Hardware Podcasts

S3 E3: Accelerators, Incubators and How to Leverage Them with Raphaele Leyendecker

The Builder Circle · 28 Oct 2025 · 1h 00m

What this episode covers

Raphaele Leyendecker, Managing Director at Techstars Sustainability Paris, explains the distinction between incubators and accelerators, advising hardware founders to target accelerators only when reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4 with commercial traction like LOIs or revenue. She warns against 'accelerator-hopping' and outsourcing core IP without maintaining internal expertise, citing her own experience with a biomass company that failed due to supply chain delays. Leyendecker emphasizes that founders should prioritize business de-risking over pure technology development and evaluate equity dilution based on the specific market expansion opportunities, such as entering Europe via a Paris-based program.

Most relevant to

early-stage companies

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
Techstars Sustainability Paris, NYSERDA, BPI, Criminist Water, Wind Fisher, Urek, One Credible

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