Disney Accelerator
AcceleratorPre-Seed–Growth
Investment thesis
The Disney Accelerator focuses on growth-stage, venture-backed startups whose innovative technologies and business concepts complement The Walt Disney Company's portfolio and align with current Disney business priorities, particularly at the intersection of technology and entertainment. Each cohort includes roughly five companies identified through outreach across the Disney and broader startup ecosystem. Selected companies typically receive an investment, access to co-working space at Disney's creative campus, and mentorship from senior Disney executives, with the goal of developing new entertainment experiences and products. The program runs annually, beginning mid-year and concluding with a Demo Day.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 3, 2026.
What they invest in
from 22 of 24 portfolio companiesAI & Machine Learning ×10Media & Entertainment ×8Creator Economy ×7Hardware ×6Gaming ×4Consumer ×3Deep Tech ×3Robotics ×3
HQs:United States×8United Kingdom×1India×1Sweden×1Vietnam×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 11 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×42 founders×43 founders×14+ founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 12 founders with education data
Stanford University Graduate School of Business ×3University of Cambridge ×3Novosibirsk State University (NSU) ×2The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 12 founders with career history
Stanford University ×2
Portfolio companies · 24 tracked
alumni founders can tell you what the program is really likeBy year:2025 · 12018 · 12015 · 13 dated
Animaj is a media company that creates and develops children's entertainment franchises using AI-powered production and digital-first distribution.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & Entertainment
Gregory Dray(Founder)in
Co-investorsBootstrap EuropeDaphniKima VenturesLeft Lane CapitalResonance VCXAnge
AudioShake develops sound separation technology that splits audio into component parts for media, entertainment, and speech workflows.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyMedia & EntertainmentSan Francisco, US
Jessica Powell(CEO & Co-Founder)Luke Miner(CTO & Co-Founder)in
BoardAlexander Hartz(Director)in
Co-investorsCoho DeeptechOrigin VenturesPrecursor VenturesShine CapitalThomson Reuters VenturesBACKGROUND CAPITAL+1 more
Bambuser offers a video commerce platform with Live Shopping, Shoppable Video, chat, and one-to-one Video Consultation tools that brands and retailers embed into their websites, apps, and social channels to make video content shoppable.
E-commerceMarketing TechRetail Tech
Co-investorsHarmony PartnersWellstreet
CAMP operates family entertainment venues combining immersive themed experiences, hands-on activities, and toy retail in physical locations.
Consumer
Nikki Kaufman(Founder)
Co-investorsBLH Venture Partners, LLCBullpen CapitalLerer HippeauMaywic Select InvestmentsReshapeZigg Capital+3 more
DramaBox is a streaming platform offering short-form serialized drama series (mini-episode movies) across genres such as fantasy, romance, and sci-fi.
ConsumerGamingMedia & Entertainment
ElevenLabs is an AI research and product company that builds voice generation and audio processing platforms for creating human-like voice interactions with technology.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyEnterprise SoftwareSaaSLondon, GB
Mati Staniszewski(Founder & CEO)Piotr Dabkowski(Co-founder)inHannah C(Founder)Mateusz Jakub Staniszewski(Co-founder)in
Co-investorsAir Street CapitalAlkeon InnovationAndreessen HorowitzAntiAspire11BroadLight Capital+23 more
Flickplay is a platform that makes character IP portable and monetizable across user-generated content, social, and real-world experiences, letting fans carry characters across loyalty programs, games, and creator tools.
Creator EconomyGamingMedia & Entertainment
Co-investorsAbstract VenturesGOAL VenturesMuse CapitalThe Fund
Haddy operates a U.S. microfactory that uses AI-powered large-format robotic 3D printing and integrated milling to manufacture parts for defense (drone hulls and components), entertainment (props and set pieces), marine and construction (components and cement/concrete molds), and custom furniture and lighting.
Advanced ManufacturingHardwareRoboticsSaint Petersburg, US
JOHN B. ROGERS, JR.(Executive Officer, Director)
BoardWILLIAM G. CAPERTON, IV(Director)VICTOR WESTERLIND(Director)
CakhiaTV is a free online platform for live football (soccer) streaming offering matches from major global tournaments including Premier League, Champions League, World Cup, and domestic leagues, with Vietnamese-language commentary and supplementary features like match schedules, standings, and highlights.
ConsumerMedia & Entertainment
Co-investors5Lion VenturesRelevance VenturesInterplay Ventures Early Stage Management LlcRed Beard Ventures
Illumix builds infrastructure for spatial AI, combining computer vision, multimodal AI, and edge deployment technologies for both consumer and enterprise applications.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechHardwareRoboticsPalo Alto, US
Kirin Sinha(Founder & CEO)inMarianne Dang(Founder)in
Co-investorsLightShed VenturesLightspeed Venture PartnersMaveronRaptor GroupSony Ventures CorporationUnusual Ventures+1 more
Inworld AI provides a full-duplex audio streaming platform that enables real-time conversational AI interactions with intelligent turn-taking, function calling, and multi-model routing capabilities for developers building conversational applications.
AI & Machine LearningDeveloper ToolsMountain View, US
Ilya Gelfenbeyn(Founder)inKylan Gibbs(Founder)inMichael Ermolenko(Founder)in
Co-investorsBitkraft Esports VenturesBrave CapitalCRV (Charles River Ventures)Dentsu VenturesFirst Spark Ventures, LlcIntel Capital+11 more
Liminal Space designs and manufactures LED display systems and spatial technology for out-of-home entertainment venues, creating immersive visual experiences.
HardwareMedia & EntertainmentLos Angeles, US
Nathan Huber(Founder)inRyan Pardeiro(Founder)in
Co-investorsComcast Ventures
Lockerverse is a platform for creators, athletes, and organizations to build monetized fan communities through membership tiers, fundraising campaigns, exclusive content and live streams, and branded merchandise stores.
Creator EconomyE-commerceSaaS
Co-investorsW ventures
Mojo Vision develops micro-LED technology, positioning it as a platform for AI infrastructure and next-generation displays.
Deep TechHardwareSemiconductors
Nikhil Balram(Chief Executive Officer)Mike Wiemer(Chief Technology Officer)G. Aaron James(General Counsel)
BoardSteve Jurvetson(Founder)in
Co-investorsARC Angel FundArgonautic VenturesBold Capital PartnersFlucas VenturesFusionFuture Ventures+12 more
Powering vertical content for Snapchat
Creator EconomyLos Angeles (Venice), US
Dan Altmann(Co-Founder & Chief Executive Officer)Eric Posen(Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer)Daniel Archer(Co-Founder & Founding Engineer)
BoardAllen DeBevoise(Director (Founder & Managing Partner, Third Wave Digital, which led Naritiv's Series A))Daniel Leff(Director (Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Waverley Capital); joined board approximately November 2015)in
Co-investorsLuminari CapitalMucker CapitalWavemaker PartnersWaverley CapitalGreylock Partners
Nuro develops the Nuro Driver, a Level 4 self-driving system combining automotive-grade hardware and AI software that can be integrated into personally owned vehicles and commercial fleets.
AI & Machine LearningMobility & TransportationRoboticsMountain View, US
Dave Ferguson(Co-Founder & Co-CEO (also referred to in press as Co-Founder & President))inJiajun Zhu(Co-Founder & Co-CEO)inAndrew Chapin(Chief Operating Officer)Mike Mancini(Chief Financial Officer)James Owens(Chief Legal & Policy Officer)Andrew Clare(Chief Technology Officer (as of September 2024))
Co-investorsUberArc AngelsBaillie GiffordBow CapitalConnetic VenturesGaorong Capital+13 more
Obsessar (Napster) builds AI agents and "crews" that companies deploy as pre-built or custom specialists trained on their own policies, products, and playbooks, with identity, memory, actions, and governance.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHardware
Co-investorsAsimov Venturesblue 9 capitalWXR FundThe Venture Reality Fund
PlayOn provides ticketing, live streaming, film, stats, and highlights for high school sports, serving schools, athletic organizations, and fans/families.
Media & EntertainmentSaaSSports Tech
Co-investorsBIP VenturesGray Ventures
Promethean AI is an AI assistant for creative and digital art teams that indexes a team's existing creative assets and inspiration to support world building and asset production without requiring uploads or changes to the team's editor.
AI & Machine LearningCreator EconomyGaming
Co-investorsRoosh Ventures
Red 6 develops augmented reality flight training technology for military aviators, enabling pilots and autonomous systems to train together in simulated threat environments.
AI & Machine LearningDeep TechDefense TechHardware
Daniel Robinson(Founder & CEO)
Co-investorsAlpha EdisonIronGate Capital AdvisorsKluz VenturesMoonshots CapitalOctave Ventures LlcLockheed Martin Ventures
StatusPRO builds XR and virtual reality sports products, including the NFL and NFLPA-licensed VR game NFL PRO ERA and a Visualizer tool used in broadcasts like ESPN's NFL Live.
GamingMedia & EntertainmentSports Tech
Co-investorsDigerati InvestmentsJDS SportsTitletownTech
Attentive provides a multi-channel customer engagement platform that includes email, SMS, RCS, push notifications, and AI-powered lifecycle orchestration for direct-to-consumer brands.
AI & Machine LearningDirect to ConsumerMarketing TechBarcelos, Braga
Pedro Araujo(Founder)Luis Braga(Founder)Daniel Araujo(Founder)Brian Long(Founder)in
BoardYannick Oswald(Director)Cristina Fronseca(Director)
Co-investorsBain Capital VenturesBeyond CapitalBling CapitalCoatue ManagementEniac VenturesFelicis Ventures+16 more
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companies
ElevenLabs · en.wikipedia.org · Aug 11, 2026
Illumix · castleplacement.com · Jul 9, 2026
Nuro · Nuro (company blog/press) · Jun 17, 2026
Inworld AI · businesswire.com · Jun 10, 2026
Animaj · ascendants.in · Mar 12, 2026
Mojo Vision · trysignalbase.com · Mar 7, 2026
Tone · thesaasnews.com · Nov 13, 2025
AudioShake · slator.com · Nov 13, 2025
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Disney Accelerator made?
- Disney Accelerator has 23 tracked investments, including 1 dated in the last 24 months.
- What stage does Disney Accelerator invest at?
- Disney Accelerator invests at the Pre-Seed, Seed, Growth stages.
- What sectors does Disney Accelerator focus on?
- Disney Accelerator focuses on Crypto & Web3, Gaming, Media & Entertainment.
- Who does Disney Accelerator co-invest with?
- Disney Accelerator most often shares deals with Lightspeed Venture Partners, LG Technology Ventures, New Enterprise Associates (NEA), among 142 tracked co-investors.
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