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incubator

IN-kyuh-bay-ter /ˈɪnkjʊbeɪtər/

nounC1TOEFLIELTS

BusinessMedical

An organization or place that helps new startups develop by providing services such as management training, office space, and mentorship.

An incubator is for very early-stage ideas that need to be 'hatched.' It differs from an 'accelerator,' which is for companies that already have a product and need to grow fast.

The story behind the word. From the Latin 'in-' (upon) and 'cubare' (to lie). It originally referred to a bird sitting on eggs to hatch them. In the 1950s, the term was first applied to business when Joseph Mancuso opened the Batavia Industrial Center in New York.

Word relationships

nursery: Nursery is used for plants or children; incubator is the business equivalent for ideas.

Commonly confused with

accelerator: An incubator 'hatches' an idea over a long period; an accelerator 'speeds up' an existing business over a short, intense period (usually 3 months).

Word family

incubate (verb): To develop or grow slowly.
incubation (noun): The process of keeping something in the right conditions for development.

Collocations

business incubator
tech incubator
startup incubator
incubator program

Example sentences

"The university's business incubator has helped launch over fifty successful student-led companies." Describing a support system for startups.
"Being part of an incubator gives founders access to a network of experienced investors." Discussing the benefits of joining one.

Memory hook

Think of a warm nest where a baby chick (the startup) is kept safe until it is strong enough to survive on its own. Incubator = Hatching the idea.

When not to use

Don't use it for a standard office building or a co-working space that doesn't offer active mentorship or business development.

Fun facts

The first business incubator was actually started in a giant warehouse that used to be a chicken hatchery—hence the name!