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EРУNБTРRИEPКАRENEURSHIP
The first free pre-
accelerator program
for IT startups and
entrepreneurs
Igor Izotov Recently Seavus Incubator ican dollars, and in return they give a
opened the invitation for ap- part of the company’s ownership or 5 – 7
The author is a manager for plications for the first pre-ac- %. So far such programs have not been of-
the Startup community in celerator program in Macedo- fered in Macedonia, and there are no ac-
Seavus Incubator nia. The invitation is intended celerators in this sense of the word.
for startups, teams or entrepreneurs who
58 are working in the field of information Usually the pre-accelerator programs
technologies and it is an excellent oppor- are designed to last from eight to twelve
tunity for quick business development by weeks and they are conceptually orga-
upgrading knowledge, cooperation with nized according to modules where all im-
national and international mentors, and portant business elements are covered:
an opportunity for financing. from development of an idea, financing
of the business, formation of a team, to
But let us start from the beginning. design of a prototype of a product or an
What is the meaning of the words start- application. These pre-accelerator pro-
up, incubator, accelerator, and why is grams are led by experienced mentors
there so much fuss about the develop- and lecturers from the corporate world,
ment and the support of entrepreneur- however also from representatives from
ship and startups? the start-up community. The mentors
mostly have several hours of lectures
Startup at a world level is defined as a within one week, usually in the afternoon
newly formed quickly growing company. hours, when a topic from the business
startups are mostly formed by several plan is elaborated. Later the teams are
owners who are working on an innova- left to work on the given assignment in-
tive solution. The idea that startups work dividually, however they are expected to
only in the field of internet and infor- show the results during the program or
mation technologies is generally wrong, on the last day when the business ideas
because a startup can also be a success- are presented before the investors.
ful small business that sells coffee, and
where the innovation is the way coffee is The pre-accelerator programs are tar-
delivered. geted towards startup or entrepreneurs
with an idea to start a business, who are
Incubators and accelerators are insti- preparing to apply to the global accel-
tutions which support the development erator programs such as Ycombinator or
of startups through mentor or so called Techstars. Another reason to join such
incubator and accelerator programs. The a program is an assistance for an early
accelerators include selected startups product or service launch.
which get finance with participation in
the program, usually about 30.000 Amer- Following the successful world practic-
September 2016
