Differences in perception on entrepreneurial learning and venture development in a social accelerator – A case study

Sammanfattning: Existing literature on entrepreneurial learning and venture development within accelerators is limited to the perspective of the organisers of such programs. ost studies have been conducted on developed for high-tech ventures in commercial sectors. This paper aims to new insights into the start-up’s perception on skill development an accelerator for social entrepreneurship. Whil the need for social ventures has evolved over the years, the research field for institutional support for such firms has largely been unexplored. , the authors developed the following research question “What are the differences in perception on the acceleration process between the organisers and the participants? – Based on the case study of the social accelerator SoPact.” In order to answer question, the researchers a case study. Qualitative data was collected from two managers at SoPact and eight start-ups, which previously participated in the accelerator’s program. All subjects are involved with social entrepreneurship and located in Skåne, Sweden. Making use of thematic coding, the authors identified four key variables, which are grounded in theoretical considerations and empirical findings. The data is complemented by the literature review, which discusses the general phenomenon of accelerators, the need start-ups to join such courses and the special context of social entrepreneurship. The findings prove that current research in fact highlights the accelerator’s perception, which varies from the participant’s perspective on entrepreneurial learning within such program. tart-ups stressed that the strongest elements for their development were rooted in networking, education, pitch training and idea clarification.