Philadelphia-based accelerator focused on
media, entertainment, and connectivity attracts applications from
hundreds of entrepreneurs around the globe
Comcast NBCUniversal today announced the 10 startups selected
for the inaugural Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator,
powered by Techstars. These startups were chosen through a global
application process targeting startups who are developing the next
generation of media, entertainment, and connectivity companies.
They will call Comcast NBCUniversal’s global headquarters in
Philadelphia home for the duration of the 13-week program, which
kicked off today and will culminate in a Demo Day on October
11.
Over the course of the program, startups will refine and test
their business models while leveraging one-on-one mentoring from
experts across Comcast NBCUniversal’s businesses, including the NBC
and Telemundo broadcast networks, film studios, cable networks,
Comcast Ventures, and Xfinity products and services, as well as
Techstars’ mentors with deep industry, investment, and
entrepreneurship experience.
“We are thrilled with the interest in our first accelerator in
partnership with Techstars as evidenced by the hundreds of
applications from a diverse pool of startups from around the
world,” said Sam Schwartz, Chief Business Development Officer for
Comcast. “We are excited to mentor and collaborate with these
innovative companies who are experimenting in interesting areas
related to our business.”
A selection committee made up of Techstars experts and leaders
from several Comcast NBCUniversal business units screened the
startup applicants working in five areas of focus: Connected Life,
Entertainment Everywhere, Next Gen Marketing, Smart Places, and
Digital Wellness. The 2018 class includes:
Alive5, Austin, TXAlive5 provides businesses with
PCI-compliant chat software that allows them to engage and
seamlessly accept payments from customers via website, social media
accounts, and text messaging.
eyecandylab, Munich, Germanyeyecandylab is a
platform of immersive, augmented reality experiences for linear
TV.
Orai, Philadelphia, PAOrai is an artificial
intelligence speech coach that helps people improve their public
speaking skills with personalized coaching.
Pium, New York City and Seoul, South KoreaPium is
an IoT-powered platform for a personalized olfactory
experience.
Polycade, Los Angeles, CAPolycade is a modern
arcade gaming console powered by a platform through which
developers can build and sell games.
Portl Media, Toronto, CanadaPortl Media is a
network of personalized media and entertainment experiences for
rideshare vehicles.
Tally Interactive, Toronto, CanadaTally is a
mobile platform for live interactive game shows.
Thinker Tinker, Los Angeles, CAThinker Tinker
creates companions that engage children through an innovative blend
of traditional hands-on tactile play and digital interaction.
Trapica Labs, New York, NYTrapica allows marketing
campaigns on social networks to reach the right audiences at the
right time by leveraging an artificial intelligence algorithm that
autonomously optimizes targeting decisions in real time.
WiARframe, SingaporeWiARframe is a prototyping
tool that allows creatives to effortlessly craft interactive
augmented reality content, without any coding, 3D knowledge, or
expensive equipment.
"We are excited to offer our 10 selected companies this
one-of-a-kind program, which pairs up Techstars' proven
mentorship-driven accelerator with Comcast NBCUniversal's deep
industry expertise,” said Techstars Managing Director, Maya Baratz.
“This is going to be an amazing year for our program and the
Philadelphia startup community!”
Startups from around the world applied to this exclusive
program, including submissions from startups in 38 countries and
all of the major metropolitan markets in the United States.
Comcast has a long history of supporting startup communities and
this accelerator 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 Comcast NBCUniversal
employees and partners, plus events and other educational resources
designed to help entrepreneurs launch and grow their businesses.
For more information, including access to free resources, visit
www.ComcastNBCULIFT.com.
About Comcast Corporation
Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA) is a global media and
technology company with two primary businesses, Comcast Cable and
NBCUniversal. Comcast Cable is one of the nation’s 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 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. 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
1,300 companies with a market cap of $13.9 billion.
www.techstars.com
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version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180716005064/en/
Comcast CorporationKatie Lubenow,
215-286-5691Katie_Lubenow@Comcast.comorTechstarsJoanie Kindblade,
303-562-6230joanie.kindblade@techstars.com
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