Apply to HAX Accelerator: How to Get In (2025–2026)

If you want to apply to HAX accelerator in 2025–2026, the smartest move is to start on the XRaise startup platform, so you can apply faster, reuse your founder profile, and stay ready for other hard-tech programs without rebuilding your application from scratch.

HAX is widely known as one of the most hands-on “build-first” programs for hard tech, especially founders working in climate, industrial automation, robotics, advanced materials, and health-adjacent hardware. It’s also built around SOSV’s model: deep resources, real engineering support, and multi-stage capital designed for long product cycles.

In this guide, you’ll learn what HAX is, who it’s best for, what funding/perks founders can expect, and how to apply through XRaise first (recommended), with key timeline planning for 2025–2026.

Overview of HAX

HAX describes itself as a pre-seed program for hard tech startups tackling sustainability across climate, industrial automation, and human health, with a flagship facility in Newark and additional global presence across major manufacturing and startup ecosystems.

From a founder perspective, HAX is best understood as a “prototype-to-production” platform. Instead of focusing primarily on pitch practice, the program is designed to accelerate product development, engineering execution, and manufacturing readiness, especially when your roadmap includes supply chain, vendor selection, compliance constraints, and iterative physical builds.

It’s also a large, long-running program. Public sources have cited 250+ companies completing the HAX accelerator over time, including notable names like Formlabs and Opentrons.

Where it operates:

• Newark, New Jersey (flagship facility)
• Shenzhen (manufacturing + supply chain ecosystem)
• Pune
• San Francisco
• Tokyo

If your plan is to apply to HAX accelerator, the key question isn’t “Is this prestigious?”, it’s “Will hands-on engineering + manufacturing support compress my timeline more than any other option?”

Program Structure & Focus at HAX Accelerator

HAX is structured to support deep technical teams through intense build cycles, often including on-site work, lab access, and direct engineering collaboration. While the exact structure can vary by team needs, HAX and SOSV describe a residency model that emphasizes facilities, equipment, and staff support, not just mentorship calls.

Sector-Specific Focus at HAX Accelerator

HAX is explicitly “hard tech,” which commonly includes:

• Robotics, sensors, and IoT
• Advanced materials and chemistry-adjacent innovations
• Industrial automation and manufacturing tech
• Biomanufacturing / life-science tooling with hardware elements
• Climate and energy-adjacent systems

In addition, SOSV positions HAX alongside IndieBio as part of its broader deep-tech platform focused on human and planetary health.

Pre-Seed Stage Fit to Apply to HAX Accelerator

HAX is commonly framed as pre-seed / early seed, especially for teams that are past the idea stage and already proving feasibility. The founder-facing guidance emphasizes a validated problem, early evidence of customer pain, and a prototype (even if rough).

If you’re still at “deck-only,” you’ll usually be better served by pre-accelerators, grant programs, or studio-style validation. On the other hand, if you have a working proof-of-concept and a credible technical team, HAX can be a strong fit because it rewards builders, not just storytellers.

Program Format of the HAX Accelerator Platform

HAX’s program is frequently described as:

• Collaborative, engineering-heavy execution cycles
• Product + manufacturing acceleration
• Business development, go-to-market help, and fundraising support integrated into the build process

Importantly, HAX invests on a rolling basis (not strictly cohort-gated), and public guidance suggests applications are reviewed continuously.

Funding, Equity Terms & Perks of HAX Accelerator

Funding terms in hard-tech accelerators can be confusing because “value” often includes cash and in-kind engineering/lab support. HAX is often described in exactly those terms.

Funding details

Multiple public sources describe an initial package that includes cash plus in-kind support. For example, founder-oriented summaries commonly cite $150,000 cash plus $100,000 in-kind (engineering/services), totaling $250,000 in combined support, though exact terms can vary by company and are not always presented as a single fixed public contract.

Important: Equity structure is commonly described via SAFE-style instruments within SOSV’s program approach, but the exact equity % and SAFE details can vary and should be confirmed during the offer stage.

Perks & credits

Hard-tech founders care about cash runway, but they also care about toolchains. HAX-backed teams frequently reference perks such as cloud credits and partner discounts (e.g., CAD tools and go-to-market stack discounts). Availability and amounts can vary by cohort and partner program, so treat these as “typical, not guaranteed.” (When in doubt, ask during diligence.)

The “real” benefit: facilities + execution speed

The most consistent differentiator is the facility + staff support model, especially the Newark footprint and “prototype-to-production” emphasis. For hardware, that can be the difference between a 12-month iteration loop and a 3–6 month validation sprint.

If you want a deeper view on how funding cycles may affect your raise timing, you can also cross-check macro context in AI Startup Investment 2025 – Funding Boom and keep a risk lens on AI Investment Bubble 2025 – XRaise Analysis.

Who Should Apply to HAX Accelerator

If you’re deciding whether to apply to HAX accelerator, use these filters.

1) Sector fit: you’re building hard tech (not SaaS-first)

Strong fits usually include:

• Robotics / automation
• Hardware-enabled climate tech (measurement, electrification components, materials, industrial decarbonization)
• Industrial systems (inspection, sensing, manufacturing, reliability tech)
• Health-adjacent hardware (lab automation, devices, scientific tools)

If your product can ship as “software-only,” you may find HAX overkill, because the program is optimized for teams who must solve physical constraints.

2) Stage fit: you have proof of feasibility

HAX selection guidance emphasizes:

• A validated problem (real customer pain, not just market slides)
• A working prototype / proof-of-concept
• Technical depth plus customer obsession

If you’re pre-prototype, you can still build toward eligibility by focusing your next 6–10 weeks on a demo, test data, and early customer discovery.

3) Founder profile: builders with stamina

Hardware takes longer. Therefore, HAX tends to align best with:

• Founders who can iterate weekly (not quarterly)
• Teams with in-house engineering (not only outsourced contractors)
• People who are ready to engage deeply with manufacturing, sourcing, and compliance

4) Geography: global teams, but expect hands-on collaboration

HAX is globally oriented, and its footprint spans multiple regions. However, build-heavy support typically works best with meaningful on-site or high-touch engagement, especially around prototyping cycles and lab usage.

If you’re unsure about readiness, use When You Should Apply to an Accelerator to sanity-check timing before you commit.

How to Apply to HAX Accelerator

This is the XRaise-first flow founders should follow.

Step 1: Create your XRaise founder account

Start by creating your profile on the XRaise startup platform. This becomes your reusable founder identity, so you don’t rewrite the same “team/traction/product” story across every application.

Step 2: Open the HAX accelerator profile on XRaise and click “Apply Now”

Go directly to the HAX accelerator profile on XRaise and click Apply Now.

Step 3: Prepare a strong application package (what HAX tends to reward)

Based on published selection guidance and program positioning, prioritize:

• Prototype proof (video, test data, benchmarks, demo)
• Clear customer pain + discovery notes
• Why your approach is hard to replicate (technical moat)
• Manufacturing plan (even if early): sourcing, cost drivers, scaling path

Step 4: Submit on XRaise and track your status

Submitting through XRaise makes it easier to:

• Track applications in one place
• Reuse your materials across programs
• Compare similar accelerators if HAX timing isn’t ideal

Step 5: Optionally visit the accelerator site after applying on XRaise

After you apply, you can do deeper diligence on program specifics, team members, and facility resources, without slowing down your submission.

Related reading: if you’re also exploring other high-signal programs, here’s a comparable internal guide you can skim for benchmarking expectations: Apply to Techstars Chicago Accelerator: Dates, Benefits, and How to Get In (2025–2026).

Application Timeline & Key Dates to Apply to HAX Accelerator (2025–2026)

HAX is commonly described as rolling admissions, adding a small number of teams per month rather than operating only on one fixed annual deadline.

Because of that, the most practical timeline strategy is to plan around your readiness, not a single date.

What “rolling” means in practice

• You can apply when your prototype and customer proof are strong
• Review cycles can still take time (screening + multiple interviews)
• Your timing advantage comes from applying right when your demo looks inevitable, not when your deck looks pretty

How to plan your 2025–2026 readiness window

A realistic readiness plan looks like:

• Weeks 1–3: tighten ICP + customer evidence; collect quotes and LOIs
• Weeks 2–6: improve prototype reliability; produce a 90-second demo video
• Weeks 4–8: define manufacturing path (BOM, suppliers, early cost model)
• Week 6+: submit when the story is coherent and the demo is undeniable

In addition, if you’re building AI-enabled hardware, keep an eye on market cycles. It’s easier to raise when narratives are strong, but it’s also easy to overfit hype, so review both the upside funding boom context and the downside bubble-risk analysis while planning your fundraising calendar.

Application deadline: Varies by rolling review (no single public universal cutoff).
Next cohort dates: Varies by team/start date alignment (rolling).

HAX Accelerator Alumni, Outcomes & Success Stats

HAX has been operating long enough that outcomes are described in multiple public sources.

Alumni examples

• Formlabs, 3D printing hardware company frequently cited among HAX-associated companies.
• Opentrons, lab automation company also cited among HAX companies.
• Still Bright, described as an SOSV portfolio company and HAX graduate, with public fundraising news covered by HAX channels.

Scale and success indicators

• One public university source cites 257 companies completing the program (as of its publication).
• A New Jersey government release cites HAX companies raising $1.8B collectively and having an aggregate valuation cited at $8B at the time of that announcement.

Note: Do not treat these as “current live totals” unless you verify the latest numbers; use them as credible historical indicators of scale and track record.

Should You Apply to HAX Accelerator?

You should apply to HAX accelerator if:

• You’re building hard tech where labs + engineers + manufacturing speed matter more than pitch polish
• You have a prototype and a clear customer pain signal
• Your team is ready for intense execution cycles and deep feedback loops

However, it may not be the best fit if:

• You’re software-first and don’t need physical build support
• You’re still pre-prototype and can’t demonstrate feasibility yet
• You’re not ready for a program where equity/SAFE-style financing is commonly part of the model (terms vary and must be reviewed carefully during diligence)

The clean takeaway: HAX is not “for everyone,” but for the right hard-tech founder it can compress years of iteration into months.

Next Steps to Apply to HAX Accelerator

If you’re ready to move from research to action, here’s the XRaise-first plan:

1. Create your founder profile on the XRaise startup platform
2. Go to the HAX accelerator profile on XRaise and click Apply Now
3. Submit your application and track everything from your XRaise dashboard

After you’ve applied on XRaise, you can optionally review the official HAX website for additional program details.