So I can't speak to the hardware accelerators or even YC (timing issues have kept us from applying) but we have just spent the last 18 months+ bootstrapping a h

So I can't speak to the hardware accelerators or even YC (timing issues have kept us from applying) but we have just spent the last 18 months+ bootstrapping a hardware product to market. I think the two main considerations would be 1) What does your existing team look like and 2) how much cold hard cash is the program you are considering going to give you. With regard to team make up you need to understand if you have the in house talent to design and build the hardware. Is one of the founders an EE? Do you have an in house mechanical engineer? Low level software skills? How well do you know the product space you are going after? If you are missing any critical skill on the team you are going to have to rely on your network substantially and find and pay for outside help. This pushes up costs and it's already probably going to cost 3x what you think it will cost to get the product to market. Which brings me to my next point - cold hard cash. How much is each program offering? Is the expertise and contacts they bring enough to offset the possible lack of cash? For instance one popular hardware accelerator in the Bay Area offers 50k while YC is going to get you $120k. If your team is strong and you have existing contacts or manufacturing experience the extra money and VC contacts and name recognition could be more valuable. Feel free to contact me off list (see profile) if you have more questions.