Managed Corporate Accelerator Program

1. Business Continuity – Corporates globally are looking to improve business continuity by engaging Startups. This brings exposure to new advanced technologies and business models. They can also benefit from the upcoming trends and the networks in the Startup ecosystem.
2. Boosting Sales, Marketing & Public Relations – Startups own new market segments of which Corporates can leverage by cross-selling or co-marketing. Working with Startups also increase brand position in terms of innovation.
3. Attracting More Collaborations & Partnerships – Top Corporates use Accelerators to strengthen their relationship with customers and potential partners. Corporates also gain more online business opportunities.
4. Innovation Culture & Employee Engagement – Progressive Corporates use Accelerators to help employees think out fo the box in solving daily problems using new methodologies like minimum viable products, agile project management, and more.
Source: Forbes

At NEXEA, we also believe that Accelerators are the gateway to larger Corporate Innovation initiatives. Accelerator programs can lead to larger strategies like venture building/incubation, funding or acquisitions, and new revenues. Ideally, it contributes to business continuity and the longevity of the Corporate.

A corporate Accelerator is a Startup growth program sponsored by Corporates for corporate innovation purposes. Unlike regular Startup Accelerators, they may offer office space, and engage Startups in a more meaningful way like pilot programs or proof of concepts with Startups.

Corporate Accelerators are created to allow Corporates to engage with Startups and Venture Capital to help them scout and acquire Startups in the future.

Apart from that, it is also used to engage employees, foster innovation culture, scout for talent, and to explore new business models.

Corporate Accelerators help Startups to achieve faster growth, and in exchange, advance Innovation initiatives for Corporates. Such Corporate Innovation goals include new revenues, new business models, business continuity, employee engagement, stronger branding, and future Startup acquisitions.

To achieve those goals, Corporate Accelerators run programs where the Corporate can interact with Startups. This includes workshops, mentoring sessions, Pilot projects, technical guidance, and more. Corporates also get to interact with Investors, Venture Capitalists, Funds, other Corporate VCs, and other Startup Ecosystem Partners.

From mentoring, for example, Corporates can understand new business models, how new and advanced technologies are being applied, and new partnerships and revenue models can be formed.

Corporate Accelerators do not require Corporates to invest in Startups, thus allowing Corporates to leverage the Startup ecosystem as their Research & Development centre. Incubators, on the other hand, require heavy funding and may not always have tangible short term outcomes for Corporates.

Accelerators have a timeline attached to the program whereas incubators may go on indefinitely until the incubated company is ready to self-sustain.

In Corporate environments, incubated companies tend to grow faster, but also require a lot more cash to grow versus Accelerator Startups. This is because Startup founders tend to bootstrap with minimal salaries.

The motivation factor of the people driving Corporate Incubated companies and Accelerated Startups also differ as Startup founders tend to think longer-term and tend to have a stronger drive beyond monetary rewards.

Promoting the program properly is crucial. Corporates need to be a deep network of partners in the media, Startup groups, and communities.

Picking the right Startups is a tricky business as predicting the success of most early to growth-stage companies takes years of experience.

Identifying new business models, technological innovation and market trends is a full-time job in itself.

Attracting the top Startups requires strong pull-factor like deep partnerships with ecosystem players, investors, and corporates.

Managing corporate stakeholders and access to resources is crucial in planning for a successful Startup Accelerator program.

Most Startups need money – and not every corporation can fund Startups.

There needs to be industry or market fit with the Startups in order to truly add value as a Corporate. This is where we have our Multi-Corporate Accelerator to be able to pull in enough Startups to justify a successful and cost-effective Accelerator Program.