Are startup accelerators still worth it in 2025?
Lately there’s been a growing wave of skepticism around VCs, Y Combinator, and accelerators in general. And to be fair: I get it.
We now live in an age where almost everything you need to learn can be found online. The gatekeepers are fewer, the knowledge is everywhere, and solo builders have never been more empowered.
But I think a lot of these takes overlook what I see as the real value of accelerators:
– The people. You’re not just learning: you’re entering an alumni network filled with top-tier founders who are open to helping others from the same ecosystem. That network alone can change the trajectory of your startup.
– The pressure. Being in that environment creates external momentum. You feel the push to build, iterate, and ship fast. That kind of accountability is hard to replicate on your own.
– The signal. It might be a “soft” benefit, but having YC or another respected accelerator on your resume still opens doors. Investors, partners, and press take notice.
So yeah: information is free. But context, accountability, and community still matter. A lot.
What’s your take? Have accelerators lost their edge or are they just evolving with the times?👇
Replies
Is Y Combinator still worth it in 2025? For me — yeah. 100%.
Since 2017, it’s been my dream to apply to @Y Combinator But I was always too scared to submit anything — What if they laugh at my idea? What if my pitch fails because my English is bad? 😂
Still, I never let go of the dream. And maybe one day I will apply — if they still accept remote founders from Ukraine.
Right now, I’m building an AI fitness trainer platform. Big vision. No launch yet. MVP in progress. Honestly? I’m scared it’ll flop. That no one will care. That I’ll waste time and money chasing something that only makes sense in my head.
What I miss the most isn’t funding or knowledge — It’s people. A team. A community. Someone to ask for advice. Someone to push me when I stall. Someone who just gets what it’s like to build something alone.
I don’t know if accelerators still have the same weight as they used to. But I know I’d give a lot to feel that support, to have that network, to get that little kick in the ass when I need it.
So yeah — I still believe.
Even in 2025.
@ideaxton Nice to meet you Tom!
Love your approach!
It's great to try to achieve your dreams!
@ideaxton
I feel you so much, I built two product with "Big Vision" and in my case it was a waste of time because no one care when I launched.
Then decided to launch many products fast and test what works, and we ended up doing YC with a product we launched fast, with a short vision. And it was definitely worth it.
RN: I'm still afraid of launching publicly, and I'm on "Launch therapy", challenging myself by launching a product every 2 weeks again.
@ideaxton @bengeekly Great that you’re sharing personal experience again.
What do you see as the main mistakes you made with those first two products you mentioned here?
100% agree, accelerators give you more than just information, I don't agree with that view that all they are is funding and information: they give you others' belief. The internal networks, tailored resources, and just being surrounded by others building at that pace is hard to replicate.
Not to mention, in a world where someone's brand is increasingly important, their vote of confidence makes a world of difference to your branding too
@dheerajdotexe I absolutely agree.
A lot of people have a negative opinion about these programs.
“Oh, they take a percentage from me.”
Okay, but your chances of building a successful company increase drastically.
Having a strong brand behind you naturally comes with a price and in most cases, that price is low.
minimalist phone: creating folders
Let me share a statistic from my last Subtsack article. It seems that VC-funded companies are no longer glorified. The game is turning and everything is in favor of boostrapped solo founders, which I personally like because it seems like a more arduous path.
And given that VCs sometimes fund unpromising projects and it looks like throwing money away, I have less respect for them.
@busmark_w_nika Could you provide more information about the infographic? It’s quite abstract.
Also, it covers quite a few years before the AI era.
minimalist phone: creating folders
@byalexai There the originals: https://www.saastr.com/carta-38-of-bootstrapped-start-ups-have-solo-founders-but-only-17-of-vc-backed-ones-do-and-10-12-of-ones-that-ipo/ + this one: https://carta.com/data/founder-ownership/ (it requires downloading the pdf)
@busmark_w_nika Honestly, I took a look at the articles, but maybe a more in-depth report is needed.
Plus, what’s interesting to me is the period from 2023 onward.
Because realistically, the last 2–3 years might have brought a paradigm shift.
2015 is a completely different world compared to now.
From my experience:
While at YC, I was virtually surrounded by the smartest people I've ever met.
They were adventurous, and suddenly making bold, crazy ideas felt simple.
The partners have such extensive experience and are so accessible, they can help you move faster in so many ways.
All that being said:
I believe we should play the cards we have and not waste too much time chasing VCs.
Spend a little time filling out the YC form each batch, but mainly focus on building and selling.
@bengeekly Absolutely agree. And I’m really glad that someone who’s actually been there is sharing personal experience. Because the people who’ve been through the program can offer the most accurate insights.
How long did you apply before you got accepted?
@bengeekly Super cool. I hope to read more stories like this here!
Trufflow
Accelerators main goal is to strap rockets to our startup that is already starting to take off (i.e. ready to fundraise). Though which one you join can definitely have an impact on how you do. Some interesting research from those that participate in accelerators:
"...accelerator- and incubator-supported startups had revenue that was 13 per cent higher than other firms. But that advantage was short-lived, with startups generating no more revenue than a typical company within a year after participating in an accelerator or incubator program." (Source)
Around 45% of YC companies raise a Series A with startup success typically higher with YC (Source)
Founders with a higher level of education benefit more from accelerators (Source)
Like you said, the community becomes the main driving force to why one should join an accelerator. Also, it should help free up time for you by providing you resources to services like legal and accounting so that you can focus on growing the business. The ultimate deciding factor should be the quality of the accelerator because there are quite a large variability in accelerators out there...
@lienchueh I completely agree. There’s a real difference between accelerators and the higher the quality, the more advantages you get if you’re part of one.
Can you share some advice for people who are thinking about applying? Which 5–10 accelerators would you recommend they focus on?
Incredible
the community of founders and mentors surrounding you is priceless imo
@pollock exactly.
You've been there?
My cofounder and I recently were accepted into the Antler residency for the fall, and just from coworking in their office we have gained some amazing feedback and advice. The environment is infectious of wanting to build and be the best version that we can be.
I also strongly believe that community is a key cornerstone of building a brand and business which is an integral part of being in an accelerator/residency.
@enoblesala Hey, tell me more about the program! I see it’s based in Singapore. Any tips for the application process?
@byalexai - they actually have a bunch of different locations! I'll be based here in NYC. Most of the information is found here https://www.antler.co/residency
One major tip is to try to actually meet some of the Antler team or portfolio companies in person to convey why you'd even want to join a residency/accelerator program.
@enoblesala Аwesome! Thank you!
btw when is your launch?
@byalexai it's happening next week August 19th!
Dereference
Absolutely, couldn't recommend them more! Always give it a shot
@adi_singh5 Did you apply already?
What accelerators still do really well is compress time. You get rapid feedback, real deadlines, and access to a network that would take years to build on your own. One warm intro from the right alumni or mentor can save you months of cold outreach.
That said, founders today are more resourceful than ever. The bar is higher accelerators need to offer more than generic advice or a badge. The best ones now act more like co-builders: connecting you to customers, shaping your GTM, pressure-testing your deck, etc.
So no, I don’t think they’ve lost their edge they just have to keep evolving fast, like the startups they serve.
@kate_pozh have you ever being part of a program?
Doraverse
I’ve started to become more skeptical about accelerators and VCs, especially VCs.
In my country, VCs often require startups to already have strong growth, solid revenue, and even be close to breaking even. But I wonder, if a startup is already growing well and generating solid revenue, why would they even need a VC?
It’s similar with accelerators. They tend to look for outstanding individuals in the crowd, but the truth is those exceptional founders could likely succeed without an accelerator. Meanwhile, more average teams, who could truly benefit from the support, often don’t get it.
@hwiidg Very interesting. Don’t they provide funding based on just an idea, or do they already require traction?
When is your launch btw?
Doraverse
@byalexai They still fund based on ideas, but mostly bet on the founder’s capability rather than the idea itself.
Honestly, their ability to evaluate ideas isn’t great, and they usually stick to certain theses.
My launch got delayed to Aug 23 due to a major technical issue.