Welcome to AcceleratorCon
Schedule
Friday, October 23rd, 2026
The Maison Projects
8:30 AM - 8:00 PM
229 W 28th St, New York, NY 10001
Meet with accelerator representatives, business advisors, and industry experts to learn about the different options available and how they can benefit your business.
VIP Lounge
AI is leaving the screen, the hard-tech wave: robotics, bio, physical systems, and what it takes to fund and build atoms-plus-bits companies.
AI lets non-technical founders ship in days. Does that change who gets funded, or raise the bar? VC + founder debate the new floor for a fundable team.
Founders pitch an AI idea in 60 seconds; investors react in real time.
High-energy, audience-participatory format that doubles as Draft warm-up.
How VCs are rewriting evaluation — what they reward, what they discount, and the red flags in AI pitches. Gold for founders prepping to raise the same day.
The people who read accelerator applications for a living tell you what gets a yes and what gets a pass in under two minutes. Real rejections, real fixes. Bring your application – you’ll leave knowing what to cut.
Where capital actually flows. LPs and fund managers on allocation shifts, AI fund strategies, and what makes a manager fundable this cycle.
Take ten minutes to reset and recharge. This guided mindfulness break invites attendees to pause, breathe, and reconnect with presence before diving back into the day.
Through simple grounding and reflection exercises, we’ll promote focus, gratitude, and clarity — helping everyone return to the conference with a refreshed mind and renewed energy.
This session will be a workshop you don’t want to miss.
This session will be a workshop you don’t want to miss.
Hungry? Have lunch delivered right to you!
Lunch is sponsored by Postmates!
Staff, mentors, investors, sponsors — how should it all come together? What does each stakeholder need to give to founders?
Is charging founders the only way for programs to make money?
How should programs make money? 4 senior accelerator executives open up about the economics of growing an accelerator business.
This session will be a workshop you don’t want to miss.
This session will be a workshop you don’t want to miss.
A closed-door discussion with university leaders
New 6-min Speed Meetings
The Draft is where top startups get scouted—live. Pre-selected founders meet 1:1 with leading accelerators and VC firms in a fast-paced, high-stakes matchmaking experience. Think of it as the startup world’s version of the NFL Draft: curated, competitive, and full of opportunity. The top 2 startups will earn a spot in the “Draft Class of 2026” and win the Super Bowl Pitch.
Get a front-row seat to an exclusive conversation with the founder of AcceleratorCON as she reflects on the movement that sparked a national ecosystem—and where it’s headed next. From the evolution of the platform to bold new bets, this session will reveal what’s coming for 2027.
This session will be a workshop you don’t want to miss.