ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at how cloud computing accelerates the highly iterative innovation cycle for startups and discusses how cloud computing changes the overall landscape for startups and investors in startups. The provider’s computing resources are pooled to serve multiple consumers using a multi-tenant model, with different physical and virtual resources dynamically assigned and reassigned according to consumer demand. Cloud computing opens up a new way of launching startups. The Cloud Innovation Platform is one of the services that a Seed Accelerator could offer. It comprises a set of prepared and tested ready-to-go recipes to even further accelerate the development of startups. The Cloud computing paradigm was quite disruptive with respect to the standard software licensing models, as it essentially requires the ability to be able to rent licenses. The user can provision computing capabilities, such as server time and network storage, in an on-demand self-service manner.
