Everyone has an opinion on accelerators. But where am I actually investing? This morning, I dug into my portfolio to find out…

To be clear, I think these are all fantastic programs. A founder will do great in any of them.

A Peek Inside My Portfolio

Now, let’s do the numbers…

LAUNCH Accelerator: 12

YC: 4

Techstars: 4

Entrepreneur’s Roundtable Accelerator (ERA): 1

None: 13

Folks in startupland view an accelerator as a rite of passage. So I found it interesting that the most common program attended by companies in my portfolio was no program at all.

Which Accelerator Is Best?

If you look at my 4 most successful startups so far, no one program dominates. One came from ERA, one from LAUNCH, one from Techstars, and one didn’t go to an accelerator.

LAUNCH does stand out in terms of sending me the most investments. I find that the companies coming out of LAUNCH have stronger traction and better valuations than other accelerators.

No wonder I never miss their demo day!

YC stands out in backing highly technical teams going after huge ideas. That’s a combination I love. The name comes at a premium price, but sometimes you get what you pay for.

Should Founders Even Go to an Accelerator?

If you’re under $1 million ARR and having any trouble whatsoever raising money, definitely apply to accelerators.

Stick to these 4, plus Sequoia Arc. Anything else isn’t likely to be worth your time.

And for heaven’s sake, don’t pay to go to an accelerator!

If they’re not giving you money, they’re not real investors. They’re scam artists.

Accelerators connect you with a ton of investors. They also give you a stamp of approval.

Raising a round coming out of a top accelerator will be 5x easier, minimum. If you went to YC, make that 10x.

They also provide a ton of wonderful advice. They’ve seen entrepreneurs go from nothing to billion dollar businesses before, and they can help you do the same.

Wrap-Up

You don’t have to go to an accelerator. But for most founders, attending a top accelerator is a good move.

As for me, I’m targeting LAUNCH and YC as two of the most important sources of dealflow for me in the future. I’m also keeping an eye on Techstars and ERA.

But I’m also excited about meeting founders who didn’t attend any of these programs. Some of my best investments have come this way!

Have you gone to an accelerator? Do you plan to?

Have a great weekend, everybody!

More on tech:

My Biggest Lesson from Four Years Angel Investing

My Favorite Startups in YC X25 (Part 1)

The Coolest Startups at ERA Demo Day

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