What is an Accelerator (or Incubator)? Definition or Meaning

Accelerators or Incubators provide office space, mentoring and financial support to startups, often in return for a percentage of their profits down the track.

For example…

Reddit, Dropbox and AirBnb all started out in an incubator environment. Their supporter, Y Combination, provides early investment capital, infrastructure support and business coaching in return for a small percentage of equity. “