Plug and Play Accelerator Programs (Global)
Offers Plug and Play accelerator programmes connecting startups to global corporate partners across diverse industry verticals.
Plug and Play Tech Center operates one of the world's largest corporate innovation platforms, running more than 80 vertical-specific accelerator programs per year across 60+ global locations. Founded in Silicon Valley, the organization connects startups with 550+ corporate partners — including Amazon, Bayer, Volvo, Shell, Porsche, Eli Lilly, and Nissan — spanning 27 industry verticals from Fintech and Medtech to Aerospace and Agtech. Each program is structured as a 3-month cohort, with 15–25 startups per batch, and concludes with an Expo or Summit (demo day) where participants present to corporate partners and investors.
Participation in Plug and Play accelerator programs is non-dilutive — no equity stake is taken as a condition of program admission. Value is delivered through curated one-on-one pitch meetings with corporate partners (called dealflows), access to 800+ annual events, co-working space in global offices, and network exposure. For-profit startups are the eligible applicant type; nonprofits, universities, and individuals are not eligible for the accelerator track. Many programs are co-delivered with government or corporate sponsors — including NJEDA (NJ AI Hub and NJ FAST), Arizona Commerce Authority (accelerateAZ), Georgia's GITA agency, NATO (DualTech by Takeoff), and the EU Cassini space program — where the partner body funds any cash stipend or grant component, not Plug and Play.
Applicants apply through the Plug and Play website for a specific program cohort. Selection is competitive and program-specific. Where a government partner is involved, additional eligibility requirements from that body may apply. Startups most likely to succeed demonstrate a clear use case for one of the corporate partner sectors, are early- to growth-stage for-profit companies, and are operationally ready to execute pilots within the 12-week program window. Plug and Play Ventures, a separate CVC arm, may make follow-on equity investments ($25k–$500k, negotiable, primarily seed stage) on a case-by-case basis after program completion.
Non-dilutive, equity-free corporate accelerator programs connecting startups to 550+ corporate partners across 27 verticals in 60+ global locations, delivered as 12-week cohorts concluding with investor expo events.
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