The post-acceleration phase of corporate accelerator programs includes all activities after acceleration of a start-up and is a topic that attracts limited interest in scientific literature so far. Neither practical nor academic guidance on how to structure the post-acceleration phase currently exist. This omission is judged to be negligent since acceleration outcomes are utilized during the post-acceleration phase, when the acceleration has come to an end. Actions taken during the

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... tion phase will therefore determine the overall success of the corporate accelerator program , which should elicit interest of researchers. The existing gap in literature and missing recommendations for implementation in practice are the main motivators for this thesis. A multiple case study analysis with four cases was performed to collect insights on how the post-acceleration phase is managed in practice and to provide recommendations for a structured post-acceleration phase management approach. The main result of the thesis is that a structured post-acceleration phase is recommended , if corporates aim for long-term collaborative partnerships with external start-ups. Areas that must be covered during post-acceleration are a joint evaluation of the acceleration success, the structured integration of acceleration outcomes into the corporate organization and the creation of entrepreneurial network structures to drive cultural change and to maintain long term relationships. The thesis demonstrates that the post-acceleration phase is an integral part of corporate acceleration and that it must be managed properly to achieve acceleration objectives. Corporates that follow the recommendations outlined in this thesis will have more long-term acceleration outcomes, will be able to improve future accelerations and will enable cultural transformation towards more entrepreneurship. This thesis lays explorative groundwork and functions as a starting point for additional research so that corporate accelerator programs can be further i [...]