This past summer I was a member of 500 Startups, one of the top accelerator programs in the world. For those who aren’t familiar with 500 Startups or other accelerators (like Y Combinator or Tech Stars,) it’s helpful to understand how these organizations function to fund Silicon Valley startups and technology innovation across the globe.
Think of a venture capitalist. A company gives the venture capitalist equity in the form of convertible notes or shares, and in return the VC gives the company cash. An accelerator functions in a similar fashion, yet with more variables to trade off.
