Bridging the “Pioneer Gap”: The Role of Accelerators in Launching High-Impact Enterprises

Abstract

Over the past several years, researchers and practitioners have increasingly highlighted a consistent gap in capital and support between social enterprises and impact investors, a gap which incubators and accelerators can play a critical role in bridging. These organizations support early-stage social enterprises by providing them with a range of services, such as business development support, mentoring, infrastructure, as well as access to networks of investors, foundations, and corporations. This report represents the first quantitative assessment of the impact accelerator landscape, with data from 52 organizations globally, collected by ANDE and Village Capital between November 2012 and February 2013.