Comcast named 10 technology startup companies chosen to participate in the inaugural Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator, powered by Techstars. The program was announced last year. Companies that applied are developing the next generation of media, entertainment, and connectivity companies, Comcast said. They will be in residence at Comcast headquarters in Philadelphia home for 13 weeks in the program, which culminates in a Demo Day on Oct. 11, Comcast said in a release.
Startups in the program receive mentoring from Comcast NBCUniversal business experts es including from the NBC and Telemundo broadcast networks, film studios, cable networks, Comcast Ventures and Xfinity products and services, as well as from Techstars’ experts, Comcast said.
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“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,” Sam Schwartz, chief business development officer for Comcast, said in the release. “We are excited to mentor and collaborate with these innovative companies who are experimenting in interesting areas related to our business.”
A selection committee of Techstars experts and leaders from several Comcast NBCUniversal business units screened startup applicants working in five areas of focus: Connected Life, Entertainment Everywhere, Next Gen Marketing, Smart Places, and Digital Wellness.
The 10 companies named by Comcast for the program are:
Alive5, Austin, TX
Alive5 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, Germany
eyecandylab is a platform of immersive, augmented reality experiences for linear TV.
Orai, Philadelphia, PA
Orai is an artificial intelligence speech coach that helps people improve their public speaking skills with personalized coaching.
Pium, New York City and Seoul, South Korea
Pium is an IoT-powered platform for a personalized olfactory experience.
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Polycade, Los Angeles, CA
Polycade is a modern arcade gaming console powered by a platform through which developers can build and sell games.
Portl Media, Toronto, Canada
Portl Media is a network of personalized media and entertainment experiences for rideshare vehicles.
Tally Interactive, Toronto, Canada
Tally is a mobile platform for live interactive game shows.
Thinker Tinker, Los Angeles, CA
Thinker Tinker creates companions that engage children through an innovative blend of traditional hands-on tactile play and digital interaction.
Trapica Labs, New York, NY
Trapica 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, Singapore
WiARframe is a prototyping tool that allows creatives to effortlessly craft interactive augmented reality content, without any coding, 3D knowledge, or expensive equipment.
For more on the program see www.ComcastNBCULIFT.com.
