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Techstars
Techstars runs startup accelerator programs and invests in early-stage companies, making money mainly from its share of the value of those startups when they succeed.
Techstars is a startup accelerator: a company that takes in very young businesses, gives them money and advice, and tries to make them grow fast. It runs short, intensive programs, usually about three months long, where founders get mentoring from experienced entrepreneurs and investors, plus a small amount of cash in exchange for a slice of their company. Thousands of startups apply to each program, and only a small group gets in.
Here is the basic model in plain terms. Techstars puts a little money into each startup — historically around $20,000 for a small stake, plus an optional extra investment — and then works with the founders to help them raise more money from outside investors, find customers, and avoid obvious mistakes. The real payoff comes later: if a startup grows and sells or goes public, Techstars' small slice can become worth a lot. Most startups fail, so the business depends on a handful of big winners paying for all the rest. Techstars began in Boulder, Colorado, in 2006, and its early success helped turn Boulder into a recognizable startup hub. Today it claims one of the largest networks of startup founders and mentors in the world, and it has expanded far beyond Colorado, with programs in cities across the United States and around the globe. It makes money in several ways: from the value of its equity stakes when companies succeed, from fees some programs charge, and from partnerships with corporations and governments that pay to have Techstars run accelerator programs connected to their own goals.
The honest version of the business is that it is basically a giant, spread-out bet on young companies. Techstars competes with other accelerators, notably Y Combinator, and with venture capital firms for the best founders. Its edge is the sheer size of its mentor and alumni network, which gives startups access to advice and connections they could not easily get on their own. Its vulnerability is that returns depend heavily on a few breakout successes, and the accelerator model has grown crowded, so standing out to top founders is harder than it was when Techstars helped invent the category.
Saved answer · last researched 9 Nov 2026
BIG PICTURE
Techstars took the top spot among 80 US accelerators, and founders cast 85% of the votes
- 85% Score from alumni founder feedback
- 15% Score from other ranking data
Techstars ranked first on TIME and Statista's 2026 list of America's best incubators and accelerators, beating 79 other programs. Alumni who went through between 2020 and 2025 supplied 85 percent of each program's score, and the question that counted most was whether they would recommend it. Techstars earns its money by taking a small stake in startups and cashing out when they succeed, so a strong reputation with founders is how it keeps pulling in applications. Source: TIME and Statista, reported by Techstars, data from 2026
Timeline
The Founding Email
In early 2006, David Cohen sent a simple email to David Brown with a big idea: build something that helps founders succeed. By the end of that year, Techstars was officially a company, with Cohen, Brown, Brad Feld, and Jared Polis as its founders. What they built was a new kind of program — one where experienced mentors guide early startups instead of just handing them cash.
The First Boulder Program
The very next year, Techstars ran its first program in Boulder, Colorado, with ten young companies. Two of them were bought up before the year was even over. That small experiment became the blueprint the company would follow for years.
A Fund and a Second City
Techstars started putting its own money behind the model, launching its first venture fund, and opened a second program in Boston. The accelerator was no longer a one-city experiment — it was starting to spread.
Going Global
Expansion picked up speed. Techstars bought Excelerate Labs to launch a Chicago program, and bought Springboard to open its first accelerator outside the US, in London. The playbook was now traveling across borders.
Buying Startup Weekend
Techstars acquired UP Global, the organization behind Startup Weekend, Startup Week, Startup Next, and Startup Digest. Suddenly Techstars was bigger than accelerators — it owned the community programs where many founders first get their start.
A New CEO Takes Over
Maëlle Gavet became CEO of Techstars. Big changes were coming — and not all of them would go smoothly.
The J.P. Morgan Partnership
Techstars and J.P. Morgan raised $80 million to back hundreds of companies over the following years, with a focus on underrepresented entrepreneurs. It was a big vote of confidence from one of the world's biggest banks.
Leaving Boulder
Techstars announced it would move its headquarters from Boulder to New York and shut down the Boulder and Seattle accelerators. The idea was to go where the venture capital money already was. But the hometown crowd, and many former staffers, were furious.
The Founder Returns
In the middle of that upheaval, CEO Maëlle Gavet resigned, and co-founder David Cohen came back to lead the company he started. The move followed a rough stretch of restructuring and closed programs.
New Owners, Same Mission
Techstars restructured again under new ownership, and the company kept running its accelerators and making investments into the next year. The model that began with one founding email was still going, two decades later.