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Fuel Accelerator is an equity-free, sector-specific startup accelerator created and launched in 2018 by Startup Junkie Foundation, a Fayetteville, Arkansas nonprofit entrepreneurial support organization, with its first cohort running in 2019 focused on supply chain and logistics. Fuel pivoted to an AI/Machine Learning focus in 2020, added a HealthTech track in 2023, and briefly piloted a Cybersecurity cohort in 2024 that did not continue. Fuel now runs two annual tracks, HealthTech and AI/ML, each a 10-week, in-person, no-fee, no-equity program in Bentonville, Arkansas, with office space at Ledger. Fuel accepts growth-stage startups across all industries and B2B business models, matching them with regional enterprise partners, including four Fortune 500 companies headquartered in Northwest Arkansas. The program is funded by the Arkansas Economic Development Commission and the Walton Family Foundation. Since 2019, Fuel has run 12 cohorts and accelerated 98 startups, rounded to 100+ in some official copy, from 11 countries and 21 US states, securing 150+ enterprise pilots and contracts; alumni have collectively raised over $260 million. In 2026, Time magazine ranked Fuel 59th on its list of America’s best incubators and accelerators.
Frequency
2x/year
Duration
10 weeks
Investment
None
Equity
None
Program fees
None
Where
USA
Sectors
Sector Agnostic
Stages
Growth/Late Stage, Seed, Series A
Eligibility
• AI/ML track: Seed to Series B, with existing revenue and funding traction
• HealthTech track: post-seed and growth stage (no fixed upper stage cap), with existing revenue or funding traction
• A member of the C-suite must be present for the full program
• Willing to relocate to Northwest Arkansas for the full in-person duration; minimum 70% attendance required, no virtual or hybrid participation
• Open globally — has accepted startups from 15+ countries and key partnerships across USA, Canada, UK, Israel, Singapore, South Korea
• Only one startup accepted per competing space/sector niche per cohort
Selection process
• Evaluation on passion for the problem, capital raised and/or revenue traction, willingness to relocate
• 8-12 startups selected per cohort, one per competing niche
• 10-week in-person program in Northwest Arkansas (Fayetteville/Bentonville)
Benefits
• 10 weeks of specialized coaching and mentorship from the Fuel team and mentor network, including speaker sessions and mentor office hours held twice weekly
• Office space provided at Ledger in downtown Bentonville
• One-on-one meetings with 100+ connections: serial entrepreneurs, enterprise decision-makers, business resource experts, industry experts, and investors
• Direct relationship-building with regional enterprise/Fortune 500 partners for pilots, feedback sessions, and demos
• Kickoff Reception, Mentor Match, Cohort Outings, Fireside Chats, and a closing Demo Day showcase to mentors, corporate executives, VC funds, and fellow founders
• Small cohort size (8-12 startups) ensures focused attention and connections
Notable alumni
Network
RevUnit (original curriculum partner), Catapult Consulting, GrowthX (Market Acceleration Program curriculum, since 2021), Arkansas Economic Development Commission (AEDC), Walton Family Foundation (funding Fuel since 2022), U.S. Economic Development Administration (backs Startup Junkie broadly), Ledger (Bentonville coworking space), regional Fortune 500 and enterprise partners across Northwest Arkansas, home to four Fortune 500 companies and 1,700+ supporting enterprises.
Portfolio
100+ startups accelerated across 12 cohorts since 2019; 150+ enterprise pilots/contracts secured; representing 11 countries and 21 US states
Funds raised
$260 million+ raised by Fuel alumni collectively to date
🕐 Sep 2026
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