There seems to be more start-up businesses than ever before and start-up accelerators are giving many of them the help they need to grow.

Even Disney is getting in on the action! The Disney Accelerator, run in conjunction with Techstars, will give a unique opportunity to businesses in Los Angeles to receive funding and mentoring from Disney and its subsidiaries, including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN, Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Imagineering.

Kevin Mayer, Disney’s executive vice president for corporate strategy and business development, said the Disney Accelerator “offers a unique collaboration between some of the best creative minds in the entertainment industry and the modern-day visionaries who are starting businesses on the strength of exciting new ideas.”

The accelerator will not only give start-ups the support they need but they will give Disney greater insight into innovation and creativity.

Each accelerator has advantages and disadvantages – the Disney Accelerator lasts for just three months and Disney and Techstars take 6% equity in each business in return for funding and mentoring. For this reason, and to gain the most from the experience, it is important to find the best suited accelerator for your business.

In the UK, there are just as many to choose from. Seedcamp, Springboard and Oxygen Accelerator are popular ones – and, of course, there’s Entrepreneurial Spark, which we’ve been lucky enough to be supported by and which doesn’t take equity.

Many of these include boot camp-style training programmes to prepare entrepreneurs for business life and help them develop skills such as pitching. The chance to work with fellow entrepreneurs can also bring new contacts and opportunities that otherwise would have been missed.

The number of accelerators giving valuable experience, contacts, training and inspiration is continuing to grow – could it help your business?

Image: startups.co.uk