MARL Accelerator
12-week online accelerator for DeepTech founders building products for enterprise customers. Pre-seed investment for 5% equity, with Demo Day in San Francisco.
MARL Accelerator at a glance
| Address | San Francisco, CA |
|---|---|
| Programmes | 2 standing programmes |
| Equity | 0 of 2 programmes that state a policy take no equity |
| Official website | marlaccelerator.com |
| info@marlaccelerator.com |
Programmes they run
Standing programmes at MARL Accelerator, separate from the funding calls above.
MARL 5G Accelerator
AcceleratorA 12-week online accelerator for DeepTech founders, with a pre-seed investment for 5% equity and a Demo Day in San Francisco.
Best for: Driven founders building DeepTech products for enterprise customers.
- 12 weeks
- Online
- Takes equity
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The MARL 5G Accelerator is a 12-week hands-on programme for founders building DeepTech products for enterprise customers. It runs online, and Demo Day is held in the San Francisco Bay Area.
What you get
- A pre-seed investment in exchange for 5% equity, made through a SAFE.
- A possible follow-on investment, also through a SAFE, for startups that reach the programme's revenue milestone within six months of the cohort start.
- Two workshops a week, a one-hour one-to-one mentoring session each week, and investor calls.
- Access to 100+ mentors and partnerships with 30+ pre-seed and seed venture firms and 50+ U.S. corporations.
- Perks including cloud, legal, banking, marketing and branding, and technology resources.
- A Demo Day pitch to over 80 investors.
Who can apply
Driven founders working on frontier technology in the DeepTech sector.
How selection works: an application questionnaire, a first introduction meeting, two interviews (a business plan review and a technical review with a demo), then a final decision. The process averages two to three weeks.
How to apply: apply through F6S. The current application deadline is March 19th, 2027.
MARL Studio Program
AcceleratorA 24-week programme that takes technical, pre-revenue startups from concept to an MVP, with pre-seed investment for equity.
Best for: Technical, pre-revenue startups building next-generation applications.
- 24 weeks
- Takes equity
What you get, who can apply and how to applyHide details
The MARL Studio Program is a 24-week hands-on programme for technical startups that have not yet earned revenue and are building next-generation applications.
What you get
- A pre-seed investment for equity. The studio page gives two sets of terms, at 7.5% and at 5% with a programme fee, so confirm the current terms before you apply.
- Sessions in venture design and business model, product strategy, architecture reviews, and user experience and interface design.
- Build, test and ship cycles, twice a week, with weekly feedback, until the product reaches early or beta users.
- Access to 100+ mentors and partnerships with 30+ pre-seed and seed venture firms and 50+ U.S. corporations.
Who can apply
Technical startups that are pre-revenue and building next-generation applications.
How to apply: the studio page does not give an intake date. Ask the programme about the current intake.
Incubation tracks
The routes into MARL Accelerator, and what each one includes.
| Track | Type | Space | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accelerator ProgramRuns online. Demo Day is held in the San Francisco Bay Area. | Acceleration | — | pre-seed investment for equity via a SAFE, mentoring, investor meetings, perks and benefits |
| Studio ProgramFor technical startups that are pre-revenue. Terms on the page differ between two versions. | Acceleration | — | pre-seed investment for equity, mentoring, perks and benefits |
Support services
Help offered alongside funding and space.
How to apply to MARL Accelerator
Choosing the right programme
- Accelerator (12 weeks): for driven founders building frontier DeepTech products for enterprise customers. It takes 5% equity for a pre-seed investment.
- Studio (24 weeks): for technical startups that have not yet earned revenue and need an MVP built. It takes equity, and the terms on its page differ between two versions.
How applications work
- Apply through F6S.
- The current application deadline is March 19th, 2027.
- Cohorts start in March (Spring) and August (Fall). Applications open three months before each start.
- Plan for 6 to 8 hours a week for the length of the programme.
How selection works
- The process averages two to three weeks.
- It starts with an application questionnaire. A pitch deck is recommended, because it helps the team see the whole startup.
- A first introduction meeting is followed by two interviews: a business plan review with the managing partners, and a technical review that includes a demo.
- The team makes a final decision once these steps are complete.
About MARL Accelerator
MARL Accelerator is an early-stage accelerator fund based in San Francisco, California. It backs founders building DeepTech products and services for enterprise customers, using 5G technology, in sectors such as robotics, virtual and augmented reality, logistics, mobility, next-generation artificial intelligence and cybersecurity. Its main programme is an online accelerator, and it holds its Demo Day in the San Francisco Bay Area.
How programmes work
The MARL 5G Accelerator is a 12-week hands-on programme. Cohorts run twice a year, in Spring and in Fall. Each week has two workshops, held on Mondays and Wednesdays, and a one-hour one-to-one mentoring session. Investor calls run through the programme, and it ends with a Demo Day where founders pitch to over 80 investors and can secure follow-up meetings.
The workshops cover fundraising and legal matters, customer development, the Lean Startup approach and business model canvas, branding and selling, MVP development, beta and pilot strategies, and investor readiness. The programme says its commitment to founders does not end when the 12 weeks do.
Founders receive a pre-seed investment in exchange for 5% equity, made through a SAFE. Startups that reach the programme's revenue milestone within six months of the cohort start can receive a follow-on investment, also through a SAFE, with a valuation cap. The programme says the funds are for product development, customer development and hiring.
The MARL Studio Program is a separate 24-week programme for technical startups that are still pre-revenue and building next-generation applications. Weeks 1 to 5 cover venture design and the business model. Weeks 6 to 12 cover product concept and strategy, architecture reviews, and user experience and interface design. From week 12 the studio moves to building the MVP in build, test and ship cycles, twice a week, with weekly feedback, until the product reaches early or beta users. Studio founders also receive a pre-seed investment for equity.
The studio page gives two different sets of pre-seed terms: one at 7.5% equity, and another at 5% equity with a programme fee and a programme support fee. Confirm the current terms with the programme before you apply.
Who can apply
The accelerator is for driven founders working on frontier technology in the DeepTech sector. The programme is entirely virtual, so founders do not need to relocate to the San Francisco Bay Area. In-person attendance at Demo Day is mandatory for founders, travel restrictions permitting, although the programme may make exceptions.
The studio is for technical startups that have not yet earned revenue and are building next-generation applications.
Focus sectors
The fund says it specialises in specific sectors where its mentors and partners have experience. These are mobility, virtual and augmented reality, logistics, cybersecurity, next-generation artificial intelligence and robotics.
Scale and network
The programme cites its own figures: a network of 100+ mentors, partnerships with 30+ pre-seed and seed venture firms and 50+ U.S. corporations, and perks that include cloud, legal, banking, marketing and branding, and technology resources. These are the programme's own figures, and the site gives no dates for them.
Where it runs
The accelerator is delivered online for the whole 12 weeks. Founders do not need to move to the Bay Area to take part. The one in-person event is Demo Day in the San Francisco Bay Area, which founders are expected to attend, travel restrictions permitting. The studio page does not state where its sessions run.
Name and contact
The site uses two names: MARL 5G, and MARL for Mobility, Autonomy, Robotics and Logistics. Questions can be sent to info@marlaccelerator.com.
Get in touch
Send a message to MARL Accelerator — we'll forward it on your behalf.
Who they work with
Stage
Frequently asked questions about MARL Accelerator
What does MARL Accelerator do?
MARL Accelerator is an early-stage accelerator fund based in San Francisco, California.
Where is MARL Accelerator located?
MARL Accelerator is located at San Francisco, CA.
What programs does MARL Accelerator run?
MARL Accelerator runs MARL 5G Accelerator and MARL Studio Program.
Does MARL Accelerator take equity?
It depends on the programme. and undefined take no equity, while MARL 5G Accelerator and MARL Studio Program take equity.
What stage of startup does MARL Accelerator support?
MARL Accelerator supports startups at the Validation and Early Revenue stages.
How do I apply to MARL Accelerator?
- Accelerator (12 weeks): for driven founders building frontier DeepTech products for enterprise customers. It takes 5% equity for a pre-seed investment. - Studio (24 weeks): for technical startups that have not yet earned revenue and need an MVP built. It takes equity, and the terms on its page differ between two versions. - Apply through F6S.
Recommended grants & schemes
Other open programmes matching MARL Accelerator's focus areas.