Start-ups reveal their choice of the top UK accelerator programmes

A live survey of start-ups has revealed which of the UK’s top accelerator programmes has had the most impact, with Telefónica Open Future’s Wayra in the number one spot ahead of the eight ranked so far.

The Accelerometer survey, commissioned by Charlotte Street Capital, asked start-ups that have participated in accelerator and incubator programmes to rate them based on follow-on funding, exposure to investors and business development support.

Finally, they were asked how likely they were to recommend an accelerator to a friend to calculate the net promoter score. Wayra came top in this final question, as well as for business development support and follow-on funding.

Wayra was followed by Seedcamp (which is actually no longer an accelerator, but a fund), Techstars London and BBC Worldwide Labs. Collider, Startupbootcamp, Ignite 100 and Accelerator Academy have also been ranked in the survey among more than 60 others.

Notable programmes not yet ranked include Entrepreneur First, Mass Challenge, Level39, Oxygen, Jlab, Imperial Incubator, Microsoft Ventures, Bethnal Green Ventures and many others.

Gary Stewart, director at Wayra UK and Telefónica Open Future UK, said:

“This is a great honour that reflects the efforts not only of the Wayra UK team but also of our extended network of mentors, investors and coaches that selflessly give their time to help our start-ups become scale-ups.”

Bo Pedersen, partner at Charlotte Street Capital, commented: “We hope that The Accelerometer will drive increased transparency, accountability and insights for startups, accelerators and the wider ecosystem. We congratulate Wayra UK on their excellent performance in this inaugural edition of The Accelerometer.”