When it comes to small-scale businesses, astute entrepreneurs are mindful that fate and fortune are vital ingredients for victory. However, even smarter would-be billionaires are aware of useful tools at their disposal, designed to assist and even shorten the elusive road to financial triumph.
Preparing now for its seventh semester, the Accelerator Academy is just that. Designed in a bid to speed up expansion and increase potential investor appeal, it is a twelve-week part-time incubator course offering intensive guidance, training and work space to disruptive, high- growth start-ups possessing a digital bent. The Winter 2014 application system is now issuing its final calls for submissions – closing on the 13th January for a course beginning on the 20th – and the culmination of these weeks of mentoring and training is an opportunity to pitch to a room of investors. A daunting, yet potentially life-changing event if ever there was one.
Speaking of his now considerably successful venture, head of the Accelerator Academy and managing partner of White Horse Capital, Ian Merricks commented: “For us, it’s all about finding those ambitious and committed founders with scalable businesses, capable of delivering a 10X return on investment within a five-year timescale”.
He goes on to declare that “We’re not here to teach entrepreneurs ‘how to do it’, but rather ‘how to do it better’.”
Bold claims no doubt, but ones upon which this course appears to be delivering, with busy previous semesters resulting in a collaboration with UKTI’s new Sirius programme, inviting graduate entrepreneurs from around the world to the UK. Former success stories from the 75% of alumni that have secured follow-up funding also include Launchpad Recruits, Fubar Radio, Cloudfind, Fluentify, Twizoo, GoCarShare, Loyd Mobile and Wooshping.
Now if you’ll excuse us, we’re off to hand in our application… 
