More and more accelerators and incubators are vying for startups. This is also increasing competition between programs. A recent study therefore recommends greater specialization and internationalization.
The number of incubators and accelerators in Germany has nearly quintupled over the past ten years, according to a study by Munich-based management consultancy Roland Berger. The company surveyed around 200 startup support programs.
“The days are over when accelerators and incubators could assert themselves solely with offers such as providing office space or mentoring programs,”
says Jochen Ditsche, Partner at Roland Berger.
"They can only survive if they stand out from the crowd. This is particularly successful if they consistently specialize in one industry or technology and internationalize their business."
To date, incubators and accelerators primarily offer support services such as coaching (96 percent), workshops (90 percent), and the provision of office space (86 percent). Only around half provide founders with access to specialized technologies. Fifty-four percent of the institutions surveyed specialize in specific industries, while only 35 percent specialize in a technology area such as the Internet of Things, Big Data, or Artificial Intelligence.
Accelerators and incubators as an interface
In an international comparison, institutions in the US (65 percent) are already focusing most strongly on individual industries, followed by Europe (59 percent) and the Middle East and North Africa region (57 percent). Only just under half of respondents pursue an international strategy. Ditsche says:
“New competitors such as startup centers of large companies or venture capital fund programs pose additional competition for accelerators and incubators. Given the high liquidity in the financial markets, startups are also not dependent on investments from these providers.”
Accelerators and incubators should see themselves more as an interface between startups, companies, investors and research and establish themselves as platforms for technology transfer.
