Key Takeaways

• According to Saastitute by Recurr, startup accelerator programs are growing, even in less popular startup hubs and developing countries. A cursory glance at the startup accelerator landscape in India will prove this fact. In India, startup accelerator programs emerged in 2018. By 2022, that number has swelled to over 70.
• Some impactful startup accelerator programs like Google Accelerator, Y-Combinator, and Techstars, among others, have expanded their influence to developing countries over the years. In January 2022, Google selected 20 India-based startups for its 6th startup accelerator program. In May 2022, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian nation to launch a partnership with the Google Accelerator Program.
•  Since 2012, Y-Combinator has been investing in startups in African countries like Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. In fact, Y-Combinator's latest batch of startups (W22) features 414 startups from 42 nations. While the US has the most representation, developing countries like India (32 startups) and Nigeria (18 startups) rank second and third in the list of most representations. Even Techstars has been investing in startups in African countries like South Africa and Nigeria since 2016.
• According to the Global Accelerator Network (GAN), alumni participation and engagement is essential in accelerator programs to establish new trusted networks for change, innovation, and solving community challenges. These accelerator programs should encompass alumni in addition to investors, corporate partners, and startup founders. According to Accelerator Software, 2022 witnessed "the trend of alumni engagement continuing to improve and adding a huge amount of value back into both accelerator programs and startup ecosystems."
• StartupYard is a Czech Republic-based seed accelerator that provides investments to deep tech startups. StartupYard maintains an extensive alumni network and leverages alumni engagement to help new startups gain a foothold in the market. The alumni are often invited to "share their working knowledge of their industries, and make connections for new startups" that even StartupYard's mentors are unable to achieve. As a result, the alumni have "come to constitute a base of early customers and partners" for the newer startups under the accelerator program.

Introduction

Additional Trends in the Global Startup Accelerator Space

Accelerator Programs are Growing, Even in Less Popular Startup Hubs and Developing Countries

• The first-ever startup accelerator program in the world was Y-Combinator, which started in 2005. After Y-Combinator's business model became a success, seed accelerator programs started growing rapidly in the US and Europe since 2009. By 2015, market analysts found that "around one-third of startups that achieved funding went through an accelerator." Around 2016, startup accelerator programs had reached a saturation point in developed countries.
• 1stMover estimates that there are currently over 700 startup funding programs around the world having a combined "budget of several 100 million euros and thousands of startups kicked off." In its latest whitepaper, the Global Accelerator Network (GAN) has mentioned that there are 582 startup accelerator programs around the world at present.
• According to Saastitute by Recurr, startup accelerator programs are growing, even in less popular startup hubs and developing countries. A cursory glance at the startup accelerator landscape in India will prove this fact. In India, startup accelerator programs emerged in 2018. By 2022, that number has swelled to over 70.
• Some impactful startup accelerator programs like Google Accelerator, Y-Combinator, and Techstars, among others, have expanded their influence to developing countries over the years. In January 2022, Google selected 20 India-based startups for its 6th startup accelerator program. In May 2022, Kazakhstan became the first Central Asian nation to launch a partnership with the Google Accelerator Program.
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•  Since 2012, Y-Combinator has been investing in startups in African countries like Senegal, Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, South Africa, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. In fact, Y-Combinator's latest batch of startups (W22) features 414 startups from 42 nations. While the US has the most representation, developing countries like India (32 startups) and Nigeria (18 startups) rank second and third in the list of most representations. Even Techstars has been investing in startups in African countries like South Africa and Nigeria since 2016.
• In its latest whitepaper, the Global Accelerator Network (GAN) has written about the benefits that startup accelerator programs have started to bring to vulnerable communities and less popular startup hubs. For example, "Alpha Lab, an accelerator in Pittsburgh, sits in a larger movement to help revitalize a city by building new industrial clusters in robots and hardware."
• An accelerator program called Tampa Bay Wave is "leading a regional economic movement" along the United States' Gulf Coast. Germany's NMA Venture Capital GmbH is "rethinking the European media landscape."

Accelerator Programs Have Started Taking Alumni Engagement More Seriously

• In startup accelerator parlance, a 'demo day' is a day in which startups get the "opportunity to pitch investors and raise money" for their respective companies. This day most often happens at the end of the program and is the main reason why most startups join an accelerator.
• Accelerator Software states that a 'demo day' was invariably the final "time that accelerator teams would properly interact with a graduating cohort." While the reasons for this are many, it almost always represents a missed opportunity.
• The benefits of alumni engagement mentioned by Accelerator Software include the following:
• Alumni provide useful data regarding graduated startup performance.
• Alumni founders can mentor the future cohort of startup founders.
• Alumni can become co-founders or employees of new startups.
• Alumni can share their professional experience and industry connections with startup founders.
• Alumni engagement helps build the profile and brand value of startup accelerator programs.
• According to the Global Accelerator Network (GAN), alumni participation and engagement is essential in accelerator programs to establish new trusted networks for change, innovation, and solving community challenges. These accelerator programs should encompass alumni in addition to investors, corporate partners, and startup founders.
• According to Accelerator Software, 2022 witnessed "the trend of alumni engagement continuing to improve and adding a huge amount of value back into both accelerator programs and startup ecosystems."
•  UTEC Ventures is an accelerator program at the forefront of this trend. It is the startup accelerator program of Peru's University of Engineering and Technology (UTEC) and is an active investor in Peru. While university-based startup programs are fairly common around the world, UTEC Ventures is exceptional due to its own investment fund that is "not limited to only students, alumni, faculty, and staff of UTEC University" but to any startup that applies. UTEC Ventures' Alumni Venture Partner program comprises UTEC alumni "who continue to be part of the greater UTEC venture community after their commencement from UTEC."
• StartupYard is a Czech Republic-based seed accelerator that provides investments to deep tech startups. StartupYard maintains an extensive alumni network and leverages alumni engagement to help new startups gain a foothold in the market. The alumni are often invited to "share their working knowledge of their industries, and make connections for new startups" that even StartupYard's mentors are unable to achieve. As a result, the alumni have "come to constitute a base of early customers and partners" for the newer startups under the accelerator program.
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