The development of a knowledge-based economy relies heavily on an efficient innovation ecosystem, of which Accelerators are a fundamental pillar. These institutions play a critical role in nurturing creative ideas and transforming nascent startups into successful businesses. In Iran, approximately 80 Accelerators are active, mostly concentrated in Tehran, operating across diverse technological fields such as IT, AI, Nanotechnology, and Digital Health. Despite support from the Presidential Deputy for Science and Technology and other bodies, the overall performance of Accelerators in recent years has been suboptimal. Many have shifted their focus to renting co-working space and offering educational services instead of actively recruiting and accelerating teams, leading to a measurable decline in successful startup outputs. This study, essential for policy-making, aims to evaluate the current status of these key entities and propose effective policy and management solutions for strengthening their function within the country’s innovation framework.
Performance Analysis: Key Inputs, Activities, and Financial Challenges
A 2024 survey of 29 Accelerators revealed:
- Inputs & Management: Most have small (3–4 person) management teams and access to 5+ specialized mentors, though mentorship quality needs improvement. Financial constraints remain critical, with limited investment capital (1–5 billion Tomans).
- Activities & Funding: Accelerators struggle to attract major funding from government or VC sources (under 3 billion Tomans) but perform well in team formation, event organization, and startup support. Licensing and standardization assistance are weak areas.
Outcomes and Strategic Recommendations for Future Impact
Despite few successful exits (1–3 per Accelerator), exited startups often exceeded 10 billion Tomans in value, and each Accelerator created over 30 jobs on average.
Strategic Recommendations:
- Issue-Oriented Focus: Direct efforts toward solving real industrial, social, and environmental challenges to ensure market relevance and funding opportunities.
- Corporate Accelerators: Strengthen ties with large organizations to foster open innovation, create spin-offs, and ensure long-term sustainability.
This study is conducted at STI Policy Think Tank in collaboration with Mostafa Safdari Ranjbar, Zahra Mohammad Hashemi, and Mahsa rajabzadeh in 2024.
To read the full research paper and detailed methodologies, Download the Full Research Paper
