The Ultimate Guide to Startup Accelerators

Startup life can be lonely. Even with a growing team, dozens of customers, and supportive friends, it’s easy to slip into solitude as you figure out how to grow your business.

Thankfully, organizations and investors around the world have put together intensive business programs to combat that loneliness and provide mentorship, education, and support. One of these programs is the startup accelerator.

Startup accelerators aren’t right for everyone, and they can be competitive, exhaustive programs. However, these programs have quite literally transformed budding businesses into global, revolutionary companies. (Airbnb and Dropbox, anyone?)

Read through this guide to better understand what startup accelerators entail and if they are right for your business.

常见的创业公司进入加速器hopes of walking away with funding from investors. Some programs guarantee some sort of funding in exchange for an equity stake. Other programs give away limited amounts of funding for nothing in exchange (besides successful completion of the program).

In terms of preparing for accelerators, startups don’t typically need to have any funding beforehand. Although, it can be assumed that some money is needed (whether through funding or bootstrapping) to develop a product, team, and customers — and therefore qualify to apply.

From nearly zero programs in 2005 toalmost 200 in 2015(and even more in the last few years), the number of startup accelerators in the U.S. has risen substantially in the past couple of decades. This has allowed even more startups to learn, improve, and grow. In fact, these accelerators have invested nearly $20 billion in over 5,000 startups — and that’s just in the U.S. alone.

Startup accelerators benefit all parties involved — investors, companies, customers, and the economy. But they’re not the only business development program available for startups. Often times accelerators are confused with incubators and other intensive programs.

Let’s discuss the differences and what makes accelerators stand out.

Incubator vs. Accelerator

虽然加速器是建立企业,incubators are for entrepreneurs who need help developing their ideas into full-blown businesses. In theory, you’d apply to and attend abusiness incubatorprior到启动加速器。

The table below breaks down themain differences between an incubator and accelerator。

Is your business ready for an accelerator?

Is an accelerator right for you? If you’re thinking about applying for a startup accelerator, ask yourself the following questions to see if your business is ready.

Note: Curious about what an accelerator entails? We walk throughhow startup accelerators workin detail in the next section.

• Are you growing quickly?If your company is collecting customers (and employees!) at an almost overwhelming rate, you’re likely ready to enter an accelerator to take your business to the next level.
• Are you ready for expert mentorship?Can you articulate your challenges? If you have distinct, unanswered questions and curiosities that only experts can answer, it’s time for an accelerator.
• Do you have a minimum viable product (MVP)?加速器s are only for businesses who’ve defined and sold an MVP.
• Do you have customers and an established customer profile?加速器使知道他们出售给谁并愿意进行广泛研究以加深这些客户资料的企业受益。
• Would you be willing to relocate?Many accelerators require physical relocation to take full advantage of their resources and offerings — an arguably small sacrifice for the greater reward of growing your business.
• 你能负担得起吗？While accelerators provide some funding, they don’t necessarily pay your way through the program. Be sure your team and business can afford to set aside a few intensive months as you focus on growth.

寻找以启动友好的价格获取和保留更多客户的方法？查看HubSpot以获取初创企业，并访问无数的教育资源和强大的集成。bob体育苹果系统下载安装

Not every accelerator operates in the same way, but most follow a similar process. Complete the following steps from start to finish if you’re looking to join a startup accelerator.

1. Choose your accelerator

There are hundreds of startup accelerator programs in dozens of cities. These programs vary based on location, industry, expert involvement, funding opportunities, and the kind of network they connect you to.

In the U.S., most of these programs are in bigger cities like旧金山,纽约, andBoston。您还可以在加拿大，英国，俄罗斯和智利找到著名的加速器 - 几乎全世界。综合数据库Seed-DBare a great place to start.

在加速器中寻找什么

在申请之前，请对加速器进行广泛的研究，以适合您的业务。（不用担心您是否非常适合他们……。）这是要寻找的东西：

• Social proof.Which startups have “graduated” from each accelerator, and how much funding did they receive? Make sure those businesses are successful today. Similar to formal education, names and prestige are just as important in the entrepreneurial world. Being associated with a well-regarded accelerator can help your business grow long after graduation.
• Relationships and networking.What kind of community and network can each accelerator offer you? Also, what kinds of experts and educators do each accelerator provide … and are they relevant to your business? The network you gain from your time in an accelerator is another factor that outlasts graduation.
• Industry.Some accelerators work withmarketing technologycompanies, while others specialize in finance technology. Others focus on cybersecurity, retail food-tech, or big data. Look for a program that aligns with your product and business as the education and mentorship resources will follow suit.
• 地点。As we mentioned above, there are accelerators around the world. You’ll likely be required to relocate to physically attend the accelerator programs. If you can’t move too far away, look for programs that are close to home. Alternatively, if you’re looking for a change of scenery, check out programs across the globe.

2. Apply to the accelerator

众所周知，启动加速器很难进入。最著名的加速器计划，例如Y组合者和Techstars，仅接受其1％至3％almost 6,000 applications— the very best of the best.

要获得精英阶段的排名，请认真对待加速器申请流程。您可能会有广泛的书面申请以及多次现场访谈。

What accelerators look for in applicants

While all accelerators vary, most look for the same factors and features in those who apply. Here are a few things to be sure your application reflects:

• Coachability.If the experts who lead the accelerator choose to mentor and educate you, will you accept it? Will you choose to apply their suggestions and listen to their expert opinions about your business, product, and growth? Humility and coachability go a long way in accelerator applications.
• A minimum viable product (MVP) and real customers.Without a viable product and customer profile, accelerators won’t take a second look at your application.
• A concise competitive advantage.What sets your budding business apart? More importantly, can you communicate your competitive advantage and value proposition in one to two sentences — with real data included? Accelerators look at alotof applications. Boil your story down to an elevator pitch to have a greater chance of being seen (and remembered). Remember, accelerators are looking to benefit from your business success, too.
• A strong team.Who will lead your business to success? Accelerators are not only looking for a strong product; they’re also looking for a strong, capable team. If the team’s skills match the business needs and show cohesive dynamics, there’s a good chance the business will succeed past the accelerator.
• 网络和社区。你的应用程序lication show that you’ve networked and developed relationships with others in your industrybeforeleaning on an accelerator to do the work for you? While name-dropping can’t promise a spot, displaying a well-connected network can reflect that you’re willing to put in the work to expand it.

Also, check out thisY Combinator的Paul Graham博客文章on how they choose between applicants.

3.专注，学习和成长

Applying to an accelerator is tough, but once you’re accepted, expect the real work to begin. Be ready to travel to the accelerator location, set up with your team, and get started.

Here’s what you can expect when attending an accelerator:

• Dedicated co-working space where your team can focus on the accelerator and educational opportunities
• Educational seminars and workshops on a variety of topics, such as legal counsel, pitching practice, product development, and more
• 行业专家，投资者和其他创始人的团体和个人指导机会
• One-on-one check-ins with accelerator leadership (e.g. investors, alumni founders, etc.)
• Networking events with industry leaders, investors, and other startups, which can help with future fundraising and recruiting

4. Present your business model and receive funding

设定加速器与其他密集业务计划不同的是，创业公司如何退出该计划。当要结束加速器时，创始人参加了“演示日”，在此期间他们呈现业务模型。此过程发生有两个原因：分享公司在加速器期间学习和研究的所有内容，并有可能获得资金。bob全站app

Founders are responsible for building a comprehensive slide deck and pitching directly to investors — sometimes hundreds, depending on the accelerator. (Here’s anPayPal联合创始人Peter Thiel的示例甲板。) If startups receive an offer for funding, it’s typically in exchange for equity.

加速器“graduates” also receive direct and indirect support after exiting the program. This support includes:

• 公关
• 专业联系和网络
• HR/recruitment support
• Board participation
• Office space
• Future VC support
• 牢固的校友网络和终身关系

启动加速器Programs

Interested in joining an accelerator? Time to dive into some research and figure out which accelerator is best for you.

With hundreds of accelerators available around the world, it’s impossible to list them all here. Instead, we’ve pulled together some of the most popular as well as some niche accelerators that may interest you.

Popular Startup Accelerators

Y Combinator, Mountain View, CA

Y Combinator is one of the most popular — and most competitive — startup accelerators. The program has produced almost 2,000 investments and 200 exits (which are sales to larger companies, meaning a return on investment for investors). Y Combinator has worked with the likes of Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, Reddit, Twitch, Coinbase, and Weebly.

500 Startups, Mountain View, CA

500 Startups has made just over 1,600 investments (in companies in over 60 countries) and has produced 162 exits. Notable alumni include companies like Udemy and Credit Karma, as well as others that’ve been sold to Google and Rakuten.

Techstars, Boulder, CO

Techstars是另一位竞争激烈的加速器，已生产超过1,500家公司和132个出口。像Bench.co，ClassPass和Pill Pack这样的公司已与TechStars合作。这也是启动周背后的名字Startup Weekend。

MassChallenge, Boston, MA

Masschallenge与1300多家公司合作，生产了近40个出口，并间接产生了80,000多个工作岗位。该计划还在以色列，英国，墨西哥和瑞士设有地点。

International Startup Accelerators

Startupbootcamp, London, UK

Startupbootcamp is based in London (InsurTech) but runs a variety of programs in Mexico City (FinTech), Milan (FashionTech), Cape Town (AfriTech), Rome (FoodTech), and more. The program has made over 420 investments and produced 21 exits. Notable alumni include Bellabeat, Joyride, and Zenith. Overall, the program has raised over €1.1M.

智利启动, Santiago, Chile

智利启动, unlike other accelerators, was launched by the Chilean government to boost entrepreneurship and encourage economic investment. The program has made over 830 investments and produced 16 exits. Start-up Chile also offers a “pre-acceleration program” called年代工厂just for female founders.

Internet Initiatives Development Fund (IIDF), Moscow, Russia

IIDF focuses on companies in cybersecurity, adtech, big data, IOT, and more. The program has made over 330 investments and seen over 20 exits. IIDF also organizes events and hackathons, which attracts over 20,000 investments.

Minority Startup Accelerators

MergeLane, Boulder, CO

Mergelane仅投资至少一位女性领导者的初创公司。它提供了各种资金和加速计划，并已投资了40多家迄今为止的公司。

DigitalUndivided，佐治亚州亚特兰大

DigitalUndivided与黑人和拉丁裔妇女专门合作。该计划资助了52家公司，与2,000多家创始人合作，并筹集了超过2500万美元的资金。

Accelerate Your Startup Today

No two startup accelerators are alike, but they all share the same vision: seeing entrepreneurs of all kinds scale their business success and impact. Regardless of what industry you operate in or what kind of product you sell, there’s a startup accelerator for you.

Follow these tips to find the right program, prepare your application, and get the most out of your accelerator experience.