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The Walt Disney Company Announces Participants for Its Startup Accelerator ProgramBURBANK, Calif. --(Business Wire)-- Today The Walt Disney (News - Alert) Company (NYSE:DIS) announced 11 startup companies that have been selected for a special mentorship and investment program. Kicking off today, Disney Accelerator, powered by Techstars, is a fifteen-week immersive program which gives companies access to mentorship from top Disney executives, up to $120,000 in investment capital to develop their companies as well as special access to resources from across The Walt Disney Company. To kick off the program, participating companies will meet with various mentors including Chairman and CEO Robert A. Iger, and leaders from Pixar, Marvel, Lucasfilm, ABC, ESPN (News - Alert) and Walt Disney Imagineering, as well as other entertainment industry leaders, investors, and Techstars' extensive network of technology mentors. Selected companies will develop mentorship relationships based on expertise, interest and background. Participating companies will meet with mentors regularly and work together to build and expand business plans, product launches, marketing campaigns, and formulate long-term strategies. The program culminates with a Demo Day in October, where each team will present their company to industry leaders, Disney executives, and the entrepreneurial community. The selected companies represent a diverse cross-section of technology-driven media and entertainment from many different geographies. The 11 companies selected to participate in the Disney Accelerator program are:
About The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, together with its subsidiaries and affiliates, is a leading diversified international entertainment and media enterprise with five business segments: media networks, parks and resorts, studio entertainment, consumer products and interactive. Disney is a Dow 30 company and had annual revenues of $45 billion in its Fiscal Year 2013. About Techstars Techstars is the #1 startup accelerator and mentorship-driven seed stage investment program in the world. Techstars delivers programs annually in top startup markets all over the world. Additionally, Techstars powers programs in collaboration with some of the best brands in the world. Companies have gone on to average more than $1.6M raised in outside capital after the completion of the program. To date, Techstars has funded more than 350 companies that are collectively valued in the billions of dollars.
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