How to build a successful venture studio: Venture studio vs. accelerator

Venture studios and accelerators are both corporate innovation initiatives designed to bridge the speed, flexibility, and agility of startups with the resources and expertise of corporations. While both can be effective ways for companies to generate new ideas and bring new products and services to market, it is important to understand their differences.

Corporate venture studio 

A corporate venture studio is a smaller organization that is set up within a larger corporation to create and incubate new ventures from the ground up. Typically, the team is made up of entrepreneurs from outside of the company, along with intrapreneurs and other professionals from within the established corporation. Their primary goal is to identify and pursue new business opportunities that can accelerate growth at the parent company. Although there are several ways to run a venture studio, the common thread is that the studios draw on ideas and insights from within the corporation. 

Accelerator 

A corporate accelerator is a program that helps early-stage startups to grow and scale their businesses, by providing access to corporate resources such as mentorship, funding, and strategic guidance. In contrast to a venture studio, the startups and business ideas in focus here are sourced from the outside, and the accelerator’s primary function is to support teams accepted to the program, rather than developing the ideas themselves. The program typically has a fixed duration, lasting anywhere from a few weeks to a couple of months. The accelerator can sometimes be operated in conjunction with a venture capital firm or other established organization, and serves as a way for companies to foster innovation and tap into the startup ecosystem. 

Overall, the main difference between a corporate venture studio and a corporate accelerator is the scope and focus of their activities. A venture studio ideates, develops and commercializes new business ventures within the studio, while accelerators focus on supporting and scaling existing startups founded by entrepreneurs elsewhere.