Growth Accelerator

A startup growth accelerator provides mentorship and capital to founders in order to help them accelerate the growth of their business. In exchange, the accelerator generally gets equity, though some less reputable accelerators charge fees for their programs.

Top startup accelerators include Y Combinator, LAUNCH, Techstars, and 500 Startups.

Here we have content for founders on guides to growth accelerators, along with application forms and suggestions for applying.

How does a business accelerator work?

Generally you start by submitting an application for the accelerator of your choice. They then review your application and decide if you are a good fit.

Most accelerators work in cohorts, or groups of startups who all go through the program at the same time. You'll do social events and calls with one another, and also generally have office hours with a mentor from the accelerator program to provide feedback and guidance. Most accelerators then culminate with a demo day, where founders share what they've been working on with prospective investors as part of a fundraising process.

Since COVID, most accelerators have gone remote, and appear to generally be staying a fully remote experience, rather than making everyone move to a specific city or locale for the duration of the program.

What are the top accelerators?

Y Combinator, LAUNCH, and Techstars are probably the most well known accelerators in the US.