Alacrity’s Global Accelerator is proud to be recognized by GUST as one the Top 10 most active seed accelerator programs in 2015!
The Victoria BC based unit of The Alacrity Foundation was the only Canadian Accelerator named to the list. Other, global accelerator operations on the list were: 500 Startups; Techstars; Plug-and-Play; Start-up Chile; AngelPad; NXTP Labs; Energy Excelerator; Accelerace; and Wayra.
“For Alacrity to be recognized in the same conversation as other global accelerator programs such as 500 Startups and Techstars speaks volumes to the impact we are having. We’re proud to be recognized, and are thankful to our partners, supporters, and of course to the vibrant tech community in BC that makes it possible.” – Owen Matthews, Chairman The Alacrity Foundation
Per GUST:
“In the last decade, the (accelerator) industry has expanded and evolved exponentially. However the large-scale growth and activity of the accelerator industry is not exclusive to the U.S. Today, accelerators can be found in regions all across the globe. The U.S. and Canada still reign as leaders of the accelerator industry with a total of 111 accelerators investing $90.3M in 2,968 startups. Europe, with a total of 113 accelerators investing $41.0M in 2,574 startups, closely trails the U.S. and Canada. The accelerator industry is also expanding rapidly in unexpected regions such as Latin America, where a mix of private and public capital is fueling a surge in startups and accelerators.
Traditionally, accelerators were similar to VCs and angel investors by relying on the success of startup exits to recoup their financial investments and generate profits. However, most accelerators around the global today are exploring new ways to generate revenue. These new business models include monetizing events, workshops, mentorship, and office space. These alternative funding sources assist accelerators in maintaining solvency prior to startup exits and support program operations. In total, 91% of accelerators around the globe are reliant on these alternative revenue generation models in the short term while 75% plan to continue depending on them for the long term. Corporate partnerships, which include running acceleration programs in partnership with or on behalf of corporations, as well as corporate sponsorship, have also been a key source of funding that supports accelerators before startup exits and are the principal source of revenue in some cases. It is evident from this report that accelerators have pivoted from their original business model.
Globally, accelerators are showing a singular interest in the types of startups they want to bring into their programs demonstrating how globalization has lead to countries focusing narrowly on similar technological boundaries. Accelerators are seeking to draw more startups with a focus on the Internet of Things. Their hope with this hot new market is to identify startups that will produce the next big product or idea.
Within only a decade, accelerators have become a mainstay of startup ecosystems in regions around the globe. Throughout this period, accelerator business models and growth strategies have continued to evolve. In-line with the popularized Lean Startup methodology, accelerators also rely on the proven build-measure-learn process. They identify a problem that needs to be solved, develop a minimum viable product to solve this problem and begin the process of fine-tuning the product to be more efficient and exact. The result is the rise of the Accelerator 2.0.
Accelerator 2.0 – whilst still aligned with its predecessor’s original vision of nurturing disruptive companies – is different in a number of ways. These new accelerators possess a diversified revenue model, often focus on a specific vertical, integrate themselves more into the ecosystem, and work closely with governments and corporations. In the coming year and beyond, it will be interesting to see what new pivots the global accelerator industry will undergo, as it adapts.”