This is a subscriber-only article.

Save 20% on Entrepreneur+ during our Spring Growth Flash Sale

Use code SPRING20 at checkout.

Subscribe Now

Already have an account?

Sign in
Entrepreneur Plus - Short White
For Subscribers

What Corporate Incubators and Accelerators Mean for Your Business Can entrepreneurship thrive within corporate constructs? Here, the ins and outs of corporate incubators and accelerators--and why they should matter to you.

By Matt Villano

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

With a host of companies under his belt, serial entre-preneur Rich Schmelzer launched his latest company, Boulder, Colo.-based GeoPalz, pretty much the only way he knew how. He bootstrapped.

But then a funny thing happened: Schmelzer met the Swoosh.

Yes, that Swoosh--Nike. Schmelzer's company makes the iBitz, a personal activity monitor for kids. And late last year, when Nike announced it was launching a special accelerator for startups developing high-tech solutions that could leverage the Nike+ platform, it was serendipity.