There seems to be a considerable amount of confusion about the differences between business accelerator and business incubators. Many people use the terms interchangeably, but there are a number of elements that distinguish one from the other. At the same time, there is indeed overlap across incubator and accelerator services, which explains much of the confusion. The aim of this article is to help distinguish the difference between the two.
It is sometimes easier to grasp the differences between two adjacent paradigms by first knowing about the elements they share. For example, incubators and accelerators both prepare companies for growth. I.e. both incubators and accelerators help firms grow by providing guidance and mentorship, but in slightly different ways and, and more importantly at different stages in the life of the business. In order to get this straight, let’s draw an analogy and say that the life of a business is like the life of a human being. There are roughly three major stages of life: childhood, adolescence and adulthood.
To read the full, original article click on this link: The Difference Between a Business Accelerator and a Business Incubator? | Inc.com
