The Walt Disney Company launched its web3 accelerator last month to promote growth of innovative technology firms, the company announced on Wednesday.
As part of its announcement, Disney introduced the six companies working under its programme that present building blocks for the foundation of the immersive technology industry.
Additionally, the accelerator aims to support emerging technologies crucial to Metaverse experiences, such as augmented reality (AR), non-fungible token (NFT), and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions.
Bonnie Rosen, General Manager of the Disney Accelerator Program, added,
“The Disney Accelerator is thrilled to be part of that legacy, and with our newest class of companies, we look forward to furthering our commitment to innovation and continuing to bring magical experiences to Disney audiences and guests for the next 100 years”
Disney is using the accelerator to leverage the next generation of entertainment. The firm is also giving its famed background in “creativity, imagination, and expertise” to its chosen firms to create connected immersive storytelling experiences that bring together the virtual and real world.
The programme awards its selected firms with investment capital, guidance from Disney’s senior leadership team, a personal dedicated executive mentor, and a real-world technology showcase at Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, California.
Disney’s Class of 2022
Disney has selected venture-backed, growth-stage startups to participate in its programme. The media giant has also invited select firms to operate from its Los Angeles-based coworking space for the beginning of its accelerator.
For its 2022 accelerator, Disney chose six extended reality (XR) firms, including:
- Polygon Studios is a scalable blockchain infrastructure for XR developers and firms building web3 experiences. The Ethereum-based solution scales NFTs, digital tokens, and Metaverse gaming projects, and provides interactive eCommerce opportunities on Metaverse platforms like The Sandbox and Decentraland.
Raise your hand if you remember your first Disney experience like it was yesterday 🙋🏻♀️ #disneyfeels
We are excited to announce that Polygon has been chosen to be a part of the Disney Accelerator program 🎉https://t.co/hk6gZziy8X
— Polygon – MATIC 💚 (@0xPolygon) July 13, 2022
- FlickPlay is a social web3 application for Apple iOS that lets users explore an AR-elevated environment with geo-tagged interactive elements. The service lets users discover NFTs attached to the real world and earn platform-exclusive FlickPlay tokens. FlickPlay users can buy avatars with their cryptocurrency, import an NFT wallet, and gain digital real estate.
- Lockerverse is a web3 content creation service that lets brands design bespoke culture-defining storytelling experiences.
- Inworld is an avatar creation suite incorporating AI networks to populate an immersive environment with digital humans. The firm built its Studio solution to provide XR gaming, Metaverse, and enterprise experiences, allowing users to create a digital character based on a neutral language bio. This makes an AI avatar system that creates specific cognition and behaviour circumstances. Additionally, Inworld Studio is available for the Meta Quest and Unreal Engine.
- Obsess is an emerging eCommerce solution for brands and retailers that want to create an immersive and interactive virtual storefront. The virtual store platform also claims to increase return on investment and customer engagement with Metaverse shops.
- Finally, Red 6 provides custom AR headsets built for outdoor usage. Red 6’s product also supports dynamic environments, including pilot training and simulation.
