The incubator and accelerator market in Italy

Incubators and accelerators are often used synonymously, and although the ultimate goal is to help startups grow and attract capital, the two terms differ in their definition.

In order to facilitate and support startups,there are two main types of devices, public or private:

Incubators come into playbefore creation and during the early stages of the company's life, accompanying project managers to enable them to transform their idea into a structured and profitable enterprise. The incubation period generally ranges from 12 to 24 months. Incubators often offer equipped premises, professional support, and sometimes evenfinancial support.

Accelerators are often private andintervene at a more advanced stage of the company and in a shorter, more intensive period (3 to 4 months). Their goal is to accelerate the growth of the newly established company.

There are several types of incubators:

-Public and university incubators: business innovation centers and university business incubators

-Private business incubators: Independent Private Incubators and Corporate Private Incubators.

Both accelerators and incubators are considered key players in the entrepreneurial ecosystem as they are critical to the development of innovative projects and startups.

Globally, the market for accelerators and incubators can certainly be considered to be growing.

In Italy, the incubator market is growing given the proliferation of innovative start-ups and the increasing number of young people ready to get involved with their own projects.

The number of incubators in Italy in 2020 is estimated to exceed 200. Sixty percent are located in the north, especially in Lombardy, Tuscany and Emilia Romagna.

The main players in the Italian market are: D-Pixel, Make a Cube, Impact Hub Milan, Boost Heroes, etc.

One trend to keep in mind is the increasing presence of online (as opposed to physical) incubators. The advantages of online incubators are: greater flexibility and accessibility, time savings, higher quality of mentors, reduced costs, access to a larger network of investors.