They were supposed to help e-commerce sites up off the ground, nurturing them with sound advice and then unloading them at a profit. But these days, Internet incubators could use a hand up themselves. The company was criticized for investing too much too quickly, and for a talented but cumbersome 41-member board beset by conflicts of interest. Those incubators still afloat say they'll survive. They supplied the missing elements and often invested in the new companies.
Many entrepreneurs say working with an incubator helped.
And perhaps most importantly, they simply showed more interest than the typical venture capitalist. It's not like other investors who invest and if you need help you go to them. They're sitting down with us, strategizing with us. But many experts say the incubatees are kidding themselves and really got little of value. They already have strong managerial skills and a good business plan, and they're already attracting venture capital.