Accelerators Mobile Monday

Jessica Stacey / @JessStacey

17 February 2014

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Research questions

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The building blocks of an accelerator

Focus on teams, rather than individuals

Operates in cohorts or classes

Offers pre-seed finance (usually in

exchange for equity)

Time-limited support, with intensive mentoring and

programmed events

Application process open to all, highly

competitive

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Accelerator trends

Growth in the number of

programmes

Changing models

More vertical specific

programmes

More corporate

programmes

Increase in social venture accelerators

Then….

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Trend #1 Growth of programmes across Europe

And now…

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To date: • 45 programmes in Europe • 424 companies accelerated • Total exits $17,000,000 • $105,377,697 in funding • 1162 jobs created (courtesy of www.seed-db.com)

But can it last?

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Trend #2 More corporate programmes

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Trend #3 More vertical specific programmes

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Trend #4 Evolving models

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Trend #5 More social programmes

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The funding gap

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Criteria of UK impact investors. Startups must be: • be revenue generating • have a proven business

model • have a measurable social

impact • have a proven management

team • have capital requirements

of £150,000+

Eight most cited needs of early stage social innovators

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1. People to work with

2. A proposition to test

3. Potential (and actual) customers

4. A source of advice about

the basics

5. A source of trusted

strategic advice 6. Money

7. Somewhere to work

8. Emotional support and mentorship

The innovation journey

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Some criticisms of the model

• They exploit startup founders

• They’re helping to create a bubble

• Good companies still fail after accelerator programmes

• Mentor apathy

• Manager dependency

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Resources

http://www.f6s.com/

http://www.seed-db.com/

http://gan.co/

http://www.startupfactories.eu/

http://beta.capitallist.co/

http://www.nesta.org.uk/develop-your-skills/accelerators

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Thank you

jessica.stacey@nesta.org.uk

@JessStacey

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