Accelerators, Incubators & Programs

Curated startup programs across every stage and sector in Chicago.

• Drive Seed Program — SaaS, AI, Automation
• Duality — Quantum
• LeapYear — AI and SaaS
• Techstars Chicago — SaaS and deeptech
• 2112 Chicago — Music and entertainment-tech
• MATTER — Health
• mHUB Accelerator — Hardware and med-tech
• mHUB Climate — Climate and energy tech
• Polsky Center Transform — 16-week program — AI and deep tech at UChicago
• Gener8tor — Sustainability, carbon removal, EdTech
• TechRise — Weekly pitch competitions for early-stage founders to access capital and networks
• Food Foundry — Food-tech
• 1871 Accelerator — Various fields — four cohorts per year
• Founders Institute — SaaS

Founder Communities

Niche communities where Chicago’s builders connect, collaborate, and ship.

• AI Tinkerers Chicago — Practitioners with ML and entrepreneurial backgrounds actively building with foundation models and LLMs.
• Density — A high-density hub of top builders and founders in Chicago.
• imnotArt — Community curating physical and digital NFT exhibitions for artists and innovators.
• ETHChicago — Elevating Web3 innovation and entrepreneurship in the Midwest.
• Nur House — Chicago’s Muslim Builder Hub.
• Scratchpad — Pull up and work on your passion projects.
• CPG Speakeasy — Connects early stage brands with resources to accelerate their products.
• Founder House — An exclusive founders-only community built by founders for founders.
• Operators Guild — Invitation-only group for the world’s top finance and operations leaders in high-growth tech.
• Omaxn — ‘Spotlight on Applied AI’ series — translating complex AI into practical business strategies.
• Genesis — The largest community of Gen Z entrepreneurs in the Midwest.
• Build Illinois — Entrepreneurial community at UIUC hosting events for creatives, artists, and founders.
• Pitch and Run — Run club for founders.
• Data Science Institute — UChicago talks, workshops, and gatherings sparking new collaborations.
• Northwestern AI Club — Educating and empowering students to shape the future with AI.
• Three Cities Social — A modern-day social club for adults seeking real connection.
• Startup Grind Chicago — Chicago founder community with regular programming and events.
• Chicago Data Professionals — Live events on data topics including Microsoft Azure Data Services.
• FaithTech — A global tech community for Christ.
• Gildre — International Executive Workshops and in-person events in Chicago.
• EdTech Institute of Chicago — Coffee meetups and events for EdTech founders and investors (LinkedIn).