Kate Armstrong & Haig Armen

1 Hypothesis
2 Observation
3 Implementation

Emily @ GROW

design research in the model of the

technology accelerator

HIS RESEARCH PROJECT springs from fundamental questions

Ter orientation facing the Social and Interactive Media (sim)
Centre at Emily Carr University in terms of industry partnerships:
What is the nature of partnered research now, especially as it
pertains to art, design and digital media? What does partnered
research look like in the framework of startups and contempo-
rary digital cultures, and how are evolutions in cultural and orga-
nizational models such as incubators, co-working spaces and
accelerators presenting new challenges and opportunities for how
partnered research is structured?

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Contemporary business culture in 2014 is deeply invested with
the form of the accelerator. Accelerators are organizations that
support early stage companies looking to grow. In Canada there
are hundreds of accelerators that mentor and launch hundreds of
thousands of companies annually. One of the most prominent in
Canada is Vancouver-based GrowLab.

Working primarily in the internet space, GrowLab accepts five
companies three times a year into their program. Early stage teams
receive seed funding of up to $175,000, office space for six months,
and mentorship from top venture capitalists and a network of