An accelerator is a device or tool designed to increase the speed or efficiency of a process or system. In the context of technology or science, accelerators are often used to speed up particles, such as in particle accelerators used in physics research. Accelerators can also refer to tools or programs that speed up the performance of computers or software applications.

The most famous accelerator in the field of physics and particle physics is the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) located at CERN (European Organization for Nuclear Research) in Switzerland and France. The LHC is the world’s largest and most powerful particle accelerator, used for high-energy particle physics experiments. It is famous for its role in the discovery of the Higgs boson in 2012.

The first business accelerator is generally considered to be Y Combinator, founded in 2005 by Paul Graham, Jessica Livingston, Robert Morris, and Trevor Blackwell. Y Combinator is a well-known startup accelerator that provides funding, mentorship, and resources to early-stage startups in exchange for equity. It has played a significant role in the growth and success of many tech companies, including Airbnb, Dropbox, and Reddit.