How Can Accelerators in South America Evolve to Support Start-Ups in a Post-COVID-19 World?

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic has affected the world in drastic ways, disrupting the normal operation of the world's economic activity. Every aspect of life as we know it has changed. The business and entrepreneurship landscapes have been deeply altered. As innovation intermediaries support entrepreneurship, accelerators have become progressively prominent in the entrepreneurial ecosystem of several countries. Their development is on an upward trajectory. However, literature is scant on this newer acceleration phenomenon, particularly in some regions. Furthermore, literature on the effects of the pandemic on accelerators is non-existent. In recent years, the acceleration model has grown rapidly in South America. In this rapid response paper, we build from current literature, trends and expected post-COVID-19 scenarios to investigate how accelerators in South America will need to evolve to support start-ups in a post-COVID-19 world. We developed a conceptual model, the Post-COVID-19 World Accelerator Model, to guide business accelerator managers, researchers, policymakers and entrepreneurs. We conclude by offering future research areas urgently needed to further our understanding of emerging trends affecting accelerators and start-ups in what will be a very different business landscape post-COVID-19.