Iterative: funding, terms & how to apply
Southeast Asia's YC analog — founded by YC alumni, running twice-yearly remote-first batches with $150K–500K checks for founders from Jakarta to Manila to Ho Chi Minh City.
Investment
$150K–500K for ~10–15%
Equity
Invested in full on admission; no program fees
Program length
3 months
Format
Hybrid
Deadlines
2 batches/year
Acceptance rate
Not published
Facts last checked 2026-08-26. Deals and dates change — the official site is always the source of truth for the current application window.
What Iterative actually is
Iterative was built by Y Combinator alumni explicitly to bring the YC batch model to Southeast Asia: twice-yearly cohorts, weekly group office hours, a demo day — run remote-first with a short in-person orientation, which keeps it accessible across the archipelago's geography. Checks range $150K–500K for roughly 10–15%, invested in full at admission with no fees.
The regional specificity is the advantage: partners and alumni know SEA's fragmented markets, payment rails and regulatory quirks in a way Valley programs don't, and the network compounds within the region.
What they look for
The bar you need to clear before the application is worth sending.
Founders building for Southeast Asian markets.
Idea-to-seed stage; the batch model tolerates very early teams.
Full-time commitment through the 3-month batch and demo day.
Products with regional scalability across SEA's markets.
Before you apply
Most rejections happen before the interview — in the application itself
Every question Iterative asks — problem, traction, business model, team, market size — maps to work you can finish first. Build your startup profile in StartupKit, run the readiness score, and walk into the application with real answers instead of blank fields. Free, no card.
Build your startup profile freeApplication FAQ
What does Iterative invest?
Between $150K and $500K for roughly 10–15% equity, wired in full when you're admitted, with no program fees.
Is the program in person?
Mostly remote — batches run remote-first across Southeast Asia with a short in-person orientation, so relocation isn't required.
How is it related to Y Combinator?
Its founders are YC alumni who modeled the batch structure directly on YC — weekly office hours, batch cadence and demo day — localized for SEA.
Similar programs
Y Combinator
North America · 7% on the $125K; the $375K SAFE converts at your next round
The accelerator every other accelerator is measured against — $500K on founder-friendly terms, four batches a year in San Francisco, and the strongest alumni network in tech.
Surge (Peak XV)
Asia-Pacific · Priced seed by Peak XV; % negotiated per company
Peak XV's seed platform for India and SEA — real seed rounds of $500K–5M plus a multi-module founder program, from the firm formerly known as Sequoia India.
AppWorks Accelerator
Asia-Pacific · Completely free — no equity, tokens or fees
Greater Southeast Asia's zero-cost heavyweight — Taiwan's AppWorks runs 6-month batches for AI, web3 and deep-tech founders with no equity, no tokens and no fees, backed by its own VC fund.