diff --git a/goldens/public-api/platform-server/index.md b/goldens/public-api/platform-server/index.md
index 6322ab4d07e..72c2476610b 100644
--- a/goldens/public-api/platform-server/index.md
+++ b/goldens/public-api/platform-server/index.md
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 ```ts
 
+import { ApplicationRef } from '@angular/core';
 import { EnvironmentProviders } from '@angular/core';
 import * as i0 from '@angular/core';
 import * as i1 from '@angular/common/http';
@@ -47,6 +48,13 @@ export class PlatformState {
     static ɵprov: i0.ɵɵInjectableDeclaration<PlatformState>;
 }
 
+// @public
+export function renderApplication<T>(bootstrap: () => Promise<ApplicationRef>, options: {
+    document?: string | Document;
+    url?: string;
+    platformProviders?: Provider[];
+}): Promise<string>;
+
 // @public
 export function renderApplication<T>(rootComponent: Type<T>, options: {
     appId: string;
diff --git a/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts b/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
index 45ddfb5c345..cd8a0b19dc8 100644
--- a/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
+++ b/packages/core/src/core_render3_private_export.ts
@@ -219,6 +219,7 @@ export {
 export {
   setDocument as ɵsetDocument
 } from './render3/interfaces/document';
+export { getComponentDef as ɵgetComponentDef} from './render3/definition';
 export {
   compileComponent as ɵcompileComponent,
   compileDirective as ɵcompileDirective,
@@ -281,4 +282,5 @@ export {
   noSideEffects as ɵnoSideEffects,
 } from './util/closure';
 
+
 // clang-format on
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/src/utils.ts b/packages/platform-server/src/utils.ts
index 437e849c697..0ddc4915890 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/src/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/src/utils.ts
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * found in the LICENSE file at https://angular.io/license
  */
 
-import {ApplicationRef, EnvironmentProviders, importProvidersFrom, InjectionToken, NgModuleRef, PlatformRef, Provider, Renderer2, StaticProvider, Type, ɵinternalCreateApplication as internalCreateApplication, ɵisPromise} from '@angular/core';
+import {ApplicationRef, EnvironmentProviders, importProvidersFrom, InjectionToken, NgModuleRef, PlatformRef, Provider, Renderer2, StaticProvider, Type, ɵgetComponentDef as getComponentDef, ɵinternalCreateApplication as internalCreateApplication, ɵisPromise} from '@angular/core';
 import {BrowserModule, ɵTRANSITION_ID} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {first} from 'rxjs/operators';
 
@@ -155,9 +155,35 @@ export function renderModule<T>(moduleType: Type<T>, options: {
 
 /**
  * Bootstraps an instance of an Angular application and renders it to a string.
+
+ * ```typescript
+ * const bootstrap = () => bootstrapApplication(RootComponent, appConfig);
+ * const output: string = await renderApplication(bootstrap);
+ * ```
  *
- * Note: the root component passed into this function *must* be a standalone one (should have the
- * `standalone: true` flag in the `@Component` decorator config).
+ * @param bootstrap A method that when invoked returns a promise that returns an `ApplicationRef`
+ *     instance once resolved.
+ * @param options Additional configuration for the render operation:
+ *  - `document` - the document of the page to render, either as an HTML string or
+ *                 as a reference to the `document` instance.
+ *  - `url` - the URL for the current render request.
+ *  - `platformProviders` - the platform level providers for the current render request.
+ *
+ * @returns A Promise, that returns serialized (to a string) rendered page, once resolved.
+ *
+ * @publicApi
+ * @developerPreview
+ */
+export function renderApplication<T>(bootstrap: () => Promise<ApplicationRef>, options: {
+  document?: string|Document,
+  url?: string,
+  platformProviders?: Provider[],
+}): Promise<string>;
+/**
+ * Bootstraps an instance of an Angular application and renders it to a string.
+ *
+ * Note: the root component passed into this function *must* be a standalone one (should have
+ * the `standalone: true` flag in the `@Component` decorator config).
  *
  * ```typescript
  * @Component({
@@ -186,18 +212,40 @@ export function renderModule<T>(moduleType: Type<T>, options: {
  * @developerPreview
  */
 export function renderApplication<T>(rootComponent: Type<T>, options: {
+  /** @deprecated use `APP_ID` token to set the application ID. */
   appId: string,
   document?: string|Document,
   url?: string,
   providers?: Array<Provider|EnvironmentProviders>,
   platformProviders?: Provider[],
-}): Promise<string> {
-  const {document, url, platformProviders, appId} = options;
+}): Promise<string>;
+export function renderApplication<T>(
+    rootComponentOrBootstrapFn: Type<T>|(() => Promise<ApplicationRef>), options: {
+      appId?: string,
+      document?: string|Document,
+      url?: string,
+      providers?: Array<Provider|EnvironmentProviders>,
+      platformProviders?: Provider[],
+    }): Promise<string> {
+  const {document, url, platformProviders, appId = ''} = options;
   const platform = _getPlatform(platformDynamicServer, {document, url, platformProviders});
+
+  if (isBootstrapFn(rootComponentOrBootstrapFn)) {
+    return _render(platform, rootComponentOrBootstrapFn());
+  }
+
   const appProviders = [
     importProvidersFrom(BrowserModule.withServerTransition({appId})),
     importProvidersFrom(ServerModule),
     ...(options.providers ?? []),
   ];
-  return _render(platform, internalCreateApplication({rootComponent, appProviders}));
+
+  return _render(
+      platform,
+      internalCreateApplication({rootComponent: rootComponentOrBootstrapFn, appProviders}));
+}
+
+function isBootstrapFn(value: unknown): value is() => Promise<ApplicationRef> {
+  // We can differentiate between a component and a bootstrap function by reading `cmp`:
+  return typeof value === 'function' && !getComponentDef(value);
 }
diff --git a/packages/platform-server/test/integration_spec.ts b/packages/platform-server/test/integration_spec.ts
index 7ed0fe1def1..947cb3cf691 100644
--- a/packages/platform-server/test/integration_spec.ts
+++ b/packages/platform-server/test/integration_spec.ts
@@ -10,9 +10,9 @@ import {animate, AnimationBuilder, state, style, transition, trigger} from '@ang
 import {DOCUMENT, isPlatformServer, PlatformLocation, ɵgetDOM as getDOM} from '@angular/common';
 import {HTTP_INTERCEPTORS, HttpClient, HttpClientModule, HttpEvent, HttpHandler, HttpInterceptor, HttpRequest} from '@angular/common/http';
 import {HttpClientTestingModule, HttpTestingController} from '@angular/common/http/testing';
-import {ApplicationRef, Component, destroyPlatform, getPlatform, HostListener, Inject, inject as coreInject, Injectable, Input, NgModule, NgZone, PLATFORM_ID, ViewEncapsulation} from '@angular/core';
+import {ApplicationRef, Component, destroyPlatform, getPlatform, HostListener, importProvidersFrom, Inject, inject as coreInject, Injectable, Input, NgModule, NgZone, PLATFORM_ID, ViewEncapsulation} from '@angular/core';
 import {TestBed, waitForAsync} from '@angular/core/testing';
-import {BrowserModule, makeStateKey, Title, TransferState} from '@angular/platform-browser';
+import {bootstrapApplication, BrowserModule, makeStateKey, Title, TransferState} from '@angular/platform-browser';
 import {BEFORE_APP_SERIALIZED, INITIAL_CONFIG, platformDynamicServer, PlatformState, renderModule, ServerModule} from '@angular/platform-server';
 import {Observable} from 'rxjs';
 import {first} from 'rxjs/operators';
@@ -203,6 +203,13 @@ function createMyAsyncServerApp(standalone: boolean) {
 const MyAsyncServerApp = createMyAsyncServerApp(false);
 const MyAsyncServerAppStandalone = createMyAsyncServerApp(true);
 
+const boostrapMyAsyncServerAppStandalone = () => bootstrapApplication(MyAsyncServerAppStandalone, {
+  providers: [
+    importProvidersFrom(BrowserModule.withServerTransition({appId: 'simple-cmp'})),
+    importProvidersFrom(ServerModule),
+  ]
+});
+
 @NgModule({
   declarations: [MyAsyncServerApp],
   imports: [BrowserModule.withServerTransition({appId: 'async-server'}), ServerModule],
@@ -702,6 +709,41 @@ describe('platform-server integration', () => {
              });
        }));
 
+    it(`using renderApplication with boostrapping function call works`, waitForAsync(() => {
+         const document = TestBed.inject(DOCUMENT);
+
+         // Append root element based on the app selector.
+         const rootEl = document.createElement('app');
+         document.body.appendChild(rootEl);
+
+         // Append a special marker to verify that we use a correct instance
+         // of the document for rendering.
+         const markerEl = document.createComment('test marker');
+         document.body.appendChild(markerEl);
+
+         const platformProviders = [{
+           provide: SERVER_CONTEXT,
+           useValue: 'ssr',
+         }];
+
+         const render =
+             renderApplication(boostrapMyAsyncServerAppStandalone, {document, platformProviders});
+
+         render
+             .then(output => {
+               expect(output).toBe(
+                   '<html><head><title>fakeTitle</title></head>' +
+                   '<body><app ng-version="0.0.0-PLACEHOLDER" ng-server-context="ssr">' +
+                   'Works!<h1 textcontent="fine">fine</h1></app>' +
+                   '<!--test marker--></body></html>');
+               called = true;
+             })
+             .finally(() => {
+               rootEl.remove();
+               markerEl.remove();
+             });
+       }));
+
     // Run the set of tests with regular and standalone components.
     [true, false].forEach((isStandalone: boolean) => {
       it(`using ${isStandalone ? 'renderApplication' : 'renderModule'} should work`,