The Walt Disney Company has announced the five companies that will take part in the 10th year of the Disney Accelerator programme, designed to accelerate the growth of innovative companies across the globe.
Three of the five 2024 start-ups are working with artificial intelligence (AI). These are AudioShake, ElevenLabs and PrometheanAI.
The remaining start-ups are Nuro and StatusPro. The former is an autonomous vehicle company, and the latter an immersive entertainment company.
Bonnie Rosen, general manager of the Disney Accelerator, said: “Disney has always been a leader in innovation, understanding and embracing technological shifts to enhance experiences and bring timeless stories to life.
“The Disney Accelerator allows us to continue this legacy of innovation and the responsible use of technology in service of storytelling.
“As we kick off the 10th year of the program, we are joined by leading companies that share our belief in the unmatched power of human creativity and imagination, exploring new ways to bring Disney magic to fans everywhere.”
The companies chosen to participate in the 2024 Disney Accelerator are:
AudioShake – an audio technology company using AI to separate layers of recorded sound to make audio interactive, editable and customisable.
ElevenLabs – a voice AI research and deployment company that creates realistic, versatile, and contextually aware AI audio.
Nuro – an autonomous vehicle company that builds custom, electric, zero-occupant vehicles for the delivery of goods.
PrometheanAI – a company that provides a suite of tools for the creation of virtual worlds and digital asset management using natural language prompts.
StatusPro – is an immersive entertainment company utilising virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) to create first-person sports gaming experiences.
Each of these companies will have guidance from Disney‘s senior leadership team during the programme, which finishes with a demo day in the spring at the Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.
Images courtesy of Disney
