Edtech accelerator as an ecosystem builder

Entrepreneurial ecosystems have attracted increasing attention in entrepreneurship research. Even though the phenomenon is extensively studied and ecosystems are well mapped by previous research, there are still understudied areas like the question, how do ecosystems emerge and develop? The purpose of this paper is to approach the development of an entrepreneurial ecosystem through the role of an accelerator. Thus, this research addresses, in particular, the question how an accelerator contributes to the formation of an ecosystem. The accelerators are reviewed and compared with similar support mechanisms, in terms of programs they provide and through their role as an ecosystem builder. Literature on accelerators is synthesized by taking into consideration both perspectives: accelerators offering cohort-based programs and accelerators as ecosystem builders. The empirical data for this paper was collected longitudinally and the empirical part analyses an emerging edtech accelerator based on rich, in-depth data from various sources. Empirical findings from an edtech accelerator illustrate the role of an accelerator as an ecosystem builder. This study contributes to the growing literature on accelerators by extending knowledge on the role of accelerators as ecosystem builders