AcceleratorWire's reporting depends on people willing to share information about a traditionally opaque process. Our source network is the foundation of everything we publish. We treat that network — and the trust it represents — with the seriousness it deserves.
How We Build Our Source Network
Sarah Chen and Marcus Webb have spent a combined 15+ years covering the startup ecosystem. That tenure is the foundation. Many of our sources are people we have known and worked with for years — program directors, selection committee members, and alumni who know that when they share something with us, it will be handled responsibly.
We build new source relationships by attending demo days in person (140+ and counting), by covering programs fairly and accurately over time, and by respecting confidentiality agreements without exception. Trust accrues slowly and breaks instantly. We have never burned a source, and we never will.
Source Categories
Our sources fall into four categories. Each category provides a different lens on the accelerator ecosystem:
Selection Committee Members
Current and former members of accelerator selection committees. These sources provide insight into what committees actually prioritize — which often differs from what programs publicly describe. We never ask for specific application details or confidential applicant information. What we seek is pattern-level understanding of selection criteria and how they shift between cohorts.
Program Directors
Managing directors and operational staff at accelerator programs. These sources help us understand program strategy, thematic focus areas for upcoming cohorts, and how programs are evolving their models. Some program directors speak on the record; most prefer background conversations.
Alumni
Founders who have been through accelerator programs. Alumni provide ground-truth perspective on what the experience is actually like, how cohort dynamics work, and which new applicants the alumni community is tracking. Community platforms where alumni discuss upcoming cohorts are a valuable signal source.
Industry Observers
Investors, analysts, newsletter writers, and other journalists who cover adjacent beats. These sources help us cross-reference what we hear from the accelerator world against broader market signals — investment trends, media coverage patterns, and ecosystem sentiment.
Multi-Source Verification
We require at least 2 independent sources before publishing any factual claim about an accelerator's selection process or a specific company's candidacy.
This is our core editorial standard. A single source can point us toward a story, but we will not publish it until we have independent corroboration. “Independent” means the second source has direct knowledge — not that they heard the same rumor from the same origin.
For particularly sensitive claims — such as a company being a frontrunner for a specific program — we aim for three or more independent sources. When we cannot reach that threshold, we are transparent about our confidence level. Our source badges (High, Medium, Low) reflect the depth of independent verification behind each claim.
We also cross-reference source information against public records wherever possible: funding announcements, patent filings, job postings, conference speaker lists, and procurement databases. Public records cannot replace human sources, but they provide an independent check on claims.
Confidentiality
We protect the identity of confidential sources absolutely. No exceptions. No one outside our editorial team (Sarah and Marcus) knows who our sources are.
When sources speak to us, they choose their level of attribution: on the record (quoted by name), on background (information can be used but source is described generically), or off the record (information cannot be published without separate confirmation). We honor these agreements without negotiation.
We use encrypted communication channels for sensitive conversations and do not retain source-identifying metadata beyond what is necessary for editorial verification.
What We Do Not Do
- We do not accept payment from accelerator programs or startups for coverage.
- We do not share unpublished source information with third parties.
- We do not trade access for favorable coverage.
- We do not publish anonymous tips without independent verification.
- We do not reveal source identities under any circumstances.
Becoming a Source
If you have information about accelerator programs, cohort selections, or the broader ecosystem, we would like to hear from you. All initial conversations are off the record by default. Reach us at [email protected].