Virgin StartUp Competitors

Techstars helps founders scale their startups into world-changing businesses. Founded in 2006, Techstars is on a mission to invest in startups to enable more capital to flow to more entrepreneurs around the world in order to deliver exceptional returns to our investors. We do this by operating accelerator programs and venture capital funds, as well as by connecting startups, investors, corporations, and cities to help build thriving startup communities. Our results show why Techstars is Better for Founders than any other global accelerator: On average, 74.5% of Techstars companies will raise money within 3 years of their program; 18.5% of Techstars portfolio companies have exited 5 years after their program and 31.1% after eight years. (PitchBook June 2023)

Y Combinator is the leading startup accelerator for entrepreneurs. Since 2005, YC has invested in over 5,400 companies, including Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, Reddit, Instacart, DoorDash, and Coinbase. Today, YC has built the most powerful startup community in the world alongside the products and programs to support founders for the life of their company.

We back small businesses with the finance they need to succeed. At Funding Circle, we understand running a business is hard work so we provide a fast, hassle-free experience for businesses looking for finance - with SME experts based in the UK. Over the past ten years, we've been revolutionising SME lending by making it easier than ever to apply for a business loan. With our simple online application small businesses can apply in minutes without the need for interviews or business cases, get a decision in seconds, and funds in their account in typically 48 hours. We've helped over 130,000 businesses access more then £14.5 billion since 2010. And we're not done yet.