In the bad old dotcom days, startups used to be hatched in incubators — idea factories that spewed out companies to meet the ’90s bull market’s demand for tech stocks. (The most famous one, Idealab, was once valued at $8 billion.) Now there’s a new kind of startup booster: the accelerator, a camp-like program that brings entrepreneurs together to benefit from both mentors and peers.
Accelerators have proliferated recently, bringing more opportunities to entrepreneurs who need guidance as much as money. But the sector’s growth means picking one is no longer a simple choice. And now’s the season when many of them start taking applications (including my own accelerator, Capital Factory). How do you choose?
Each program has its own flavor, and no two are really alike. One key consideration: location. Accelerator participants must pick up and move, at least temporarily, to the program’s home base. (Face time is the whole point, after all.) So think about the city in which each program is located. Does it fit your style?
To read the full, original article click on this link: Camp-like “accelerator” programs are the new startup incubators | VentureBeat
Author: Bryan Menell
Bryan Menell is the cofounder and managing director of Capital Factory, a seed-stage mentoring program for technology companies. He is also the publisher of AustinStartup, which highlights emerging technology companies in Austin.
