Following the success of its inaugural mentorship and investment program in 2014 for tech startups looking to make an impact with new media and entertainment products, Disney is now accepting applications for its 2015 Accelerator initiative.
Startups have until April 19 to apply at Disneyaccelerator.com, then Disney will pick 10 companies to partake in the three-month program that begins on July 6 and wraps up with a Demo Day on October 6.
Participants will get mentorship support from leading Disney execs, have access to Disney’s wealth of resources and receive US$120,000 in investment capital.
Last year’s program saw a number of kid-focused startups make the final selection group including Cincinnati-based ChoreMonster, Boulder, Colorado-based companies Sphero and Smart Toy, and Sweden’s Codarica.
Since their involvement in the program, Choremonster and Codarica both released mobile apps for kids, Sphero launched a new app-controlled robot named Ollie, and Smart Toy was acquired by L.A.-based children’s toy manufacturer Cartwheel Kids.
As the new program kicks off, Disney is continuing to work with many of the selected companies from 2014 as they aim to grow.