An analysis of international scientific production on business accelerators from 1990 to 2019

Purpose: This research aims to develop an overview of the scientific articles on “Business Accelerators”, mapping the academic contributions already made, organizing and systematizing them to show the state of the art of the phenomenon of acceleration of startups. Design/methodology/approach: The methodological approach is qualitative, and the method used is a descriptive systematic literature review. Data were collected on the Scopus and Web of Science databases, between 1990 and 2019. Data collection presented a sample of 403 articles that, after applying exclusion criteria, consolidated into 95 articles. Originality/value: Considering the wide spread of business accelerators in the world, the systematization of the literature made it possible to present the supporting pillars of the accelerators, which allows for an advance in the study of the subject and facilitates the foundation for conducting future research that can also use the suggestions of research carried out. Findings: The results show the acceleration processes, consolidated in a structural acceleration model that is based on four pillars decomposed into eight processes worked by organizations, from the definitions in the literature. Research, Practical & Social implications: The main theoretical contribution is the presentation of the structural acceleration model, followed by the panorama of international publications in the area and identification of new opportunities for future research in the area of entrepreneurship and innovation.