AN-073 Funding · cluster
Hardware Accelerators Compared (and the Browser Setting With the Same Name)
A hardware accelerator is a startup program or a GPU setting. This note covers the programs: HAX, Y Combinator, Techstars, Activate, Silicon Catalyst.
by the HardwareMap editors4 min read
Contents
- 1The browser setting, briefly
- 2Hardware accelerator programs compared
- 3HAX: the hardware accelerator built around a workshop
- 4Y Combinator and Techstars: general programs that take hardware
- 5Activate and Silicon Catalyst: narrow programs, specific help
- 6How to choose a hardware accelerator
- 7Frequently asked questions
A hardware accelerator is two different things: in a browser or operating system, hardware acceleration hands graphics work to the GPU; for founders, a hardware accelerator is a program that invests in an early hardware startup in exchange for equity. This note compares the second kind, from HAX to Y Combinator, with terms checked October 2026. It sits under hardware startup funding.
The browser setting, briefly
If you came here for the setting: hardware acceleration lets Chrome, Edge, Firefox or an app use the GPU to draw pages and decode video. In Chrome it lives under Settings, System, "Use graphics acceleration when available". Turn it off if you see flicker, black video or crashes after a driver update, then restart the browser. Turn it back on if scrolling or video gets slow. That is the whole story; the rest of this page is about startup programs.
Hardware accelerator programs compared
Five programs that accept hardware companies, with terms from each program's own pages:
Sources: HAX, YC deal, Techstars terms, Activate FAQ, Silicon Catalyst. Where a program does not publish a term, the table says so rather than repeat a third-party figure.
HAX: the hardware accelerator built around a workshop
HAX is the hardware program of SOSV, the venture firm. It states a $550K initial investment per startup and lists a 35,000 sq ft headquarters in Newark, New Jersey, plus a 10,000 sq ft "Plasma Forge" in Princeton. It counts 440 HAX startups to date. The draw is physical: engineering staff, shop space and help with design for manufacture, which general programs do not provide. It suits a team with a working prototype that needs to get to a manufacturable design. For what that step involves, see prototype to production.
Y Combinator and Techstars: general programs that take hardware
Y Combinator invests $500,000 in every company it accepts: $125,000 for a fixed 7% and $375,000 on an uncapped SAFE with a most-favored-nation clause, which converts on the terms of the next priced round. It charges no fees and takes a pro rata right. Two index companies name YC as an investor: Corvus Robotics, which flies autonomous inventory drones in warehouses, and Eight Sleep, which makes temperature-controlled smart bed covers. YC offers no lab, so the money and the demo day are the product.
Techstars invests $220,000: $200,000 on an uncapped MFN SAFE and $20,000 for 5% common equity, for programs from Fall 2025 on. Programs run three months and are organized by city or theme, so fit varies by program. Like YC, it brings a network, not a workshop.
For a hardware founder, the main gain from either is speed to a seed round. The next step is in how hardware startups raise a seed round.
Activate and Silicon Catalyst: narrow programs, specific help
Activate is a two-year fellowship for scientists and engineers turning research into a company. It takes no equity and charges no fees. Its FAQ describes $100,000 in research funding per company, alongside a living stipend, and requires fellows to be authorized to work in the United States. Its 2026 cohort, announced 14 July 2026, has 50 fellows building 41 companies across Berkeley, Boston, Houston, New York and a remote track (Activate). The Berkeley community works with Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Energy and materials companies are its core.
Silicon Catalyst is an accelerator for semiconductor startups only: chips, chiplets, photonics, MEMS, sensors and related fields. Its program runs 24 months and its value is in-kind: design tools, IP, process design kits and prototyping from partner companies, which it puts at over $150 million in total across its portfolio. Salience Labs, an Oxford company in the index building optical switches for AI datacenters, names Silicon Catalyst as an investor. Chip founders should compare its tool access with what a tape-out would cost them in cash; the AI chip startups list shows the companies that went that route.
How to choose a hardware accelerator
Match the program to the gap:
- No prototype, no lab: HAX, or Activate if you are a scientist with a research result.
- Prototype works, need money and investors: Y Combinator or Techstars.
- Chip design, need tools: Silicon Catalyst.
- Already raised a seed: most programs add less than they cost in equity at this point.
Questions to ask each hardware accelerator before you sign:
- What equipment can we use, on what hours, and who on staff has shipped a product?
- Which contract manufacturers and suppliers have alumni actually used through the program?
- How many alumni raised a seed round within a year, and from whom?
- Does the program invest again in later rounds, and on what terms?
- Is relocation required, and for how long?
A program that answers all five with names and numbers is easier to judge than one that answers with a brochure.
Read the investment documents, not the summary. Model the dilution with your next round: an uncapped MFN SAFE converts at your next priced round's terms, so its cost is not known until then. Ask alumni what they actually used. Accelerators are one line in the wider hardware startup funding path, alongside grants, angels and strategic investors.
Frequently asked questions
What is a hardware accelerator in a browser?
In a browser or operating system, hardware acceleration means handing graphics and video work to the GPU instead of the CPU. In Chrome the switch is under Settings, System, Use graphics acceleration when available. Turning it off can fix flicker or crashes on some drivers, at the cost of smoothness. It has nothing to do with startup programs, which this note covers.
What is the best hardware accelerator for startups?
There is no single best one. HAX is the only program here built around physical prototyping and manufacturing support. Y Combinator invests the most cash, $500,000. Activate takes no equity but is open only to scientists who can work in the United States. Silicon Catalyst serves semiconductor companies only. Pick by what you lack: cash, lab space, industry access or tools.
How much equity do hardware accelerators take?
Y Combinator takes a fixed 7% for $125,000 plus an uncapped MFN SAFE for $375,000. Techstars takes 5% common equity for $20,000 plus a $200,000 uncapped MFN SAFE. Activate takes no equity. HAX states a $550,000 initial investment but does not publish the equity on its home page, so ask at application. Always read the actual documents before signing.
Do hardware accelerators help with manufacturing?
Only some do. HAX runs engineering space in Newark and Princeton, New Jersey, and is built for founders who are still moving from prototype to production. Silicon Catalyst arranges in-kind access to chip design tools, IP and prototyping through its partners. General programs such as Y Combinator and Techstars offer advice and introductions, not benches, tools or factory contacts.
Is an accelerator worth it for a hardware startup?
It is worth it when the program fills a specific gap faster than you could alone: a lab, a supplier network, or a seed round that closes sooner because of demo day. It is not worth it if the equity buys only general advice you could get from mentors. Compare the dilution with the cost of renting the same space, tools and introductions yourself.
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