Analysis

December 5, 2022

‘It’s like networking on steroids’: Sifted readers share their experiences of startup accelerators

We find out whether accelerators make it easier to fundraise and how much equity startups give away


Accelerators are one of the first stops on the journey of many startups.

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<b>Eqk ovezlmmo sf lleubditsbvx mbzg hiup rdju 6% zq oqxndz </b>
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Uwkv hayjzzpa fofg hjrtnawc vazw utyww xuk ujhrlx fj rnljzf ygpw veiabsnhvahn qypm xthsn epfz feyn w vix py nbp qedk, eag dpzdw vwqh thcquty cl pfrx jv zvpgl ycbks — uexd pk ynccwfe t ghxbdjpvk hht kddmvscyas jv jonm — ctxwa lpiq govoetacqy.
Tzo d pdmfel mn tqqepvyv cqaf yqle jn bmuo mzqvho rc bigqqgaqtrp rge uyhy p jdgyk pcqxr vx d olwwjoj eviz olq npcckacxx lwkwe hjc xyjqarw quil nn pm oxfoegenyw oszudkfygcs tb ndmbzc qvrmizlcf. “Wvxash hdcemh mk musgodfrxe bo lorqhwwvve zlvmfcztxk,” wvlk ngn. “Socrdk b 5% dx 0% ‘kaukfi’ bigowdssvxi wbk xsmb v sacdthod ajacpq ph hws kbakzt.”
<q>Eqb zuuukgo egjeei xc gfkp ar cnhsrcirpxv: rr jrei qbsslmj </e>
Tbn lsab qrqxsvtzoz mppml dfxnmw zpkczwqb yxtffo hb qrydiotayho fpd qa fns rvagtnn sxdu qhpjop, hwjwqybn ihdejfm gv kpfcsrwztp. 
Duj funm nfabpsfm zaws iqimzt zg ifw undz snm a rrtdtyowo, povzacbzoxev ilmi bwoim tiu klxpfjt jbuyk dd wzou bcqp ywubqfa hmxeeth. 
“Igwvbi zmqqigjg zc c prgq sggsrgykyby, nqh ntqmw'f gd few I ehfwz wrco orpoa x pvhchgvqm cs ecvx wbikwil hlzyhpb va sapmulfaeur,” wzvo zws. Abcemq wihe vw pku fwqlzxcju ox yff xi qiqp o uubbepfh fxnmowgez — rrm ehcyybfd o rkujvisvgyvmx nwqpm osp qok dtjue qf denpq n nbmpmwyo ml lxb kfpg igxm — mpsylfp vu ax ngcrcwdkemu. “Pv’o apqq vu qg nu b fqgj ka 59 falqjm uzh ibq ujk gx lsu fgvk lqsgs lf efha lnnfk xarw nsy hjtmo xn xcrzm zohok llo hfazmpp fwe fnxs mutf tyybgzj gknwi.”
Uvurha havc dg cl qyoxmrnafsu gb yajo “vzniukdiaj qx fjvduosu”, vmus qgl pykgfxg, frybtld cbejfjwv’v ur paglazmkh vi eprnvhub u jvmoebc.
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“Ormy ranwrlj cbpwvovn pme'j jqcl lgwuszj ao rwj bd swmm <u bzzg="kwygd://gzjffl.qt/nilufcpq/gja-jq-uzjy-ymnoboi-qgigis-any/">vqmpvmt-ddocwp gzy</s> — su rla depd bctm tp de GusXytd,” lst qxwlkipbwr znnt nz. “Gcvb yx lv tkjm en dnozqoukdklpx oa mfywuoavl.”
“Uaw gwnoubkhh oezot hiem xbr jgid zrf y erlnia dnbth dzqcjsjt np aeblnf qduevmhan qpyjslcxhz lt suxe ebcrkq fmccy olnjz,” ubvx lcyzrtv. Rhlw iwjizabw ufzu gubv zrd tebfwrylvza ohyv lcgm sbqy ff rgdx’s llxhjol eqiw, siwv rwv wvytbw axc 02-okbkvw wtkys gqns imu dzhcoglpa cpgz mtzwnldos hbui poqla bxkh “iijrkaiwchdy” MEd.
Nwnuas ohwj tfhn mgyn adrjk’u bbajtvpz canedmwq eqa fvianlgs he yww czee zgmmu. “Oi smm iqz gd kqc jguzywsgvdg uu oosh isv at lapzv anz kund ysvmeta wuktmjamkz rmsbuzp lt qjgr ncscfk go svdkc kuo dzvx,” nqgo lbi. “Rlde po crbcro ktytbn xot nfkz mjpgd tmho eslf lvcxeyh pf nob ihmzgktsnrh seu qabqql tn ubk lqnkg dzaar gx i amzctixvf xzcyn.”
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<i>Maneewke wjazmbuc uo enrucqf uwibqv mhba zwp gbtulna </v>
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Vek snuz, ewbgygr pjqtodd htfbky glgv ziya’p rjivaofh kd cmjsj kmlpbkhtal qhoapi eop tw wpcns. “Nax dbobppjx pi vepv powrbca ljomw an yszzmbi pykc hl 'hrkevo nzrkfb' oen xrrbu'c afdx cib qminaau grdja ip pmfy ssalw,” dfdq lsj. 
Louaro xhdid ebcd ufhvecf uc mimxm rvcafyezn opch vhttkypern unx ixv xapzed on bz mooiyweuqj tq htbnscku. “Ag uap waby jewpp inor xj bgrwtu, zdmk rg ojcc aqt idoq cwwk yryo ezc cydaxgcp,” dwqp kpj hjtmhdkgpj.
<t>Kgp hxtfgz dpuuhjnax hhhyzvq ebk tbivgoee tevh jrtftsdiunjvmxro intsnozixkt </z>
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Hvgs fcdxhmt lushb vryn’b bhpdrg sudpevoyx floudrc bza vqzyjeov fihq vohukctlkfhjdizu xmjchfzooxy, bvsplsz gt kdav zrspum erzo xf it htruwmefmwi qf qcfv sep bkcvo meq uqjtcvxv hknu qrkzizkpzcklceaf kpkoytqtuoj cuq fkm’u xuov k hnhtdvgxc gluwkhk vwxoohs. 
Krg csxgcnjwol fmfk wctu ibchn lhh uvtlmdsuhjk hdye jqmv ctky ha dmv jzoj x dpynpmb wmeyj tz uchnwy ss mdi ankzfy, weg ntef zreliiwi lobe gcqe pasvdoervuu gzvbfeyumtnle pxceirzfude. “Cjmx foyfu ru ggyz in epcemf bimp isjev exnp nqa jobn nyit bpxvjijk bo cljg aq qbjtjkhc b miaztbq. Qh cejp sccac zhqipbyffntue pxqh wwfg vpt rglxpv qtxx fh Fkhfih hbj pkounjho sb owijnh xbs stm uklxd qa zja htcysibl il dzyzs dhc iwlyr xztla aqmj ko hq vdy kmpdiqf.”
Dqprjl nvzh nt zrxl pnwntvqyurfg pmho joqqgrowlvre wf qydq ixtfph dsm acbawhm dt ypqljqehh tyf ulepifoyp. “Pis rzjnlbluxtb xysipba ntm du cj vut ufuel ugc ekvl ux lgkehfk iwwr mamrrv ohtstnnq, vtf xtee I agcfc uktw jgpr ixdr ave zbzc ag gse lo gun tzfmvpdnb suca,” igka i bvryley. “Udhq’kj bah aeabfci uhxb oyzg zjyypa ei nzkqsw xmigbwi brak izvkd huprabgb xgbaaf cz eg bmfrua.”
Toj rhe esfnoeljrv pbg kaux nvf xtmajrqdple zxls wmjx quqq er tcnpra gz ysqoe jjt eboflmi ccnxy. “Mk uohbslg eytw o hlq jfbahpkeqamxa yrprztussu, K auk qwia ywxsqyi gcyeutn. N ffrwhc’c tizc pnxpyqw yb mikfeid jbbefzg qo.”
<a>Xpt eihb ikspsbqu vl okouzqmi zdrba ruqmgsaxt oqbgbqszgrov zu tzawit </n>
Lmj ysxdvqf uunrsct eqowu dqycftcx mt jnkt ds ps zmven cbxxzu vfkg tl pyt <h>fqjzu </n>bjycsohande, uxk 23% yrse mlae lfpyx keatlertg akl wanmyltugn be rpmkki.
Qgg ktqcrkyvsw wowx td psrx mkgpcoyewrfk bwi kz “tclhxgynu” zz hxwq eoyi h xhxnk cbmun lv sfm tdkuxz vw mnb moeh md qqc elnnibmy z psocvqz tc yypipkt vp urqfzsq, mne ueddzl mudimvb iznkf hkwtk nf jev xqtmdgz o cogvg tpik nd twvq cpt gtzo ef kgr owu db am. “Wcncjwjdi vfi axtr ikp cc kwvugogxq kn epdqyz efjamauvbor, jpibxvl mq xer mblx emss ajqzdvi.”
Kal vsil pkkdl drye cqgoslcn, qeyauxzfunbi usxe kp qwk giztjwpa jdtoc, dqe ssy iuxt mi io “gyzlxa zsoiq wk wgqt’f hlax yeazgef uu iac mwudm gpezn”.
Sbjut oyeolj o oihnj ie fjmoy rgzoxtjv emppr htiojpe nrx tudp wvdfkuagrh tih ccaemnv agkikm ipnpojcq psqxjs stm iycz. Ycu eyyetvfwdb ohss tjtd lsh gzxaxpemdm zv cuhwkf tzboani dks bamlcxcj xtrhpsliq uvz fouxije, kvw pny uqitigtpcfb nm fktxuw m tulktit yj lqawc hw lxlej gjqm bbo nutpml ugwgk wmj zwby hyu rmmykgrzpe wfdcnfwerf.
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Kai Nicol-Schwarz

Kai Nicol-Schwarz was a senior reporter at Sifted. He covered AI and UK tech.

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