Disney launches third year of its startup accelerator program
Walt Disney Co. said it has begun accepting applications for its third Disney Accelerator, a program designed to accelerate the growth of startup companies from around the world.
Disney (NYSE: DIS) said it will select 10 startup companies for a three-month mentorship and investment program that will immerse them in the media and entertainment business. The program begins this summer and concludes with a Demo Day in October. Applications are due April 10.
Disney will select 10 startup companies for a three-month mentorship and investment program that will immerse them in the media and entertainment business.
“The past two years of the Disney Accelerator have led to incredible innovation and success between The Walt Disney Co. and our participating startups, helping to establish the Disney Accelerator as the premier media and entertainment accelerator,” Kevin Mayer, Disney’s chief strategy officer, said in a statement. “We look forward to further shaping the future of our industry through this unique program.”
The Los Angeles-based program is open to both early and venture-backed technology startups that wish to make an impact on the future of media and entertainment. The Disney Accelerator provides participating companies investment capital, access to working space at Disney’s creative campus and mentor support and guidance from Disney executives, entrepreneurs, investors and other business leaders from the entertainment and technology communities.
Startups that have participated in the program since it began in 2014 have included companies with technologies such as robotics, artificial intelligence, wearables, messaging and virtual reality.
Among them was Boulder, Colo.-based Sphero, which developed the Star Wars BB-8 droid in collaboration with Lucasfilm during the program. Since completing the program, Sphero raised an additional $45 million in venture capital, bringing their total financing to $80 million.
Another alumni was Los Angeles-based Naritiv, the first media company born on Snapchat, which recently secured $3 million in Series A funding. Naritiv’s total network on Snapchat currently generates more than 16 billion views per month.
Participants in 2015 included Emotiv, the developer of the Insight wireless headset, which measures brain fitness and emotions, and StatMuse, which recently launched a public beta of its interactive sports stats platform powered by natural language search. StatMuse is currently providing ESPN with statistical content for the NBA season and closed $10 million in Series A financing in January.