A lot goes into starting a company—time, capital, resources. For a natural products entrepreneur, this can get overwhelming, fast. Most want to get their products on retail shelves, but the path to shelf isn’t often paved.

In the past few years, a groundswell of accelerator and incubator programs have sprouted up across the country to help make the path a bit smoother for innovative brands. From big food companies to small, regional organizations, these helpers provide relevant resources and relationships to foster retail viability.

"By building connections throughout the industry, incubators and accelerators can demystify going to market for these brands and act as their growth partner," says Katie Paul, senior vice president of category management and growth solutions at KeHE Distributors. "In addition to that, they can facilitate innovation foraging efforts of distributors and retailers and support the curation of brand portfolios and productive assortments."

Natural products retailers have always championed local brands and supported their communities. Where once they sourced the newest and most unique products for their store shelves from local farmers markets, accelerators and incubators have become the digital version of this discovery quest. Indeed, accelerators and incubators may be the farmers markets of the future.

These programs offer a crash course—and funding help—to entrepreneurs who need a lift to get their companies off the ground or take them to the next level. This is the place where many entrepreneurs today are getting their start to see how viable their brands are before going all in. It’s also a great way for retailers to get their hands on new products before the brands find their way into national distribution. One such example: MyEats’ MyBacon, a new mushroom-based bacon alternative that launched last year and is currently only available at Honest Weight Co-op in Albany, New York.

How it works

Each accelerator and incubator program conducts business a bit differently. They vary in time span, location and financial assistance (grants, equity investment and prizes). Most programs operate in cohorts, typically offering one or two per year, and span anywhere from a few weeks to a few months. Some expenses, like travel, may be covered. A cohort (group of brands) works with the program’s mentors to build out each of their businesses and gain access to mentorship, connections to industry experts and capital.

To understand the difference between the two, accelerators "accelerate" growth of an existing company and incubators "incubate" disruptive ideas with the hope of building out a business model and company. So, an accelerator program tends to work with companies that have already launched into the marketplace, either in brick-and-mortar retail or e-commerce. Accelerator programs typically provide access to a large mentorship network and resources in exchange for a small amount of equity in the company. Incubator programs typically work with entrepreneurs who are earlier in the process—likely not ready for retail—but can offer many of the same benefits as an accelerator such as support, guidance and resources.

Mentorship is often a component of the programs as well. Many programs include seasoned founders who have gone through it themselves and can help guide new entrepreneurs along the journey. The large CPGs, especially, can offer a high level of expertise in supply chain management, product development, channel development and more through their programs.

Requirements for acceptance into programs vary and are oftentimes specific to an industry category, company mission, sales projections and other variables. Here are three examples of accelerators and incubators that target different growth stages of brands and, in turn, help advance their values in the larger natural products industry marketplace.

Training wheels

10-speed

Unicycle

Hatching innovation

Accelerators and incubators set brands up for retail success. Click through this gallery to see some of the latest brands that received a business boost.