Eleven startups from around the world were
selected among hundreds of applications focused on the next
generation of connectivity, media, and entertainment
Comcast NBCUniversal today announced the 11 startups selected
for the second Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator, powered
by Techstars. The startups were chosen from hundreds of applicants
from 46 countries and whose businesses focused on developing the
next generation of connectivity, media, and entertainment. They
will call Comcast NBCUniversal’s global headquarters in
Philadelphia home for the duration of the 13-week program, which
kicked off today.
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The diverse selection of startups, which includes one-third of
the companies having a female founder, will partner with mentors
and teams at the new Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia
where LIFT Labs occupies an entire state-of-the-art floor dedicated
to working with the startup community. They will also participate
in custom workshops, training sessions, and business meetings
unique to the company and its LIFT Labs program throughout the
course of the accelerator.
“We are incredibly excited by the passion, drive, and foresight
of the founders of these companies,” said Sam Schwartz, Chief
Business Development Officer, Comcast. “The program will provide
them with support and access to Comcast NBCUniversal leadership,
and help them push their boundaries in new ways to produce more
competitive and successful businesses. At the same time, we will
learn from some of the best new entrepreneurs in technology.”
The immersive 13-week program positions the companies for
possible partnerships with Comcast NBCUniversal’s partners and
brands. The startups will work directly with mentors and product
experts from across Comcast NBCUniversal’s businesses, including
the XFINITY technology, product and experience teams; the NBC and
Telemundo broadcast stations; NBCUniversal cable networks;
Universal Studios; Universal Theme Parks; DreamWorks; Comcast
Business; Comcast Ventures; Strategic Development; as well as
mentors from Techstars’ expansive network.
A selection committee made up of Techstars experts and leaders
from several Comcast NBCUniversal business units screened the
startup applicants working in four primary areas of focus: smart
places, immersive + interactive experiences, digital-first customer
engagement, and next-gen marketing.
The 2019 class includes:
Diana AI, San Francisco, CA Diana AI is a conversational
business intelligence and analytics tool that enables non-technical
users to access enterprise data and analyze it easily, using
natural language via voice or text. Founders: Geeta Banda (CEO)
& Teja Nanduri
Edisn.ai, Bangalore, India Edisn.ai delivers interactive
and personalized content to sports fans by applying its AI-powered
player recognition engine to live video streams in real time.
Founders: Ashok Karanth (CEO) & Akshay Chandrasekhar
GameOn, Brooklyn, NY GameOn increases live sports
engagement by turning complicated stats and odds into simple
prediction games for the everyday fan. Founder: Matt Bailey
(CEO)
Messy.fm, Los Angeles, CA Messy.fm is the all-in-one
podcasting solution for businesses, brands, and individuals to
record, edit, and publish unlimited episodes for free. Founder:
Molly Beck (CEO)
NICKL, Brooklyn, NY NICKL enables individuals and
organizations to personalize and manage their digital content
subscriptions in one place. Founder: Sumorwuo Zaza (CEO)
Pivan Interactive, Boulder, CO Pivan provides advanced
training and analytics for competitive gaming athletes, powered by
computer vision and AI. Founders: David Sturgeon (CEO) &
Constantine Tsang
Respeecher, Kiev, Ukraine Respeecher uses AI technology
to transform voices, allowing one person to speak in the voice of
another. Founders: Oleksandr Serdiuk (CEO), Grant Reaber, &
Dmytro Bielievtsov
Sporttrade, Philadelphia, PA Sporttrade is a peer-to-peer
sports betting marketplace. Founders: Alexander Kane (CEO), Greg
Scott, & Henry Fuz
Struct Club, Los Angeles, CA Struct Club elevates how
music-inspired fitness instructors choreograph and deliver classes.
Founder: Amira Polack (CEO)
TakeShape, Brooklyn, NY TakeShape enables one-click
integrations that allow developers to easily combine data from the
JAMstack without having to write new code. Founders: Mark
Catalano (CEO) & Andrew Sprouse
The GIST, Toronto, Canada The GIST provides sports
content, experiences, and community for women. Founders: Roslyn
McLarty, Jacie deHoop, & Ellen Hyslop
Techstars’ veteran, KJ Singh, will serve as the Managing
Director of the 2019 accelerator. He has run 10 accelerator
programs at Techstars since 2013, and invested in over 100
companies that have gone on to raise over $300 million from
top-tier angel investors and VCs. KJ will advise the selected
startups on product/market fit, a data-driven approach to growth
and acceleration, and fundraising strategies that lead to
results.
"We are excited to welcome 11 companies working to transform the
connectivity, media, and entertainment space to this year's
program,” said KJ Singh, Managing Director of the Comcast
NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator, powered by Techstars. “These
startups have access to both Techstars' proven methodology and
Comcast NBCUniversal’s significant expertise across the industry.
The advantage and opportunity this Techstars and Comcast
NBCUniversal partnership provides founders was the reason why I
wanted to be a part of this program - it's not just Techstars...we
have an incredible committed partner that is rolling up its sleeves
and getting to work to help these companies innovate and grow."
At the conclusion of the accelerator on October 10th, the
companies will pitch their businesses to hundreds of investors,
mentors, Comcast NBCUniversal leaders, and members of the tech and
startup community during Demo Day in the Ralph J. Roberts Forum in
the Comcast Technology Center. In addition, each company will have
access to work space at LIFT Labs in Philadelphia until June
2020.
As a result of the inaugural Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs
Accelerator, powered by Techstars in 2018, eight out of 10 of the
startups secured partnerships or pilot programs with Comcast
NBCUniversal businesses.
The accelerator is part of Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs for
Entrepreneurs, a collection of programs that give talented
entrepreneurs access to Comcast NBCUniversal's renowned network of
partners, brands, and mentors to foster rapid breakthroughs in
connectivity, media, and entertainment.
Comcast has a long history of supporting startup communities,
and LIFT Labs is just one of the many ways in which entrepreneurs
can gain valuable access and insights to Comcast NBCUniversal.
Comcast launched its first venture arm in 1999, and in 2010,
Comcast Ventures was formed and has since grown into one of the
most active corporate venture arms in the country. LIFT Labs offers
programmed talks, mentor sessions with industry leaders from
Comcast NBCUniversal and its partners, plus events and other
educational resources designed to help entrepreneurs grow and
launch their businesses. For more information, including access to
free resources, visit www.ComcastNBCULIFT.com or follow @LIFT_Labs
on Twitter, Instagram or Facebook.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company with three primary businesses: Comcast Cable,
NBCUniversal, and Sky. Comcast Cable is one of the United States’
largest video, high-speed internet, and phone providers to
residential customers under the Xfinity brand, and also provides
these services to businesses. It also provides wireless and
security and automation services to residential customers under the
Xfinity brand. NBCUniversal is global and operates news,
entertainment and sports cable networks, the NBC and Telemundo
broadcast networks, television production operations, television
station groups, Universal Pictures, and Universal Parks and
Resorts. Sky is one of Europe's leading media and entertainment
companies, connecting customers to a broad range of video content
through its pay television services. It also provides
communications services, including residential high-speed internet,
phone, and wireless services. Sky operates the Sky News broadcast
network and sports and entertainment networks, produces original
content, and has exclusive content rights. Visit
www.comcastcorporation.com for more information.
About Techstars
Techstars is the worldwide network that helps entrepreneurs
succeed. Techstars founders connect with other entrepreneurs,
experts, mentors, alumni, investors, community leaders, and
corporations to grow their companies. Techstars operates three
divisions: Techstars Startup Programs, Techstars Mentorship-Driven
Accelerator Programs, and Techstars Corporate Innovation
Partnerships. Techstars accelerator portfolio includes more than
1,700 companies with a market cap of $20 Billion.
www.techstars.com
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20190715005103/en/
John Demming Comcast Corporation 215-286-8011
John_Demming@Comcast.com
Ali Donnermeyer Techstars 603-498-5965
Ali.Donnermeyer@techstars.com
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