5 Indian accelerators: terms, cheque size and who they take

By GrantSnap team · Published 2026-10-31 · guide

The Entrepreneur First Bangalore Winter 2027 application page in October 2026 — Entrepreneur First's Bangalore Winter 2027 application page, captured 31 October 2026.

Five programmes come up most often when Indian founders ask where to apply for early backing: Peak XV Surge, Accel Atoms, Antler India, Entrepreneur First Bangalore and 100X.VC. Their published deals differ a great deal. As of 31 October 2026, the stated cheques run from up to $250,000 at Entrepreneur First to a seed range of $500,000 to $5 million at Surge, and only two of the five programmes state an equity percentage on the pages we read.

This is a comparison, not a ranking. We looked for programmes that publish some of their terms, accept applications from anywhere in India, and show an active 2026 cohort or open application. Not every programme meets every test, and we say where one falls short. We read each programme's own pages on 31 October 2026. Where a page is silent we write "not published". Confirm every figure on the official page before you apply.

Peak XV Surge

Surge is run by Peak XV, which lists offices in the US, India, Singapore and the UAE. Its page says it invests from $500k up to $5M in seed capital and welcomes co-investors. It speaks to "Day-Zero Founders" going from zero to one. Equity, fees, programme format and length are not published on the pages we read, and no cohort dates or deadline are shown.

The application is public and is the most detailed of the five. The form has 10 steps and 21 questions. It asks for the company name, website, country of registration, a category from a list and where your customers are. Then come a one-sentence description, the problem, what is unique, why your team is right, your stage (idea or prototype, pre-launch or beta, launched) and traction metrics. The last step asks for a link to a deck, demo or video that anyone can open, optional references, and whether you have already spoken to someone at Surge. Surge says it will respond within 2 to 3 weeks, and the email address must not be role-based.

Accel Atoms

Accel Atoms describes itself as a pre-seed scaling programme and links to Accel's website. Its FAQ page states that it invests up to $1 million to $2 million as equity or a convertible note. The AI Cohort goes up to $2 million, depending on stage, traction and fit. Atoms X goes up to $1 million, in equity only. Cohorts typically run about 3 months, though structure can vary by edition. The AI Cohort takes 5 to 10 startups and Atoms X takes 2 to 3 founders. The equity percentage is not published, and the FAQ mentions no fees.

Atoms is open to founders based in India and to Indian-origin founders anywhere. Companies must have raised under $2 million. It is most relevant to pre-product or pre-revenue teams, and an MVP is not required. You can apply before you incorporate, but you must incorporate before taking external investment. Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis with no stated dates, and the home page refers to an AI Cohort 2026. We could not open the application form, so we cannot say what it asks.

Antler India

Antler's India page describes a Residency in Bengaluru. Funding decisions take about 3 weeks, and the first 2 weeks are in person. The page states INR 4 crore for 11% equity. It gives the US dollar figure as about $470,000 in one place and up to about $425,000 in its FAQ, so ask Antler which applies to you. Founders who relocate get a one-time INR 2 lakh grant. No fee is mentioned.

It suits teams at the pre-launch, pre-product or pre-revenue stage who can commit full-time and be in Bangalore. The current focus is AI-first startups, though the page invites other strong ideas. It lists no India cohort dates and says the next Residency will be announced soon. That is why Antler only partly meets our active-cohort test. The investment form on its apply page asks for your name and email, an optional LinkedIn profile, your stage, your region and your city, with Bangalore on the list. A separate pitch deck form accepts an optional upload of up to 10 MB.

Entrepreneur First Bangalore

Entrepreneur First, or EF, backs individuals before they have a company. Its Bangalore page describes a 12 week programme called FORM in the Bangalore office, followed by a 12 week LAUNCH phase in San Francisco for teams that receive funding. Members receive INR 360,000 as a Talent Investment, with 10% tax deducted at source as of April 2026. EF says this is not salary and that no equity is taken or repayment owed if you do not form a company. After FORM, EF's Investment Committee decides on up to $250,000, made up of a $125,000 post-money SAFE for 8% of the company. A further $125,000 uncapped MFN SAFE is optional and requires relocating to San Francisco and incorporating as a Delaware C-corp. No fee is mentioned.

The Winter 2027 Bangalore cohort starts in February 2027 and is full-time and in person. The apply page says there are three selection rounds and that applying by 2 November 2026 puts you in the second. The first page of the form asks for your name, email, phone number and a LinkedIn or personal website link, plus consent boxes. EF then emails a verification link that unlocks the remaining questions, which we could not read. EF's home page says it looks for people who have outperformed their peers, have built something before, and have the ambition to build a company in the US. You do not need an idea or a co-founder to apply.

100X.VC

100X.VC is a venture fund, not a cohort programme. Its pages describe no format, length or application window, so it does not meet our active-cohort test. We include it because it publishes its investment instrument and invests at the earliest stage. The cheque size is not published. Its iSAFE page says only that the investor and startup agree the amount.

That page explains the instrument. An iSAFE is a compulsorily convertible preference share, not debt. It converts on the next priced round, a dissolution, merger or acquisition, or three years after issue, whichever comes first. You do not have to set a valuation at the first round, and the page lists four variants, based on a valuation cap, a discount, both, or most favoured nation terms. Equity, fees and application questions are not published. The about page says the process starts with a conversation with the team and runs through five steps: discover, decide, invest, mentor and scale.

The non-dilutive route

Government-backed incubators under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme are the main route that does not take equity. The scheme's guidelines from the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade say funds reach startups through eligible incubators. A selected startup is not charged any fees. A startup can receive up to Rs 20 lakh as a grant to validate a proof of concept, prototype or product trial. Separately, up to Rs 50 lakh is available for market entry or scaling through convertible debentures or debt-linked instruments, which is investment rather than a grant.

The startup must be recognised by DPIIT, incorporated not more than 2 years ago, and have Indian promoters holding at least 51%. Apply through a participating incubator, not directly. Check the Startup India portal for the scheme's current status, because we read the guidelines document, not a live call.

How to choose and what to prepare

Start with your stage and your constraint. If you have no co-founder or no company yet, EF's individual route and Antler's pre-product focus fit best. If you already have a company and an early product, Surge, Accel Atoms or 100X.VC's iSAFE may fit better. If you cannot give up equity, look at incubators under the seed fund scheme. Compare the cheque together with the equity. EF and Antler publish 8% and 11%, but Surge, Accel Atoms and 100X.VC do not, so ask before you compare headline amounts.

Prepare the same core material for all of them. Have a one-sentence description, the problem, why your team is the right one, and your traction numbers, or an honest statement that you have none. Gather LinkedIn links for every founder and a deck or demo link that opens without a login. Settle where your company is, or will be, incorporated. The common mistakes are applying to a fund as if it were a cohort, ignoring a selection round deadline, and treating a figure from one page as final when another page of the same programme says something different.

Other calls open now

As of 31 October 2026, other early-stage calls with near deadlines include the Entrepreneur First Bangalore Winter 2027 Program, Samvardhan Design Accelerator 3.0, UK Business Expansion Programme 2026, Launchpreneur 4.0 2026 and Digi SAPNE 3.0.

GrantSnap tracks live calls like these, drafts answers from your profile and fills the form in Chrome. You review every answer before submitting.

Common questions

Which of these five publishes an equity percentage?

Entrepreneur First states 8% for its $125,000 SAFE and Antler India states 11% for INR 4 crore. Surge, Accel Atoms and 100X.VC do not publish a percentage on the pages we read.

Is there a deadline coming up?

Entrepreneur First's apply page says applying by 2 November 2026 puts you in the second selection round for the Winter 2027 Bangalore cohort. The others did not show dates on the pages we read.

Do I need a registered company to apply?

It depends. Accel Atoms says you can apply before incorporating but must incorporate before taking external investment. Surge's form asks for a country of registration. EF says you can apply with no idea or co-founder.

What is the non-dilutive option?

Incubators under the Startup India Seed Fund Scheme can give eligible startups a grant of up to Rs 20 lakh for proof of concept or prototype work, according to the scheme guidelines. Confirm the scheme's current status on the Startup India portal.

Sources

Surge by Peak XV (accessed 2026-10-31)
Surge by Peak XV application (accessed 2026-10-31)
Accel Atoms (accessed 2026-10-31)
Accel Atoms FAQs (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler India (accessed 2026-10-31)
Antler apply (accessed 2026-10-31)
Entrepreneur First (accessed 2026-10-31)
Entrepreneur First Bangalore (accessed 2026-10-31)
Entrepreneur First Bangalore Winter 2027 application (accessed 2026-10-31)
100X.VC India SAFE notes (accessed 2026-10-31)
100X.VC about (accessed 2026-10-31)
Guidelines for Startup India Seed Fund Scheme (DPIIT) (accessed 2026-10-31)

Programme terms come from each programme's own official pages and the DPIIT seed fund guidelines, read on 31 October 2026; open-call titles come from the GrantSnap catalog as of 2026-10-31.

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