Startup accelerator selection criteria should be a scorecard you reuse—not a list of famous logos. Score stage, sector, geography, equity, and recent cohort outcomes before you write a single application. The evergreen owner is how to choose a startup accelerator. For what partners evaluate in you, see what accelerators look for.

The five filters

1. Stage fit — Does the last cohort look like companies at your revenue and team size?
2. Sector fit — Will mentors and partners open doors in your market?
3. Geography — Relocate, hybrid, or remote? Drop programs you cannot attend.
4. Equity vs capital — Model dilution before you apply. Famous 7% deals are a different trade than equity-light pilots.
5. Outcome proof — Last two cohorts: follow-on funding and customer intros—not decade-old alumni stories.

How to score a shortlist

Write 3–10 programs down the left. Score each filter 0–2. Zero on stage or sector is a veto—even if the brand is famous. Talk to two alumni from the latest cohort before you invest days in the application.

What not to optimize

• Brand fame as a proxy for fit.
• Spraying the same essay to twenty programs.
• Ignoring equity because “everyone does it.”

This checklist does not redefine accelerator equity, YC tips, or how to apply. Those stay on their owner URLs. Use how to apply after the scorecard, not before.

Related: how to choose a startup accelerator, what accelerators look for, and accelerator application checklist.