Business accelerators are widely regarded as influential actors that provide essential support for startup development. Despite their growing relevance, limited empirical evidence exists on the specific acceleration practices through which they contribute to startups’ success. This study aims to examine whether and how business accelerators facilitate the development of startups’ dynamic capabilities and enhance their performance, as well as to identify the accelerator processes and organizational routines that act as key performance drivers. Grounded in the dynamic capabilities framework, this empirical study analyzes the effects of business acceleration programs on startups by employing canonical discriminant analysis. The analysis is based on data collected from 24 business accelerators operating in Spain. The results indicate that certain accelerator practices significantly contribute to the development of startups’ dynamic capabilities. In particular, absorptive, integrative, and innovative capabilities positively affect startup performance, whereas market-sensing capability exhibits a negative relationship. These findings highlight which acceleration practices are most effective in improving startup performance outcomes. This study represents an initial effort to shed light on the “black box” of business acceleration and dynamic capabilities. Its cross-sectional design, reliance on survey data, and focus on a single country limit the generalizability of the results and may introduce potential bias. The findings provide actionable insights for accelerator managers and policymakers by identifying organizational mechanisms that can be leveraged to enhance the effectiveness of acceleration programs. This research offers one of the first empirical examinations of the link between business accelerator practices and the development of dynamic capabilities in startups.
