Why Leading Accelerators Are Embracing Structure and Data
As startup ecosystems mature and competition for capital intensifies, accelerators across Europe are rethinking how they evaluate, coach, and prepare founders for investment. One of Sweden’s most respected accelerator networks—Connect Sverige Region West—is now taking a bold step forward by integrating Pitchago’s intelligent assessment and development platform into its flagship Springboard® program.
As startup ecosystems mature and competition for capital intensifies, accelerators across Europe are rethinking how they evaluate, coach, and prepare founders for investment. One of Sweden’s most respected accelerator networks—Connect Sverige Region West—is now taking a bold step forward by integrating Pitchago’s intelligent assessment and development platform into its flagship Springboard® program.
The result: a more structured, scalable, and insight-driven approach to founder support that aligns with what global research shows high-performing accelerators do best.
Why Leading Accelerators Are Embracing Structure and Data
For more than a decade, research from GALI, Wharton and top ecosystem studies has pointed in the same direction:
Accelerators that rely on standardized assessments, structured founder learning, and measurable progress tracking consistently outperform those that don’t.
Programs that take this structured, data-driven approach often achieve 40–50% or higher follow-on funding rates, stronger founder outcomes, and clearer alignment between investors, mentors, and program leaders.
Connect Sverige—one of Europe’s most established accelerator communities—has chosen to embed this evidence-driven approach at the core of its operations.
A Proven Accelerator Strengthening Its Foundation
Connect’s Springboard® program is one of the world’s earliest accelerator models, originally created in San Diego in the 1980s and later adopted across the Nordics.
Its track record is already strong:
But as Connect’s network has expanded—now powered by 11,000+ expert volunteer mentors and industry leaders—the challenge has shifted.
The question is no longer how to deliver quality, but how to scale it consistently across a growing national ecosystem.
Why Connect Adopted Pitchago
Connect Sverige Region West implemented Pitchago to strengthen four critical pillars of quality acceleration:
1. Fast, 360° Startup Assessments
Pitchago’s structured assessment maps each startup’s:
This ensures every company enters the program with a clear baseline.
2. Smart Analytics Dashboards
Program managers and mentors gain full visibility into:
This replaces subjective evaluations with actionable insights.
3. Guided Level-Up Wizards for Founders
Between mentor sessions, founders receive targeted exercises to strengthen fundamentals in areas like:
This keeps founders progressing in a structured, self-driven way.
4. Continuous Progress Tracking
Instead of waiting for scheduled check-ins, program teams can track founder development in real time.
A Better Experience for Mentors and Founders Alike
For Connect, one of the most transformational shifts has been the impact on mentoring quality and efficiency.
Mentors now have context before the meeting begins
Felicia Hedström, Head of Springboard® and Business Developer at Connect Sverige Region West, explains:
“Pitchago gave me a great overview of each company — where they were in their journey, what they were working on, and what they needed to focus on.
It also gave founders something to lean on between mentoring sessions — a structured, data-backed way to keep moving forward.”
Instead of spending time diagnosing problems, mentors can immediately work on strategy, investor readiness, or business model refinement.
Founders, in turn, progress faster
They now have a continuous support system, not just periodic check-ins.
They know what to work on, why it matters, and how to prepare for investor conversations.
Program teams gain measurable impact data
Connect can now demonstrate:
This strengthens both internal decisions and external reporting to stakeholders.
A Signal of a Bigger Shift Across Europe
Connect’s decision reflects a broader trend across European entrepreneurship support:
Accelerators are moving toward being:
✓ structured
✓ data-driven
✓ measurable
✓ scalable
✓ aligned with investor expectations
This shift is not theoretical—it's happening now.
Thorgeir Einarsson, CEO & Co-founder of Pitchago, summarizes the evolution:
“The evidence from global accelerator research is clear: the programs that win are structured, data-driven, and relentlessly focused on measurable founder progress.
If you systematically assess founders, challenge them across every discipline, and track their investment readiness over time, you don’t just run a program – you manufacture fundable companies.”
Pitchago is becoming the backbone of this new model—one where accelerators operate with the same rigor, structure, and visibility that investors expect from the startups they back.
A Shared Vision for the Future of Acceleration
Together, Connect Sverige Region West and Pitchago are building a model that shows what the next era of startup acceleration looks like:
As ecosystems mature and expectations rise, this approach will become the norm, not the exception.
Connect Sverige Region West is simply among the first to implement it.