London is the largest startup hub in Europe, and most European accelerators either started here or run a London program. Fintech, AI and deep tech are the strongest sectors, and many programs invest through the UK SEIS and EIS schemes.
The range is wide: talent investors such as Entrepreneurs First accept you before you have a co-founder, pre-seed funds such as Seedcamp write larger first cheques, and corporate-backed programs offer pilots with large companies.
| Program | Funding | Equity | Next deadline |
|---|---|---|---|
| Entrepreneurs First | Up to $250K | 8% for $125K (post-money SAFE) plus optional $125K uncapped MFN SAFE | November 2, 2026 (6 days left) |
| Techstars London | $220,000 | 5% common stock for $20K plus $200K uncapped MFN SAFE | November 18, 2026 (22 days left) |
| Techstars | $220,000 | 5% common stock (via $20K CEA) plus $200K uncapped MFN SAFE | November 18, 2026 (22 days left) |
| Barclays Eagle Labs | No direct investment | None | November 20, 2026 (24 days left) |
| Conception X | Free; top teams eligible for up to £300K | None taken by the programme | December 6, 2026 (40 days left) |
| Wayra (Telefónica) | €150K to €5M (reported range) | Minority stake, no standard percentage published | Rolling admissions |
| Seedcamp | $350K to $1.25M first cheque | Varies; standard pre-seed ASA (historically about 6.5% to 7.5% for a lead pre-seed cheque) | Rolling admissions |
| Antler | $500K to $1M initial commitment in the US; varies by location | Varies by location | Rolling admissions |
| Zinc | Up to £250,000 | Not published | Rolling admissions |
| Level39 | No investment (paid membership) | None | Rolling admissions |
| Founders Factory | Varies by program (not published) | Not published | Rolling admissions |
| Plexal | No investment | None | Next deadline not announced yet |
London, Bangalore, San Francisco
Talent investor you join before you have a company or co-founder. EF helps you find one and build from zero, and invests up to $250K.
Alumni include Cleo, Aztec, PolyAI, Gensyn.
Entrepreneurs First: terms, deadline and how to apply
London
3-month Techstars accelerator in London for startups in any sector. $220K investment (5% common stock plus uncapped MFN SAFE). Apply by 18 November 2026.
Boston, Chicago, New York City, London, Baltimore, Los Angeles (USC) and Techstars Anywhere (remote)
Global accelerator network with programs in cities worldwide. Invests $220K: $20K for 5% plus a $200K uncapped MFN SAFE, in a three-month program.
Alumni include Remitly, SendGrid, DigitalOcean, ClassPass.
Techstars: terms, deadline and how to apply
London
Barclays' UK startup network since 2015: 43 locations, 21,967 businesses supported and free equity-free programmes. Sales Growth Programme closes 20 Nov 2026.
London
Free 9-month deep tech venture programme for PhD researchers in the UK and Europe. No equity taken; top teams can raise up to £300K. Apply by 6 December 2026.
Alumni include ReactWise, Humanloop, Kapacity, Rahko.
Conception X: terms, deadline and how to apply
Madrid
Telefónica's corporate venture arm. Since 2011 it has invested €260M+ in 1,200+ startups, and 200+ of its portfolio companies sell to Telefónica.
Alumni include ElevenLabs, Red Sift, Hiya, LuxQuanta.
Wayra (Telefónica): terms, deadline and how to apply
London, UK (invests across Europe and Israel)
Europe's leading pre-seed fund, based in London. First cheques of $350K to $1.25M, with operator-led support on product, hiring and fundraising.
Alumni include Wise, Revolut, UiPath, Synthesia.
Seedcamp: terms, deadline and how to apply
30 locations including New York, San Francisco, Austin, London, Singapore, Sydney
Day-zero investor that helps founders find co-founders and build from scratch in 25+ cities. In the US it commits $500K to $1M; terms vary by location.
Alumni include Airalo.
Antler: terms, deadline and how to apply
London
London venture builder and investor for UK science-for-impact startups in health and environment. Pre-seed investment up to £250,000, pitches reviewed on a rolling basis.
Alumni include SignaCor, Epiome, Spine, CellMine.
Zinc: terms, deadline and how to apply
London
Canary Wharf Group's tech community at One Canada Square, opened in 2013. Paid membership from about £300/month for 180+ fintech, cyber and AI firms.
Alumni include Revolut, Datatonic, eToro.
Level39: terms, deadline and how to apply
London, plus Perth, Singapore, Milan, Chicago and remote
London-based venture builder and accelerator backed by corporate partners. Runs sector programs with investment and corporate pilots; amounts are not published.
Alumni include Flourish, Storyblok, Scan.com, Dronamics.
Founders Factory: terms, deadline and how to apply
London
Innovation company and workspace at Here East, Stratford, opened in 2017. Ran the UK's largest cyber accelerator, Cyber Runway, which concluded in 2026.
Alumni include Sitehop, Mind Foundry, Block Armour.
Plexal: terms, deadline and how to applyGet your pitch deck scored with our free AI Pitch Review, and track every deadline in one place from your SaaSOffers dashboard. Once you are accepted, claim the free startup credits most programs qualify you for.
The programs founders apply to most in London are Entrepreneurs First, Techstars London, Techstars, Barclays Eagle Labs, Conception X. Each one differs in funding, equity and format, so compare them in the table above before applying.
Barclays Eagle Labs, Conception X, Level39, Plexal take no equity, based on each program's published terms.
Entrepreneurs First (deadline November 2, 2026), Techstars London (deadline November 18, 2026), Techstars (deadline November 18, 2026), Barclays Eagle Labs (deadline November 20, 2026), Conception X (deadline December 6, 2026). Programs with rolling admissions accept applications at any time.
Wayra (Telefónica) offers the largest investment on this list: €150K to €5M (reported range), for Minority stake, no standard percentage published.