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Accelerators targeting the youngest of companies and guide them through mentorship and education to a position where they may successfully appeal for venture capital funding. These services are critical for getting start-ups off the ground and accelerating their growth towards success. Within Houston there are three major accelerator programs to be examined.

Focused on healthcare IT and medical devices start-ups, Houston Health Ventures’, or HHV’s, NextHIT accelerator program is an “intensive” eight-week program designed to guide nascent start-ups in these fields to success. Founded in 2014, HHV’s NextHIT for-profit program advertises a wide array of services, including direct funding, access to industry experts, educational programs, mentorship, and office space at the University of Houston. While HHV’s NextHIT is a relatively new program, it has so far underperformed in its role as an accelerator. Of the seven companies which have enrolled in the NextHIT program, not a single one has received venture capital from an outside firm, been acquired, or exited in an IPO.

While the program has yet to prove it can attract investment to its companies, its directory board and market niche show promise. Of the NextHIT program's five directors, two have direct entrepreneurship experience as founders of successful companies and one director has peripheral experience as a repeat start-up investor. This relatively robust directory board, combined with HHV’s position as a healthcare institution in a healthcare hub suggest that with the right support the NextHIT program could become a major player in the Houston entrepreneurship ecosystem.

Founded in 2011 but closed down in 2016, SURGE Ventures was located in the fourth ward neighborhood of Houston just west of Downtown. Positing itself to invest in energy start-ups, SURGE Ventures’ for-profit program advertised services in direct funding, access to industry experts, educational programs and mentorship. The program had only a single director, but one who was well-versed in entrepreneurship, having founded multiple tech start-ups throughout their career.

During its short lifespan the SURGE accelerator program was relatively successful, with 32 startups enrolling in its program and four of these startups receiving venture capital investments from outside firms. Three of these investments came from top 100 venture capital firms, implying that the companies enrolled in the SURGE program were very promising and graduating at a high caliber. One of the four companies enrolled was acquired.

====Texas Medical Center Accelerator====