Plug and Play: funding, terms & how to apply
The corporate-innovation matchmaker — equity-free vertical programs whose real product is warm introductions to the Fortune 500 partners funding each batch.
Investment
Varies — check official site
Equity
No equity for the programs; its VC arm invests separately
Program length
3 months
Format
Hybrid
Deadlines
2–3 batches/year per industry vertical; rolling applications
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 Plug and Play actually is
Plug and Play runs industry-vertical batches (fintech, health, insurtech, supply chain and more) across 50+ global locations, funded by corporate partners who join specifically to meet startups. The accelerator itself takes no equity — the business model is corporate membership, and the startup-side value is concentrated in piloting with those corporates. Its separate VC arm invests in a subset of participants.
That makes Plug and Play best for B2B startups with a sellable product hunting enterprise pilots and distribution, rather than first capital. If you need money more than customers, a classic equity accelerator is the better trade.
What they look for
The bar you need to clear before the application is worth sending.
A working B2B product a corporate partner could pilot this quarter.
Fit with a specific vertical program — batches are themed and partner-driven.
Enough runway to make use of a distribution-focused (not funding-focused) program.
Founders who can sell to enterprise: the program is meetings, not curriculum.
Before you apply
Most rejections happen before the interview — in the application itself
Every question Plug and Play 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
Does Plug and Play take equity?
No — the accelerator programs are equity-free and free to join. Plug and Play Ventures, its separate investment arm, may invest in participating startups on standard VC terms.
What does a startup actually get from the program?
Curated introductions to the corporate partners that fund each vertical batch — dealflow sessions, pilot opportunities and expo days — plus investor exposure. It's a distribution program more than a curriculum.
What stage fits Plug and Play best?
Seed to Series A with a product ready for enterprise pilots. Pre-product teams get much less from the model since the value is partner meetings.
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