From Silicon Valley to Singapore, and all points in between, the startup boom continues to reshape entire industries. The last decade alone has seen thousands of accelerator programs spring up worldwide, with more than half founded between 2014 and 2020.
These programs not only help up-and-coming companies refine their products and carve out market share, but they also influence corporate cultures and shape how businesses approach innovation.
In 2024, three accelerators stand out for their unique approaches: Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, ICL Group’s BIG, and Google for Startups. While they differ in scale, entry criteria and focus, they share a fundamental drive to foster creativity, speed up product development and push the envelope for what startups can achieve. Equally important, each provides a roadmap for how organizations can engage their workforce and support internal innovators — crucial information for human resource (HR) professionals dedicated to cultivating a forward-thinking, dynamic corporate culture.
1. Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub
If there is one accelerator that embodies an open-door policy, it’s Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub. Startups can apply easily through an online form and receive prompt feedback. The program itself is highly merit-based, rewarding businesses that demonstrate resilience, creative problem-solving, and the ability to leverage Microsoft technologies effectively.
Founders are offered resources ranging from Azure credits and advanced AI services to one-on-one mentorship with Microsoft experts. By combining accessibility with scalable support, Microsoft fosters a culture where bright ideas can be tested quickly and efficiently, lowering initial barriers that often hinder smaller, less-funded ventures.
HR Takeaway: Microsoft’s democratized approach emphasizes inclusivity. HR professionals looking to spark innovation can adopt a similar open-door framework internally. Encouraging employees at all levels to propose solutions and swiftly pilot them helps break down siloed structures and energizes talent across the company.
2. ICL Group’s BIG (Business Innovation for Growth)
While some accelerators are outward-facing, ICL Group’s BIG is an internal accelerator, designed to unlock the creativity of its own workforce. As a global specialty minerals and fertilizer company, ICL knows that disruptive ideas can come from any department or corner of the globe. Through BIG, employees submit new business concepts, product improvements, or process enhancements. These ideas are vetted transparently, and successful ones are matched with business units for further development. The BIG program is so successful that it was featured as a case study by the Harvard Business School.
The company reports that it has received more than 4,000 submitted ideas that have been converted so far into over 1,500 projects arising from this program, along with a significant boost to workforce morale. By embedding ideation into day-to-day operations, BIG ensures that employee engagement isn’t just a buzzword but a tangible asset shaping ICL’s strategic direction.
HR Takeaway: Internal accelerators like BIG illustrate how HR can champion a culture of innovation. HR teams can formalize structures for idea submission, provide training in creative thinking, and offer clear guidelines on how employees can pursue their concepts from draft to execution. Recognizing and rewarding staff achievements helps sustain enthusiasm and organically identifies emerging talent.
3. Google for Startups
is known for its highly selective process and its laser focus on technology-driven ventures. Typically accommodating cohorts of 10-15 startups per vertical, each Google accelerator provides participants with unparalleled access to the company’s technological resources, mentors and industry advisors.
The criteria for joining these accelerators are rigorous, reflecting Google’s emphasis on cutting-edge innovation. Once accepted, startup teams work closely with Google experts to address technical bottlenecks, from AI integration to advanced analytics, all aimed at scaling to meet global market demands.
HR Takeaway: Google’s disciplined, high-level approach underlines the importance of setting challenging standards for internal innovation. HR can implement robust frameworks that pair employees with mentors or technical experts, ensuring that promising ideas receive professional guidance. This structured process not only refines solutions but also raises the overall skill level across the organization.
Why Accelerators Matter to HR
While accelerator programs are often associated with nimble startups, they also offer invaluable lessons for established companies and their HR functions. Accelerators teach us how to quickly evaluate ideas, iterate solutions, and keep teams motivated under tight deadlines. They also highlight the need for strong collaboration, clear communication, and a willingness to fail fast — qualities that HR can help embed into a company’s DNA.
1. Driving Corporate Culture
Each of these programs fosters a climate where questioning the status quo is encouraged. Microsoft champions inclusivity, ICL Group harnesses the power of internal talent, and Google operates at the cutting edge of technology. Any organization that wants to remain competitive must integrate a similar spirit of curiosity and adaptability into its culture.
2. Strengthening Collaboration
Accelerators bring together diverse skill sets. Mentors, experienced professionals, and external advisors all converge on fledgling ideas, reinforcing the notion that collaboration is the fuel of rapid innovation. HR leaders can replicate this model internally by assembling cross-functional teams and offering forums for employees to exchange insights, challenge assumptions, and jointly solve problems.
3. Enhancing Employee Engagement
People thrive when they’re empowered to innovate. Formalizing structures for idea-sharing, as ICL Group has done, or providing cutting-edge tools, as is the hallmark of Microsoft and Google, can reinvigorate the workforce. When employees see that their company invests in personal growth and creative thinking, retention and job satisfaction naturally rise.
4. Fostering Leadership Development
High-pressure, fast-moving accelerator environments also serve as training grounds for leadership. Teams learn to manage resources, pivot quickly, and guide cross-functional collaborators — all under the watchful eye of mentors. HR can leverage these principles by introducing in-house leadership development programs modeled after the accelerator format, with milestones, feedback loops, and a bias for hands-on learning.
Shaping Tomorrow’s Workforce
Accelerators influence the wider business landscape by transferring their cultural frameworks — fast iteration, mentorship, inclusivity, and resource-sharing — into the DNA of the startups they mentor. The lessons don’t stop there. Established corporations can also adapt these models, translating the same tactics into robust internal innovation platforms.
For HR professionals, the message is clear: to stay relevant and competitive, companies must drive proactive engagement, cultivate fresh perspectives, and nurture the kind of creativity that accelerators so effectively unlock. By taking cues from programs like Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, ICL Group’s BIG, and Google for Startups, HR leaders can help shape an organization where everyone is empowered to contribute to innovation — and where the future is constantly being invented from within.
