2 Boulder startups tapped to join Techstars Disney Accelerator

by Adam Calica
July 7, 2014

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It’s no coincidence that two of Boulder’s most imaginative tech startups were selected to join the inaugural Disney Accelerator class this summer. Interactive learning toy maker Ubooly and robotic ball maker Sphero are two of the 11 participants in the three-month program. The Disney Accelerator will be based in LA, the heart of the nation’s entertainment and creativity industry, so that participants can make industry connections and also just let their imaginations run wild.

“Working with Disney mentors is an incredible opportunity; right now, we are just getting going so we’re excited to kick off the bulk of the meetings,” CEO Paul Berberian said. “CTO and founder Ian Bernstein and Chief Software Architect and founder Adam Wilson are out for the duration of the program and they will be focusing on future product ideas. They’ve brought all their maker stuff with them and are already prototyping ideas. The accelerator environment is super creative and conducive to rapid idea generation and exploration.”

Disney Accelerator, which is powered by Boulder-based Techstars, includes mentorship from Disney executives and $120,000 in seed investment in addition to access to stories, characters and technology from The Walt Disney Company.

Ubooly and Sphero are no strangers to the Techstars model that the accelerator program will be following: both companies have been through Techstars before in 2012 and in 2010, respectively.

“Disney has always been defined by innovation, leveraging the technology required to build the future of entertainment,” Kevin Mayer, Disney's executive vice president of corporate strategy and business development, said in a press release earlier this year. “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.”

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