As a startup studio, Pioneer Square Labs conceives, builds, and launches new technology companies entirely from scratch. They then provide entrepreneurs with validated ideas and the initial resources to spin out and lead these new ventures.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Greg Gottesman, Ben Gilbert, Julie Sandler, Mike Galgon, Geoff Entress |
| Nº of Investments | 26 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
| Program Type | On-Site |
Pivotal Ventures invests in and incubates solutions aimed at advancing social progress across the United States. They primarily support partners tackling systemic barriers for women and families through a combination of venture capital, grants, and advocacy.
| Year Founded | 2015 |
| Founders | Melinda Gates |
| Nº of Investments | 24 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
The DOE Loan Programs Office provides debt financing to deploy innovative energy infrastructure and advanced automotive manufacturing projects at scale. They support ambitious ventures often considered too risky for private capital and famously provided a crucial early loan to Tesla.
| Year Founded | 1977 |
| Founders | — |
| Nº of Investments | 6 |
| Nº of Exits | 2 |
38 Additional Washington Accelerators and Incubators Worth Applying To
Our top picks are a great place to start, but the support for founders in Washington doesn't end there. The programs below have collectively invested in over 1,200 companies, showing just how much opportunity is available. Many of these organizations focus on specific fields, from AI to maritime tech. Here’s a look at the other accelerators and incubators helping founders build their companies in Washington.