30 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Oakland [2024]

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Updated: January 20th, 2022

Are you looking for an accelerator program in Oakland?

According to a recent survey done by the National Venture Capital Association Oakland ranks No. 11 in the list of best cities for technology startups.

If you're starting a startup in Oakland, you might be wondering what startup accelerators or incubators exist in the area. Here's the full list:

Startup Accelerators & Business Incubators In Oakland

#	Accelerator/Incubator	Funding	Location	Apply
1	Gateway Incubator	$50K	Oakland	Apply
2	Allotrope Partners	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
3	Bay Area Business Accelerator	$500K	Oakland	Apply
4	The Hood Incubator	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
5	Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
6	Oakland Startup Network	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
7	ILab at Kapor Center	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
8	Powerhouse	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
9	Propeller	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
10	Kitchener	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
11	Founder Institute	$200K	Global	Apply
12	Better Ventures	$500k	Oakland	Apply
13	Zoo Labs	$5K-$50K	Oakland	Apply
14	Spark Oakland	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
15	eLab Accelerator	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
16	Connected Care Accelerator	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
17	Forage Kitchen	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
18	Bay Area Legal Incubator	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
19	The Data Incubator	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
20	AnewAmerica	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
21	Restore Oakland	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
22	Prospera	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
23	Silicon Valley Robotics	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
24	Green Rush	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
25	The Hidden Genius Project	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
26	Oaksterdam University	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
27	Mandela Partners	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
28	Oakland Bloom	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
29	Oakland Genomics Center	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply
30	Port Product Lab	Not Disclosed	Oakland	Apply

30 Best Startup Accelerators & Incubators In Oakland [2024]

1. Gateway Incubator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Cannabis Industry
Investment Size: $50K
Program Length: 20 Weeks

Gateway Incubator is a premier business program that serves cannabis businesses in California. They provide entrepreneurs with mentorship, capital, office space, and a strong growth network. The main goal of this program is to make entrepreneurs world-class business leaders in the cannabis industry. This program leverages extensive startup knowledge and business lessons to grow the potential of entrepreneurs.

Apply to Gateway Incubator, or learn more ➜

2. Allotrope Partners

Location: Oakland
Industry: Clean Energy
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 3 Months

Allotrope Partners organizes a program to accelerate the growth of early-stage clean energy ventures by providing them guidance and funds. They provide strategic business models, technical expertise, a global growth network, mobilization through public-private initiatives, project development, and investments to the participating business firms.

Apply to Allotrope Partners, or learn more ➜

3. Bay Area Business Accelerator

Location: Oakland
Industry: All Industries
Investment Size: $500K
Program Length: 12 Weeks

Bay Area Business Accelerator hosts a program that helps local and small businesses to move forward in the industry by providing them with business coaching, connections, and capital. This 12-week program majorly helps people and women of color start and grow their businesses through personalized mentoring sessions, sustainable growth strategies, business knowledge, education, and resources to make them investment-ready.

Apply to Bay Area Business Accelerator , or learn more ➜

4. The Hood Incubator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Cannabis Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 4 Months

The Hood Incubator's program accelerates the growth of Black entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry. They empower entrepreneurs by providing them with networking opportunities, resources, organizing events, economic development strategies, business education, and support in building a scalable business firm.

Apply to The Hood Incubator , or learn more ➜

5. Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative

Location: Oakland
Industry: Small Businesses
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 6 Weeks

Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative offers a program that provides entrepreneurs with business education, operational advice, support, resources, mentorship, and growth opportunities. This diverse program supports small business owners, artists, and freelancers and helps them built resilient businesses creating a social impact on the industry.

Apply to Uptima Entrepreneur Cooperative, or learn more ➜

6. Oakland Startup Network

Location: Oakland
Industry: Technology Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 18 Months

Oakland Startup Network runs a diverse program that helps and supports tech startups launch, grow, and scale in the industry. This program assists entrepreneurs & local startups shape the future of the tech community in Oakland by providing them resources, mentorship, incubation, training, boot camps, and networking opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs and investors.

Apply to Oakland Startup Network, or learn more ➜

7. ILab at Kapor Center

Location: Oakland
Industry: Technology Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 3 Months

ILab or Innovation Lab is a 3-month program powered by Kapor Center to serve Tech Communities. This program provides communities with three-month working space, 1:1 coaching, collaboration opportunities, support, and access to industry leaders. They fulfill all the tech needs of unprecedented founders and help them create a social impact on the community.

Apply to ILab at Kapor Center, or learn more ➜

8. Powerhouse

Location: Oakland
Industry: Energy and Mobility
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Powerhouse organizes a program that helps entrepreneurs and business firms to build a future in energy and mobility. This program provides mobility and software-focused startups with network connections, partnership-building opportunities, investment, workshops, collaborative environment, and venture funds.

Apply to Powerhouse, or learn more ➜

9. Propeller

Location: Oakland
Industry: Businesses-owned by Black and Brown founders
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Propeller is an accelerator program run by Social Impact Ventures to serve Black and Brown business owners, founders, entrepreneurs and help them grow and move forward in the industry. This program provides them with business expertise, revenue models, connections, tools & resources, capital, business education, hands-on support, and access to training sessions.

Apply to Propeller, or learn more ➜

10. Kitchener

Location: Oakland
Industry: Food Business
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Kitchener Oakland hosts a food incubator program that serves food entrepreneurs and provides them with various tools, resources, fully-equipped kitchen space, collaborative environment, and guidance necessary to grow and flourish food businesses in Oakland.

Apply to Kitchener, or learn more ➜

11. Founder Institute

Location: Global
Industry: All Industries
Investment Size: $200K
Program: 4 Months
Equity Taken: Not Disclosed

Founder Institute is a pre-seed accelerator program for startups and to date, they have successfully launched 5000+ companies worldwide.

They work with entrepreneurs at the early stage of their business startup and help them build a successful company. The Founder Institute invests up to $200K in the startup idea and provides them mentorship from high-class mentors.

Apply to Founder Institute, or learn more ➜

12. Better Ventures

Location: Oakland
Industry: Science and Technology
Investment Size: $500k
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Better Ventures runs a program to helps business founders build a better world by investing in their software, technology, data science, and life science startups. This program guides members to build scalable and profitable business ventures by providing them sustainable business models, resources, seed investment of $500K, technical assistance, and an adaptive workforce environment.

Apply to Better Ventures, or learn more ➜

13. Zoo Labs

Location: Oakland
Industry: Art Industry
Investment Size: $5K-$50K
Program Length: 2 Weeks

Zoo Labs is an accelerator program that collaborates art, entrepreneurship, and capital to shape culture and build impactful ventures. They invest in the success of artists entrepreneurs and provide them with mentorship, connections, business insights, expertise, and funds ranging from $5K to $50K for promoting the economic growth of the community.

Apply to Zoo Labs, or learn more ➜

14. Spark Oakland

Location: Oakland
Industry: Art Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 6 Months

Spark Oakland's accelerator program that and empowers local artisans and art entrepreneurs. This 6-month program offers practical skills and technical assistance to them for thriving in the modern industrial ecosystem. They also provide artists with mentorship, 1:1 lectures, marketing, access to demo days, and training workshops essential for growth in the industry.

Apply to Spark Oakland, or learn more ➜

15. eLab Accelerator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Clean Energy
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 5 Years

eLab Accelerator offers a program to help business ventures and startups in the niche of clean energy. They have an unrivaled team of members and experts who encourage and support entrepreneurship and provide entrepreneurs with knowledge about clean-energy business, innovation, resources, and guidance to create a lasting impact.

Apply to eLab Accelerator, or learn more ➜

16. Connected Care Accelerator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Healthcare Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 12 Months

Connected Care Accelerator is a program that helps healthcare businesses to flourish in the industry. This 12-month accelerator program provides entrepreneurs and healthcare businesses with mentorship, funding, tools, resources, technical assistance, guidance, and a collaborative working environment to create a lasting impact on the industry.

Apply to Connected Care Accelerator, or learn more ➜

17. Forage Kitchen

Location: Oakland
Industry: Food Business
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Forage Kitchen runs a kitchen incubator program whose mission is to expand the local food industry in the markets of Oakland. They provide business owners with guidance, workspace, resources, business support, and networking opportunities with like-minded entrepreneurs and industry experts.

Apply to Forage Kitchen, or learn more ➜

18. Bay Area Legal Incubator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Legal Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 1 Year

Bay Area Legal Incubator or BALI is a 1-year program that helps emerging law graduates accelerate and launch their solo practices to serve low-income communities. They also provide members with office space, training, mentorship, resources, legal assistance, coaching, technical assistance, and networking opportunities with experienced fellow attorneys.

Apply to Bay Area Legal Incubator, or learn more ➜

19. The Data Incubator

Location: Oakland
Industry: Data Science
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 8 Weeks

The Data Incubator hosts a program that helps founders and innovators build successful businesses in the niche of data science. They offer growth-enabled tools, resources, business models, and assistance to entrepreneurs. The Data Incubator hosts various programs like Data Analytics Program, Data Science Fellowship, Data Science Essentials, and Data Engineering programs to help data science ventures grow and move forward in the industries.

Apply to The Data Incubator, or learn more ➜

20. AnewAmerica

Location: Oakland
Industry: Women and Minority Owned Businesses
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

AnewAmerica is a program designed for women, minorities, and immigrants to develop and grow their small businesses in the industry. This program leverages entrepreneurship and train & guide members to establish their business ventures and contribute to the economic growth of communities. They help entrepreneurs achieve their entrepreneurial dreams by focusing on business incubation and asset building.

Apply to AnewAmerica, or learn more ➜

21. Restore Oakland

Location: Oakland
Industry: Small Businesses
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Restore Oakland's program empowers participants by providing them with advocacy and training. They help entrepreneurs transform the economic system, build community, offer them job training, business incubation, and guidance to launch and grow food, restaurants, and catering business ventures.

Apply to Restore Oakland, or learn more ➜

22. Prospera

Location: Oakland
Industry: Businesses owned by Latina Entrepreneurs
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 12 Weeks

Prospera is a business incubator program that empowers Latino entrepreneurs to launch, grow, and scale their business ventures in the industry. This program fosters cooperation, economic independence, networks, tools, capital, innovation, and networking opportunities to become successful business owners.

Apply to Prospera, or learn more ➜

23. Silicon Valley Robotics

Location: Oakland
Industry: Robotics Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Silicon Valley Robotics offers a program that helps business ventures in the niche of robotics technologies. This program supports AI technology innovation and commercialization of robotics ventures by providing members with mentorship, investment, co-working space, and access to demo days.

Apply to Silicon Valley Robotics, or learn more ➜

24. Green Rush

Location: Oakland
Industry: Cannabis Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Green Rush is an incubator program that empowers entrepreneurs and founders and provides them with tools, resources, connections, business plans, services, education, technology, and fund-raising opportunities to launch, grow, and scale successful and profitable cannabis business ventures.

Apply to Green Rush, or learn more ➜

25. The Hidden Genius Project

Location: Oakland
Industry: Education and Technology Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Flagship Intensive Immersion Program is 15-months

The Hidden Genius Project is an international, Oakland-based nonprofit organization that trains and mentors Black male youth in the niche of technology and innovation. Their flagship Intensive Immersion Program is a 15-month, holistic mentorship program that provides them with leadership and entrepreneurship skills, business resources, training and workshop sessions. They also offer catalyst and community partner programming for exploring careers in the technology landscape for young people of color.

Apply to The Hidden Genius Project, or learn more ➜

26. Oaksterdam University

Location: Oakland
Industry: Cannabis Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Oaksterdam University runs a program in which they have a team of experienced entrepreneurs and business experts in the niche of the cannabis industry. They provide entrepreneurs with leading business education, guidance and empowers them to build successful and profitable medical cannabis ventures. This program also provides participants with training sessions, a comprehensive curriculum, real-world projects, resources, job opportunities, and growth plans.

Apply to Oaksterdam University, or learn more ➜

27. Mandela Partners

Location: Oakland
Industry: Food Business
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Mandela Partners hosts a Business Incubation program to help entrepreneurs successfully develop, launch, and grow successful food-based businesses in Oakland. This program strengthens the community by offering them long-term support, food security, economic development, technical assistance, training, business network, business planning, and growth opportunities.

Apply to Mandela Partners, or learn more ➜

28. Oakland Bloom

Location: Oakland
Industry: Food Business
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Oakland Bloom is a program that provides various business opportunities to migrant chefs and chefs of color. The mission of this incubator program is to create business ownership and economic equity in Oakland. They also host various programs for empowering food businesses in the region; Open Test Kitchen, Cooperative Restaurant Group, Understory, and a few more.

Apply to Oakland Bloom, or learn more ➜

29. Oakland Genomics Center

Location: Oakland
Industry: Genomics and Data Generating
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: Not Disclosed

Oakland Genomics provides businesses and startups affordable lab space and a diverse community and range of equipments in the niche of food sciences, genomics, data generations, and diagnostics. The center offers various facilities and services to participants to make the business venture a success.

Apply to Oakland Genomics Center, or learn more ➜

30. Port Product Lab

Location: Oakland
Industry: Product Development Industry
Investment Size: Not Disclosed
Program Length: 4 Weeks

Port Product Lab's program provides various facilities and services to entrepreneurs to transform products from the idea stage to the manufacturing stage. This program provides entrepreneurs with prototyping & fabrication lab, workspaces, support, business resources, growth strategies, workshops, one-on-one coaching, networking opportunities, and 4-week acceleration for nurturing the growth of business firms.

Apply to Port Product Lab, or learn more ➜

meet the author

Pat Walls

I'm Pat Walls and I created Starter Story - a website dedicated to helping people start businesses. We interview entrepreneurs from around the world about how they started and grew their businesses.

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