Accelerators vs Incubators vs Venture Builders vs Innovation Hubs: Let’s Clear Things Up!
This Friday-> Exploring the different types of startup support entities and how to make the most of each! [5 min reading]
On Startup Salad I break down a business book’s key takeaways in a simple, digestible format, just like a good salad!
Hey, it’s Fede!
Startup support programs are everywhere, literally, there are thousands of them. In Switzerland alone (with a population of just 9 million people), I counted over 120.
These programs come from different types of entities:
Tech parks / science parks
Innovation hubs
Startup studios
Venture builders
Accelerators
Incubators
Here’s the thing: picking the wrong support program can waste time, equity and money. To choose wisely, you need to know what each one is, what it offers, and which suits your startup best.
So I teamed up with my friend , an expert in the field, to co-write this article and break down the key differences.
NOTE: if you want to find the link to the ranking of the best 150 incubators/accelerators in Europe and a search engine to find active startup support programs worldwide, keep reading.
Let’s break it down:
Tech Parks / Science Parks🏗️
The place where a startup is created plays a key role in shaping its growth.
That’s why Tech and Science Parks are important.
They’re built to help startups grow successfully right from the start.
But keep in mind that they come in two main forms:
1️⃣ Next to universities
Their goal is simple: to take the innovation developed inside universities and help turn it into value on the market. These parks act as a bridge between academic research and real-world business, helping discoveries become actual startups.
2️⃣ Inside industrial clusters
In some cases, Tech Parks are built inside specialized industrial areas, where multiple companies operate along the same supply chain. In this case, the park leverages deep industry know-how and helps create value within a specific vertical.
In both cases, they offer lots of support programs, networking events, on-site office space, and partnerships with other companies or startups in the park.
The goal is to get you interacting as much as possible in order to create partnerships or collaborations. If you’re a university student or working on a highly technical, complex, or science-based project, it could be interesting for you.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Office space, networking events, access to labs, or industry
Startup stage: R&D, all stages, Big corporate
Access level: Medium (often you need to be linked to universities or industrial clusters)
Strength: Makes it easier to find experts and build collaborations to scale
Innovation Hubs 🧑💻
Similar to the parks we saw before, but easier to access and usually just one building, not a whole cluster of companies.
You’ll find them in almost every city. Their goal is to bring together people with ideas or early-stage startups in one shared space.
They usually offer shared offices, private desks, meeting rooms, etc. But the real value is the community. Events, talks, and networking sessions are designed to spark ideas and real connections.
If you’re just starting out and need a place to think, build, and meet others like you, this is a great first step.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Co-working space, events, community
Startup stage: Idea stage, MVP, early stage
Access level: Low (open to students, solo founders, early-stage startups)
Strength: Great place to start, find co-founders, and meet like-minded people
Startup Studios 🧪
Startup Studios aim to create, launch, and exit startups as frequently and quickly as possible.
Everything starts in-house: the idea, the team, the product.
They handle all the first steps: they come up with ideas, test them in the market, and when something shows potential, they build a team of co-founders and give them funding to launch. That money usually comes from the studio’s own fund.
Because they do most of the work upfront, they keep a big piece of equity, often between 20% and 70%.
Many studios focus on one sector (like fintech or healthtech) and build multiple startups within it.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Funding, idea validation, software, and business dev support
Startup stage: Business idea, early stage
Access level: High (they usually select serial entrepreneurs or experts in the field to become co-founders)
Strength: Great if you want to join a startup with a validated idea as a co-founder, rather than start your own from scratch. In some cases, they also accept external ideas if they fit their model
Venture Builders 🧭
Venture Builders support external founders. They don’t invent the idea, they back yours.
They offer guidance, team support, and money.
Resources are a mix of the builder’s internal experts and the founder’s own skills and network.
They usually take less equity than studios, since the startup comes from the founder.
Some are standalone, others are part of big corporations looking to launch new ventures.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Guidance, team support, funding
Startup stage: Early-stage
Access level: Medium
Strength: Great if you have an idea and want help building faster with expert backup
Accelerators⚡
Accelerators are like a turbo boost for startups that are already up and running (or close to be). Their goal is to help you grow fast, sharpen your business, and get investment-ready all in just a few months.
Programs are short (few months) and intense. You apply, get selected (if you're lucky), and then go full speed ahead.
Y Combinator, Techstars, and 500 Global are very famous accelerators. They’re super competitive, with acceptance rates under 2%.
In exchange for either nothing (if it's a grant) or 3–10% equity, you get pre-seed or seed funding, top-notch mentorship, and access to a powerful investor network. Most accelerators are structured as competitions between startups. Sometimes the money is given as a grant, but more often it's a convertible loan or a SAFE.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Seed funding, mentorship, training, investor access, Demo Day
Startup stage: MVP, early traction, ready to scale
Access level: Depends on the prestige of the accelerator (highly selective and competitive)
Strength: Helps you grow fast and get in front of top investors
Incubators 🐣
Incubators don’t have a strict timeline. You can stay longer, experiment more, and figure things out at your own pace.
Incubators are perfect if you have an idea but not yet a business. You’ll get support like office space, mentorship, and a community of fellow founders.
Some incubators focus on specific industries, like healthtech or climate innovation.
They often offer startup-friendly funding conditions to help founders keep building and move their project forward without too much pressure.
✅ Quick facts:
Type of support: Office space, mentoring, community, early validation, funding
Startup stage: Idea stage, pre-MVP, early development
Access level: Medium to high (varies by program)
Strength: Gives you time, space, and support to shape your idea without pressure
Accelerators or Incubators: Which One Should You Choose? 🤔
It all depends on where you are in your startup journey.
Accelerators are a great fit if you already have a solid business idea and want to grow fast. You’ll get funding, mentorship, and access to investors, all designed to take you to the next level.
Incubators, on the other hand, are better if you’re still figuring things out. You’ll have time to build, test, and refine your idea without the pressure of deadlines.
Both can be super valuable. It’s not always either or. They’re not necessarily in competition. In fact, in some cases, you can even join both at different stages of your journey or even at the same time. So take a good look and choose what fits best with where you are right now.
What to Look for in an Accelerator or Incubator? 🔍
Before jumping in, make sure to do your research. Not all programs are created equal.
Check their track record. A good accelerator or incubator will proudly showcase the startups they’ve supported. Look for success stories, companies that raised funding, scaled, or even exited.
Here are two great examples:
✅ Y Combinator has backed over 5,000 startups with a total valuation of $600 billion.
✅ Idealab, one of the longest-running incubators, has launched 150+ companies, with more than 45 IPOs.
If their numbers and focus align with your industry or stage, then you might have found your match.
Final Thoughts💡
First, here you go, the link with the best 150 incubators and accelerators in Europe: click here.
Second, here you can browse all startup support programs worldwide: click here
Third, all these programs can be great ways to grow your startup, but they serve different purposes. The key is knowing where your business stands and picking the one that truly matches your goals.
My advice? Don’t just focus on the success stories and shiny websites.
Take a closer look at how much equity they ask for; some less serious programs demand way too much.
To find out, reach out to a few startups that have already been through their programs.
So take your time.
Do your homework.
And when you’re ready...
Go scale up 🚀
That’s it for today, I hope you enjoyed it, BIG HUG.
The guidelines you need to build your startup:
Women in Startups: What It’s Like to Be a Female Entrepreneur in 2025
The Lean Startup: What You Can Actually Learn From the King of Founder Books
See you next Friday,
Federico Lorenzon
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