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Selection committees are where many accelerator decisions are finalized. While each program differs, committees tend to follow similar patterns: they compare startups under constraints and optimize for cohort composition and fit.
What committees do in practice
- review notes from screeners and interviews
- resolve disagreements and uncertainty
- rank startups relative to each other
- balance the cohort across stage and theme
Why committee decisions can feel opaque
Committees rarely decide on a single dimension. Outcomes are often driven by trade-offs: fit, clarity, and constraints. This is why two good startups can receive different outcomes.