To help you and your founding team decide which business development program is best for
your company, assess your specific needs and identify whether you're an early- or late-phase
startup.
1. Assess the state of your business’s product. Incubators tend to be ideal for brand new businesses that do not have an established viable business model and that are
still developing a product idea. Accelerators are ideal for early-stage existing
companies that already have a minimum viable product (MVP).
2. Identify your funding needs. Incubators are an ideal choice for businesses that are not
yet ready to seek capital investment. Accelerators suppsort businesses that are looking for
seed investment to help scale up.
3. Determine the timeline of your business. Incubators help to support businesses over a
longer period of time, while accelerators work with businesses to scale up rapidly within a
matter of months.
Incubator and accelerator programs are highly selective, and the application pool is competitive.
You must meet an incubator's specific criteria and submit a viable business plan as part of the
application process. Startup accelerator programs have a similar application process, but they also
require evidence that your business has high potential to scale up at an exceptionally fast pace.