Techstars
About Techstars
Techstars invests in startups through mentorship-driven accelerator programs in cities around the world, with industry and AI-focused programs run with corporate partners.
Techstars was incorporated on November 14, 2006 by David Cohen, David Brown, Brad Feld and Jared Polis. The firm says it has accelerated more than 10,900 founders and counts 29 unicorns in its portfolio. Cohen is listed as co-founder, chairman and CEO. Its venture arm, Techstars Ventures, was formerly named Bullet Time Ventures and is based in Boulder, Colorado. Crunchbase describes it as a $150 million fund. A 2017 SEC filing showed a planned Techstars Ventures 2017 L.P. targeting $400 million, and a press report at the time said no capital had yet been raised. A separate pre-seed vehicle, Rising Stars, reportedly raised $8 million.
Techstars runs 3-month accelerator cohorts with an AI focus, and its 2026 update listed open applications for Techstars AI Health Baltimore. Its own update also reports that Amplifai Health, a 2023 Techstars company that uses AI-powered thermal imaging for athlete performance, secured investment from ASICS after winning the ASICS Innovation Pitch. The Techstars COO has also publicly highlighted Sprout.ai, a portfolio company whose AI handles document extraction, coverage verification, fraud detection and settlement recommendations. Partners who lead the AI investing are not named in public sources reviewed here.
Public listings show Techstars investing at the pre-seed, seed, Series A and Series B stages. The accelerator investment is $220,000 per company, according to the Techstars NYC program FAQ. A third-party review describes this as a $200,000 uncapped SAFE plus $20,000 for 5% common stock. Rising Stars, the pre-seed fund, has been reported to invest $100,000 per company for 7 to 10 percent ownership. Check sizes for the venture fund are not public.
- Sprout.ai: AI for document extraction, coverage verification, fraud detection and settlement recommendations; round not public
- Amplifai Health: AI-powered thermal imaging for athlete performance; Techstars 2023 company; ASICS investment, amount not public
- DataRobot: enterprise AI platform that takes data from raw inputs to deployed models; listed in the Techstars portfolio, founded 2013
- techstars.com/about
- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Techstars
- finsmes.com/2017/11/techstars-ventures-to-raise-400m-venture-capital-f
- venturecapitaljournal.com/techstars-collects-8m-for-new-pre-seed-fund-
- crunchbase.com/organization/bullet-time-ventures
- techstars.com/accelerators/nyc
- preuve.ai/blog/techstars-review
- f4.fund/firms/techstars
Investing activity
Techstars appears in 3 AI deals tracked by the AI Lounge deals desk. The rounds are mostly Pre-seed, with a median round size of $3M and the largest at $5M. The most recent are Auxilius (Pre-seed, €1.3M, Jul 2026), Smart Bricks (Pre-seed, $5M, Jun 2026) and Kaavio (Pre-seed, $2.9M, Jun 2026).
Techstars most often invests alongside High-Tech Gründerfonds, Andreessen Horowitz, South Loop Ventures and DeepMind, and the companies it backs on AI Lounge are mostly in AI.
Deals
Frequently asked questions about Techstars
Does Techstars invest in AI startups?
Yes. Techstars runs AI-focused accelerator cohorts, such as Techstars AI Health Baltimore, alongside its general programs. Its portfolio includes AI companies such as Sprout.ai and Amplifai Health.
How much does Techstars invest in a startup?
The Techstars NYC program FAQ states an investment of $220,000 per company, delivered alongside a three-month mentorship program. Venture fund check sizes are not public.
What stages does Techstars invest in?
Public listings show Techstars investing from pre-seed through Series B. The accelerator program itself is aimed at early-stage founders.
Who founded Techstars and when?
Techstars was incorporated in November 2006 by David Cohen, David Brown, Brad Feld and Jared Polis. It is headquartered in New York City.
What AI companies has Techstars invested in?
Techstars's AI investments include Auxilius, Smart Bricks and Kaavio. The 3 rounds on AI Lounge are listed on this page with amounts, dates and co-investors.
Where is Techstars based?
Techstars is based in New York, New York, United States.
What stage does Techstars invest at?
In the rounds tracked on AI Lounge, Techstars has invested at Pre-seed, with a median round of $3M.
Who does Techstars co-invest with?
Techstars's most frequent co-investors on AI Lounge are High-Tech Gründerfonds (1 deal), Andreessen Horowitz (1 deal), South Loop Ventures (1 deal), DeepMind (1 deal) and Cornerstone VC (1 deal).
How can founders reach Techstars?
Founders on AI Lounge can see Techstars's contact details in AI Investor Contacts (paid plans), check for a warm introduction through members who worked with the firm under Warm Paths, and add Techstars to their Investor Pipeline to track the conversation.