Accelerator Program Research Articles

Debiasing of gambling beliefs and behaviors using a digital gambling accelerator.

Problem gamblers tend to adhere to rigid rules about the chances of winning and are resistant to counterfactual information. To promote a more accurate understanding of the odds of scratch-off ticket gambling, we created a brief debiasing intervention consisting of a digital gambling accelerator program that offers demonstrations of the long-term outcomes of gambling. Using a sample of nontreatment seeking scratch-off lottery gamblers recruited from the community (42 subclinical and 45 probable pathological gamblers), we compared the accelerator intervention to brief motivational interviewing (MI) and a control condition. Participants rated their chances of winning, urge to gamble, and readiness to change before and after the interventions. Self-reported dollar amount spent on scratch-off tickets and number of days gambled were assessed at baseline and again at 2- and 4-week follow-ups. Following the active interventions, gamblers in both conditions reported greater readiness to change than controls, and those in the accelerator condition also gave lower ratings of their chances of winning and urge to gamble. Marginal models showed participants in the accelerator condition gambled fewer days at the 2-week follow-up and spent less money at both the 2- and 4-week follow-ups compared to controls; no other between-subjects differences achieved statistical significance. Digital gambling accelerators can impact several clinically relevant domains of gambling and may be useful as stand-alone or adjunct interventions to treat gambling problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).

The design of startup accelerators

Accelerator programs are an increasingly important part of entrepreneurial ecosystems. While accelerators have core defining features—fixed-term, cohort-based educational and mentorship programs for startups— there is also significant variation amongst them. In this paper, we relate key variation in the antecedents, organizational design and operation of these programs to theories of firm-level entrepreneurial performance. We then document descriptive correlations between these design elements and the performance of the startups that attend these programs. In doing so, we probe the connections between design and performance in ways that integrate previously disparate research on accelerators and expand our understanding of startup intermediaries. Our findings delineate the building blocks as well as an agenda for future researchers to build upon not only our understanding of accelerators, but also our understanding of what new ventures need to survive and flourish.

Mentorship Processes within Startup Accelerators

The last decade has seen the development of a new support infrastructure in the entrepreneurial ecosystem: the startup accelerator. Accelerators offer a structured developmental process that includes an educational component, a bundle of networks and intensive mentorship. Despite the central place of mentoring in accelerators, current evaluation studies do not explicitly include its contribution to programs’ impact. Moreover, there are no comprehensive descriptions of mentor types, roles and practices within accelerators, and how these should be integrated in their operation. This paper aims to fill this gap in the literature by presenting a comprehensive description and classification of mentors in accelerators and their roles, goals, characteristics and practices. Building on these characteristics, we suggest best practices in terms of mentoring style and mentor-mentee fit. Our review and suggestions are based on 64 in-depth interviews with accelerator managers, mentors, entrepreneurs and key agents that participated in accelerator programs in Israel during the years 2011-2018. It is also based on the open sections of structured interviews we conducted with over 300 entrepreneurs and 150 mentors that participated in accelerators in Israel. We believe this study has important implications for practitioners, researchers in the field and policy makers.

The influence of the lean startup methodology on entrepreneur-coach relationships in the context of a startup accelerator

The lean startup methodology has been steadily gaining widespread popularity during the past few years. As part of this trend, startup accelerator programs have begun to adopt the methodology as their main organizing framework. At the same time, coaches and their coaching practices lie at the core of many accelerator programs. Despite the widespread recognition of the importance of coaching, there is a lack of knowledge of how the role of coaches in accelerators interacts with the lean startup methodology. Using an ethnographic study design combined with interviews, this study investigates entrepreneur-coach relationships in the context of a university-based accelerator. The findings show that the lean startup methodology influences how entrepreneur-coach relationships evolve and how the formation and progression of these relationships facilitate learning among entrepreneurs. The lean startup methodology creates conflict between the information collected from customers and the (perceived) authority of coaches. However, the entrepreneurial method also enables the coaching to be evolutionary and assumption-changing. Suggestions are made for mitigating challenges related to the progress of entrepreneurial activities and entrepreneur-coach relationships.

Start-up factories, transnational entrepreneurs and entrepreneurial ecosystems: unpacking the lure of start-up accelerator programmes

ABSTRACTThis paper examines the role of accelerator programmes in promoting transnational entrepreneurship. Designed to assist the growth of start-ups by providing seed finance and structured entrepreneurship support, these programmes are now a prominent feature in many entrepreneurial ecosystems around the world. Drawing on in-depth qualitative evidence focused on one particular programme, the paper shows accelerators play an important intermediary or ‘brokerage mechanism’ providing start-ups with enhanced relational connections and networks. Transnational entrepreneurs attracted to these programmes are highly focused on exploiting these networks whilst maintaining multiple levels of embeddedness in various contexts to maximize the opportunities afforded by accelerators. While many governments are attempting to replicate accelerators programmes within the public sector, the paper concludes that such attempts may prove problematic within weaker entrepreneurial ecosystems.

An Analytical Model for Strategic Promotion of Growth-Oriented Women Entrepreneurship in Rural Nepal

Entrepreneurship promotion initiatives in Nepal have paid limited emphasis on helping the growthoriented micro-enterprises transform into small enterprises. There is also a lack of knowledge and effort in customization of entrepreneurship promotion strategy to meet specific needs of entrepreneurs, particularly for women. This formative study seeks to explore such gaps and also propose an ecological framework to help future programs and policies to better address the issues identified. The study conducted interviews and enterprise observations of selected entrepreneurs of an enterprise accelerator program. The findings inform the development of a holistic framework for analyzing and designing growth promotion strategies across the dimensions of four Es: Entrepreneur, Enterprise, Ecosystem, and Economy. The study underlines the importance of forming a grounded understanding of key dimensions across the 4 Es while creating entrepreneurship promotion strategy.

Effectiveness of business accelerator services in Turkey: from the perspective of startups

This study analyses the startup companies attending business accelerator programs in Turkey. Business accelerators are new generations of incubation programs born especially to support technology entrepreneurs and help them reach to the next level. This study makes a research on eight accelerator programs located in Turkey. Using a survey developed for entrepreneurs attending these accelerator programs, this study provides an inside look into the effectiveness of these programs from the perspective of startup companies. The main goal of this study is analysing how startups use the services provided by the accelerator program. According to startups employee size, average monthly turnover and exportation status, several hypotheses have been identified for measuring the effectiveness of supports provided in these accelerator programs. The data of this study have been analysed via SPSS and it contributes to the literature by analysing accelerator supports and services so that accelerators can differentiate their programs according to the needs of the startups.

Local Accelerator Programs Towards Increasing Innovation Within Smart Cities

As every part of our life changes due to digital transformation, innovation is the key enabler for radical transformation towards smart cities. Innovation is a process of generating, applying, testing, improving and up-scaling new ideas, concepts or products. Even though it cannot be planned, it can be guaranteed if it is embedded in the best available environment that allows rapid prototyping/testing, provides real-time feedback and encouraging great ideas so they become resilient new offers towards the market, triggering demands and interests. Former industry-driven cities nowadays increasingly step-up as active agents to drive and support local innovation through co-working areas, accelerators, open data policies and other areas of action. They intrinsically push for sustainable, digital and inclusive innovation that benefits the greater wealth of society. In this research, the links between cities and local innovation ecosystems are investigated. The self-referential and autopoietic capability to Smart City innovation ecosystems distinguishes it from industry-led innovation. It can only be understood with the new theme which digital transformation brings into play. By driving local innovation, cities can support the growth of local companies, solving societal challenges by referring back to market dynamics.

Incidence of Medication-Treated Depression and Anxiety Associated with Long-Term Cancer, Cardiovascular Disease, Diabetes and Osteoarthritis in Community-Dwelling Women and Men

Background: Physical chronic conditions may increase the risk of mental disorders but the findings are inconsistent between studies and whether the associations differed between genders is unclear. This study aimed to examine whether long-term cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and osteoarthritis were associated with higher risks of incident depression and anxiety and these associations in women compared with men. Methods: We included 115,094 participants (54.3% women) aged 45-64 years from the 45 and Up Study who were free of depression, anxiety, and Parkinson's disease at baseline (2006-2009). The incidence of depression and anxiety was identified using claim databases during follow-up until December 2016. Cox regression models were used to examine the association of cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis at baseline with incident depression and anxiety. Findings: During a mean eight-year follow-up (958,785 person-year), the cumulative incidence of depression and anxiety was 12·5% and 5·9% in the healthy population. The hazard ratios ([HRs] (95% CI) VS healthy population) for incident depression associated with long-term cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and osteoarthritis were 1·19 (95% CI: 1·13-1·25), 1·08 (1·00-1·16)), 1·18 (1·09-1·28), and 1·94 (1·80-2·10), respectively. The corresponding HRs (95% CIs) for incident anxiety were 1·11 (1·03-1·20), 1·26 (1·14-1·39), 1·10 (0·98-1·24), and 2·01 (1·80-2·23), respectively. The positive association between cancer and incident depression was more evident in men (HR (95% CI): 1·24 (1·13-1·35) than in women (1·14 (1·07- 1·21). Long-term diabetes was an independent risk factor for incident anxiety in men (1·21 (1·02-1·44) but not in women (1·09 (0·93-1·28)). Other associations were significant in men and women. Interpretation: Long-term osteoarthritis, cardiovascular disease, and cancer were independent risk factors for incident depression and anxiety in both genders with osteoarthritis having the highest relative risk. Depression screen deserves more concern in men with long-term cancer and anxiety screen in men with long-term diabetes. Funding Statement: Professor Mingguang He receives support from the University of Melbourne at Research Accelerator Program and the CERA Foundation. The Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian State Government. The specific project is funded by Australia China Research Accelerator Program at CERA. Professor Mingguang He is also supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of the State Key Laboratory in Ophthalmology, National Natural Science Foundation of China (81420108008). The sponsor or funding organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research. Declaration of Interests: The authors declare no competing interests. Ethics Approval Statement: The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee. Participants provided consent to follow-up and link their data to routine health datasets.

Effect of Physical Activity on Reducing the Risk of Diabetic Retinopathy Progression: 10-Year Prospective Findings from the 45 and Up Study

Background: The aim of this study is to examine the association of physical activities (PA) with DR progression based on 10 years follow-up on a large cohort of working-age diabetic patients in Australia. Methods: Nine thousand and eighteen working-age diabetic patients were enrolled from the baseline of the 45 and Up Study from New South Wales, Australia. Self-reported PA collected by questionnaire at baseline in 2006 was graded into low (<5 sessions/week), medium (≥5-14), and high (≥14) levels. Retinal photocoagulation (RPC) treatment during the follow-up period was used as a surrogate for DR progression and was tracked through Medicare Benefits Schedule, which is available from 2004 to 2016. Cox regression was used to estimate the association between PA and RPC incidence. Findings: In the fully adjusted model, higher PA level was significantly associated with a lower risk of RPC incident (Cox-regression, p-value for trend=0·002; medium vs. low, HR=0·78, 95%CI: 0·61-0·98; high vs. low, HR=0·61, 95%CI: 0·36-0·84). In addition, gender, body mass index, insulin treatment, family history of diabetes, history of cardiovascular disease were significant effect modifiers for the association between PA and RPC. Interpretation: Higher PA level was independently associated with a lower risk of DR progression in working-age diabetic patients. Funding: Professor Mingguang He receives support from the University of Melbourne at Research Accelerator Program and the CERA Foundation. The Centre for Eye Research Australia (CERA) receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian State Government. The specific project is funded by Australia China Research Accelerator Program at CERA. Professor Mingguang He is also supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of the State Key Laboratory in Ophthalmology, National Natural Science Foundation of China (81420108008). The sponsor or funding organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research. Declaration of Interest: The authors have no financial or other conflicts of interest concerning this study. Ethical Approval: Ethics approval of the 45 and Up Study was obtained from the University of NSW Human Research Ethics Committee. Approval to use data from the 45 and Up Study for the current study was received from the Center for Eye Research Australia Ethics Committee.

Umbralisib in combination with ibrutinib in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or mantle cell lymphoma: a multicentre phase 1–1b study

Patients with relapsed or refractory high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or mantle cell lymphoma often do not derive durable benefit from ibrutinib monotherapy. We hypothesised that dual B-cell receptor pathway blockade would be tolerable and efficacious. We investigated a next-generation phosphoinositide-3-kinase-δ inhibitor (PI3K-δi), umbralisib, plus a Bruton tyrosine kinase inhibitor (BTKi), ibrutinib, in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and mantle cell lymphoma. We did an investigator-initiated, multicentre, phase 1-1b study of patients from five sites in the USA (academic and community sites). Patients were 18 years and older with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or mantle cell lymphoma, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 2 or less, and were given umbralisib orally once daily (400 mg, 600 mg, or 800 mg) and ibrutinib orally once daily (420 mg for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia or 560 mg for mantle cell lymphoma) until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The phase 1 dose-escalation cohorts for each histology escalated independently in a standard 3 × 3 design. The primary endpoints were intention-to-treat assessment of maximum-tolerated dose, safety, and dose-limiting toxicities. This trial is ongoing and is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02268851. Between Dec 5, 2014, and March 7, 2018, we enrolled 44 patients, of which 42 were given at least one dose of study drug (chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, n=21; mantle cell lymphoma, n=21). Patients had a median age of 68 years (range 48-85) and had a median of two (IQR 1-3) previous therapies. No dose-limiting toxicities were observed and the maximum-tolerated dose of umbralisib was not reached. The recommended phase 2 dose of umbralisib when given in combination with ibrutinib was 800 mg once daily. The most frequent adverse events included diarrhoea (22 [52%] patients, 10% of whom had grade 3), infection (21 [50%], 17% grade 3-4), and transaminitis (ten [24%], 2% grade 3). Serious adverse events occurred in 12 (29%) patients and included lipase elevation, atrial fibrillation, hypophosphataemia, adrenal insufficiency, transaminitis, and infections. Umbralisib plus ibrutinib is well tolerated and active in relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and mantle cell lymphoma, with a recommended phase 2 dose of umbralisib 800 mg once daily. To the best of our knowledge, these are the first clinical data on a BTKi and PI3K-δi doublet in B-cell malignancies, and the results suggest that this approach is feasible and worthy of further study. TG Therapeutics, Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Therapy Accelerator Program.

Leading Determinants of Healthy Ageing in Community-Dwelling Middle-Aged Men and Women: A Cohort Study

Background: Identifying leading determinants of healthy ageing may provide evidence for action priorities, which is imperative for public health with an expanding aged population worldwide. Methods: We included 52,036 participants aged 45-64 years from the 45 and Up Study who were free of 13 predefined chronic conditions at baseline (2006-2009). Healthy ageing was defined as the absence of developing any of these chronic conditions during follow-up until 2016. We used machine learning methods to evaluate the importance of potential predictors and analyzed the association between the number of leading modifiable healthy factors and healthy ageing. Findings: Healthy ageing was found in about half of both men and women during a mean nine-year follow-up. The five most common leading predictors were body mass index (6·4-9·5% of total variance), self-rated health (5·2-8·2%), self-rated quality of life (4·1-6·8%), red meat intake (4·5-6·5%), and chicken intake (4·5-5·9%) in both genders. Modifiable behavioral factors including body mass index, diets, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity, contributed to 37·2-40·3% of total variance. Participants having six or more modifiable healthy factors were 1·63-8·76 times more likely to remain healthy ageing and had 0·60-2·49 more healthy ageing years (out of nine-year follow-up) than those having two or fewer. Non-behavioral factors including low levels of education, income and relative socioeconomic disadvantage, were leading risk factors for healthy ageing. Interpretation: Body mass index, diets, smoking, alcohol consumption and physical activity are key factors for healthy ageing promotion. Individuals with low socioeconomic status are more in need of care. Funding: Professor Mingguang He receives support from the University of Melbourne at Research Accelerator Program and the Centre for Eye Research Australia Foundation. The Centre for Eye Research Australia receives Operational Infrastructure Support from the Victorian State Government. The specific project is funded by Australia China Research Accelerator Program at Centre for Eye Research Australia. Professor Mingguang He is also supported by the Fundamental Research Funds of the State Key Laboratory in Ophthalmology, National Natural Science Foundation of China (81420108008). The sponsor or funding organization had no role in the design or conduct of this research. Declaration of Interest: We declare no competing interests. Ethical Approval: The 45 and Up study has ethical approval from the UNSW Human Research Ethics Committee. The study protocol was approved by the Royal Victorian Eye and Ear Hospital Human Research Ethics Committee. Participants provided consent to follow-up and link their data to routine health datasets.

Successful performance in socially oriented ventures stemming from international accelerator programs: A comparative study between OECD and developing countries.

The mobilization of social resources for addressing urgent societal needs under market assumptions is a major component of the strategy for development. Social enterprises as an alternative source of public goods and services attract the attention of academics, practitioners and policy-makers to the efficient use of entrepreneurial resources. Initially this study aims to provide a more systematic understanding about the factors that affect the probabilities of success of socially oriented undertakings and contributes to the literature by answering the call for more empirical research about such effects over their performance. Using a logistic regression model on data from a sample of socially oriented ventures in 148 countries participating in the 2013-2016 Entrepreneurship Database Program at Emory University, the positive effects of such factors were first validated. At a later stage, this quest attempted to find differential behaviors of these effects by comparing operations in OECD and developing countries. No conclusive evidence for dissimilarities between groups was found. This result could be partially attributed to the accelerator´s selection processes favoring companies with a proven record. Important global policy implications are drawn in support of harmonized social-entrepreneurship promotion programs and the adoption of standardized impact measurement criteria. This argument raises ample academic and practical possibilities for investigating the impact of socio-economic and cultural influences on the efficacy of social enterprise´s interventions. After controlling for the efficient use of entrepreneurial resources, teams made-up of civil society organizations, businesses and government institutions can allocate their attention to those country-specific situations affecting the efficacy of development programs such as the problems to be solved, the particularity of the eco-systems and the adequacy of the organizational arrays adopted.

Triple Helix and the evolution of ecosystems of innovation: the case of Silicon Valley

Silicon Valley’s innovation ecosystem has evolved in the last decade. In this study we aim to understand how and why Silicon Valley evolves by identifying changes on the role played by the Triple Helix Agents. We also aim at identifying if changes in one of the agents trigger evolution of the others. Taking the startup as the unit of analysis and applying a multiple case-study approach, the results are analyzed on the bases of the Triple Helix Model and interpreted in the light of the periods of development of an entrepreneurial venture. Our findings suggest that the role of the Triple Helix agents evolves over time and therefore, so does an innovative ecosystem. Main changes refer to the (1) rise of accelerator programs as a new player in the ecosystem; (2) an early engagement of corporations with startups; (3) the geographical expansion of Silicon Valley, now including San Francisco; (4) an increasing commitment of universities with capital funds; and (5) the rise of micro-multinationals due to talent shortage and fierce competition in the area.

On the feasibility of a pulsed 14 TeV c.m.e. muon collider in the LHC tunnel

We discuss the technical feasibility, key machine parameters and major challenges of a 14 TeV c.m.e. muon-muon collider in the LHC tunnel. The luminosity of the collider is evaluated for three alternative muon sources—the PS synchrotron, one of a type developed by the US Muon Accelerator Program (MAP) and a low-emittance option based on resonant muon pair production. Project affordability is also discussed.

Three operational models for ambidexterity in large corporations

This paper examines new approaches that large firms are using to become more ambidextrous—more able to “explore” and innovate for the future while they “exploit” current lines of business. It presents and compares three different models for boosting innovation by partnering with external actors: GE Appliances’ FirstBuild unit for new-product development, the Open Innovation function at Electrolux, and Lantmännen’s Greenhouse corporate accelerator program. The models are early-stage but have started generating product and business-model innovations, planting seeds of cultural change in the parent firms, and building external ecosystems with partners that range from startup companies to individual developers and makers.

Cross-Border Open Innovation of Early Stage Tech Incubation: A Case Study of FORGE, the First UK-China Accelerator Program

This paper is a case study of FORGE, the first UK-China cross border accelerator program, conducted in the context of TusPark Newcastle, an overseas innovation center by TUS Holdings in the United Kingdom. It engages with current research that examines the role of trust, particularly in the area of cross-border trade. We suggest that this is especially pertinent for early stage technology companies, since in many cases, their products, business models and even founder reputations, are more unformed. We also look at the topic of cross-border incubation, particularly with China as the target market, and provide new insights for understanding the channels and barriers for international commercialization in China for early stage tech startups. Finally, we provide some suggestions for policy-makers on both sides to better coordinate efforts to increase innovation relationships like FORGE.

Evaluation of Early-Stage Ventures: Bias across Different Evaluation Regimes

This paper explores the selection mechanisms inside a startup accelerator program, measuring how variation in institutional arrangements impacts how judges evaluate businesses opportunities. Specifically, we focus on the role of gender and status cues in the evaluation of high uncertainty projects by explicitly comparing the evaluation of a fixed set of projects across two

A Conceptual Examination Of Corporate Accelerators Versus Traditional Corporate Venturing Programs

In this study, we conceptually address the important question of how firms can benefit from establishing corporate accelerator programs, especially when they already have existing innovation-relate...

HILOIS THE APP: A DIGITAL PHOTO FRAME PLATFORM FOR FAMILIES TO SUPPORT A LOVED ONE WITH ALZHEIMER’S

While there are effective, standardized tests to help diagnose Alzheimer's, there is a paucity of effective, “last-mile” tools that can be deployed at the site of residence to collect observational data to monitor rate of cognitive decline.1 The Investigator is part of a team that stemmed from a University of Cincinnati Technology Accelerator program. In 2016, the team was awarded $30,000 to create a beta app focused on the family support issues for people with Alzheimer's. The team was also awarded $100,000 from Ohio's Third Frontier program. HiLois is a ‘smart’ photo frame that creates a closed-loop support framework using inexpensive tablets to share photos and messages from family. This methodology makes it possible for disconnected seniors to stay connected with their family's daily lives and feel more engaged.2 The app is designed to be easily adaptable to varied levels of cognitive functioning including a ‘brain teaser’ mode. HiLois collects observational data on the behavior and level of engagement that can be used for metrics to detect changes in cognitive function.3 The kinesthetic communication measures tabulated discrete responses (e.g. current mood) as well as accuracy and precision based on where the screen is touched in relation to an object. We call this ‘cognitivigilance’. The HiLois app is now available in the App store and Google Play at no cost. The modular design framework allows for customized versions of the app to support data collection in both the home and in facilities on a cohort sadly ignored by the digital revolution.