Equity-free startup accelerator for diverse founders: DivInc
DivInc
0% equity; $10,000 grant in some cohorts
Researched for this program: 8 rejection traps · 1 required documentWhat decides this award ↓
DivInc is a free accelerator that takes 0% equity. Where a cohort offers a completion grant, each company gets $10,000; founders who leave early forfeit it.
DivInc runs free startup accelerators for under-resourced and underrepresented founders — Black, Latinx, women, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs — building scalable tech companies. In cohorts that offer a completion grant, each company receives $10,000 with no equity taken, to fund its next phase of growth, plus weekly workshops, one-on-one coaching, mentorship, and corporate-partner and investor access. DivInc takes no equity. In 2026 DivInc operates a year-long ecosystem model with multiple tracks (e.g. Innovation & Influence, Women in Tech, plus sector accelerators like sports tech and clean energy), running roughly 10–12 weeks with two in-person weeks in Austin, Texas (kickoff and Demo Day) and remote programming otherwise. The organization has issued $150K+ in equity-free grants to cohort companies.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Private
- Amount
- $10,000
- Realistic amount
- In cohorts that offer a completion grant, each company receives $10,000 equity-free on completing the program. The larger value is the mentorship, corporate-partner relationships, and follow-on investor access.
- Deadline
- Cohort-based — the Women in Tech Accelerator (10 weeks from September 21, 2026) closed applications September 4, 2026; no accelerator application is currently open on divinc.org. Earlier: Innovation & Influence Spring 2026 closed April 9, 2026. Watch divinc.org for the next cohort.
- Status
- between-intakes
- States
- Nationwide
- Payment model
- lump-sum
Who qualifies
- US-based, for-profit company
- Scalable tech, software, hardware, or tech-enabled consumer product with a built product or MVP
- At least one under-resourced / underrepresented founder (DivInc focuses on people of color, women, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurs)
- CEO must participate and commit ~25–30 hours per week during the cohort
- Able to attend the in-person weeks in Austin (kickoff and Demo Day) for relevant tracks
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Any legitimate business use — the grant is equity-free and unrestricted
- Product development
- Hiring
- Marketing and growth
- Working capital
How to apply
-
1
Apply to an open cohort
Submit the application for the open DivInc track that fits your sector and stage via divinc.org/apply.
~5 hrs
-
2
Selection and interviews
DivInc reviews applications and interviews finalists; a cohort of companies is selected.
~3 hrs
-
3
Complete the 10–12 week program
Participate in weekly workshops, one-on-one coaching, and mentorship, including two in-person weeks in Austin (kickoff and Demo Day) for relevant tracks.
~90 hrs
-
4
Receive the completion grant, if your cohort has one
In cohorts that offer a completion grant (past cohorts paid $10,000), each company receives it on completing the program. Every company joins the DivInc alumni network for follow-on support.
~1 hrs
Where a cohort offers the $10,000 grant, it is paid on completion, not upfront — budget your runway so the program's ~25–30 hours/week doesn't starve the business before the grant lands. DivInc's real leverage is its corporate sponsors (telecom and enterprise partners back specific themed cohorts like sports tech and 5G); pick the track whose sponsor could become a pilot customer or follow-on investor, not just the one that fits your sector loosely. You need a built product or MVP — idea-stage applicants are routed to earlier-stage offerings.
Deadline & timing
DivInc runs several accelerator cohorts per year across tracks. Recent windows: Innovation & Influence Spring 2026 application closed April 9, 2026 (10-week cohort began May 4, 2026); Austin Women in Tech application closed November 30, 2025 (April–June 2026 cohort). New tracks open on a rolling basis under the year-long ecosystem model.
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