Accelerator programmes and the COVID-19 pandemic

Accelerators are start-up programmes that bring entrepreneurs together, face-to-face, for intensive interaction with experts and other entrepreneurs. As cities in miniature, they mimic and optimise urban features such as matching, sharing, learning effects at a much smaller scale. The programmes encourage founders to develop peer relationships which are regarded as important for start-ups and young businesses and a central focus of accelerators. What happens to such a programme during the COVID-19 pandemic and the nationwide lockdowns? What happens when a programme encounters a major crisis, and how could participants respond?