Twelve startups were named to participate in the fifth class of Comcast NBCUniversal’s LIFT Labs Accelerator, powered by Techstars.
The companies are in business ranging from streaming and e-commerce to artificial intelligence and the metaverse. Half of the companies are led by at least one founder who self-identifies as a person of color or racial or ethnic minority in their home country, while one-third are led by a woman or gender diverse founder.
Since the first class in 2018, 43 companies have completed the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator and have raised over $115 million combined. A majority of the companies have continued to work with Comcast, NBCU and Sky.
“Through LIFT Labs, Comcast collaborates directly with startups at the forefront of new technologies in connectivity, media, and entertainment, with a curated, comprehensive and engaging program,” said Danielle Cohn, VP, startup engagement and head of LIFT Labs. “During the accelerator, and beyond, these founders will have unmatched opportunities to develop their emerging businesses and gain access to industry leaders and experts. For the past five years, it’s been amazing to watch how these startups continue to cultivate a growth mindset and inspire our innovative teams, and I look forward to seeing what emerges from this remarkable cohort of 2022.”
The companies participating in this year’s accelerator are:
-- Collectiv.TV, Montreal, which has a platform that helps creators and content owners to distribute and monetize their content on free ad-supported streaming TV.
-- Eino, New York, a pioneer in AI solutions for consumer and enterprise network management, It offers a cloud-based platform for automated and efficient capacity planning and orchestration.
-- Fade Technology, San Francisco, connects IP and Advertising content to commerce on OTT, SVOD, FAST streaming services, and digital publishing platforms allowing viewers to make in-video purchase directly.
-- Imaginario, London, AI-powered platform and API that identifies specific moments in video and audio in seconds, allowing content marketers and creators to discover, find, and clip content faster.
-- Kosmi, Reykjavik, enables users to build their own virtual space where they can hang out, watch videos, play games, chat, and create together online.
-- Kyd Lab, New York, a blockchain-enabled event ticketing platform that unlocks long term loyalty, resale revenue for live event hosts and ensures buyers get authentic resale tickets.
-- Lluna, Philadelphia, offers technology that serves as the TeamOS for employers, combining personal operating profiles and smart dashboards to increase connection, effectiveness, and productivity for individuals, teams, and companies.
-- Mtion, Toronto, connects streamers with their fans through shared 3D experiences.
-- Neon Wild, Miami transforms any child into a custom avatar as the star of immersive stories and games.
-- NNext, New York, is an open-source, vector search database tailored for ML apps that stores the useful intermediate outputs of ML applications not captured by current database solutions.
-- Parallux, New York makes it easy for brands and creators to design, build, and host 3D virtual spaces in the metaverse.
-- Visura, New York, is a marketplace for publishers to license visual content from freelancers.
The startups will participate in an immersive 12-week program at Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia.
Experts and industry leaders from across Comcast NBCUniversal and Sky will mentor this year’s startups. Advisers include leaders from the Xfinity technology, product, and experience teams; the NBC and Telemundo broadcast stations; NBCUniversal cable networks; Universal Studios; Universal Theme Parks; DreamWorks Animation; Comcast Business; Comcast Ventures; Strategic Development; and Sky; plus mentors from the Techstars’ global network. ■
