The Walt Disney Company has launched Disney Accelerator, a three month investment and mentoring program for ten lucky startup companies to help "today’s technology innovators turn their dreams for new media and entertainment experiences into reality."
Disney Accelerator will be based in Los Angeles and powered by Techstars, the world’s #1 startup accelerator and mentorship-driven seed stage investment program.
Applications are now being accepted from new companies with innovative consumer media and entertainment product ideas. Full details can be found at www.disneyaccelerator.com and the deadline for applications is April 16, 2014.
Successful applicants will receive $120, 000 in investment capital to develop their ideas and access to resources from The Walt Disney Company including stories, characters and technology.
Mentoring support will be provided by top Disney executives including Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger as well as other leading figures in the entertainment industry. A full listing of mentors is available here.
The Disney Accelerator program begins June 30 and will conclude with a presentation by each team at an Investor Demo Day in September.
Overseeing the Disney Accelerator program is Michael D. Abrams, Disney’s senior vice president, Innovation.
Kevin A. Mayer, executive vice president, Corporate Strategy and Business Development, The Walt Disney Company, says, “Disney has always been defined by innovation, leveraging the technology required to build the future of entertainment. Disney Accelerator offers a unique collaboration between some of the best creative minds in the entertainment industry and the modern-day visionaries who are starting businesses on the strength of exciting new ideas.”
Image: Kind courtesy Disney from Disney Accelerator Blog.
