ABSTRACT
Accelerators have thrived in the past decade. The value delivered and, subsequently, the educational process underlying the various forms of accelerators (scaleups, corporate accelerators and institutional accelerators), focus on customization (e.g., platform paved by experience in the field, mentoring, skill-related coaching); the short term (cohort); and taking networking to a higher level, including introduction to leading figures who would be difficult to meet otherwise. Their business models are varied, for example, charging fees for startup tenants, corporate sponsorships and partnerships; investors who fund portfolio companies or the accelerator; government sponsorship, among others. The chapter concludes with an interview with the co-founder of Techstars, David Brown, who discusses the development of the conceptual idea of creating a culture, ecosystem and valuable networks—Techstars’ documented primary values, which have evolved into one of the most influential educational platforms for entrepreneurs.
