The second sports technology and entertainment accelerator program between the Los Angeles Dodgers and RGA is closing its applications window this coming Friday, June 10th.
Calling all #SportsTech + #SportsBiz co’s, only ONE WEEK until applications for the 2016 Dodgers Accelerator close! https://t.co/kZW8zAQSIj
— Dodgers Accelerator (@DodgersAccel) June 3, 2016
On November 10th of last year the first accelerator between the Dodgers and RGA concluded in a demo day at Dodgers stadium. All ten startups in the accelerator had a chance to pitch their ventures on a stage on top of home plate. Now the second iteration of the program is back and has gained even more buzz throughout the sports tech community than its inaugural campaign.
This year, five to seven startups will be chosen from an application pool of hundreds. The goal for RGA and the Dodgers will be to grow the startups through their networks, business acumen, strategic marketing, branding and overall industry expertise. Each startup accepted into the accelerator will receive the following:
- $120K+ in exchange for up to 6% equity
- Co-workspace facilities provided
- Curated mentorship and business development opportunities
- Strategic support from the Dodgers’ organization leadership
- Product, brand, and business-building services from R/GA
- Culminates in invite-only demo event on November 10th
On July 18th, the chosen startups will be notified and on August 22nd the program will officially begin.
Last year, Dylan Boyd, Director, New Programs Development for RGA managed the accelerator. This year Scott Dudelson of RGA has taken over as Managing Director of the new accelerator. We caught up with Scott to see how this year’s program is shaping up and compares to last year.
1. This being the Dodger’s and R/GA’s second accelerator together, what has changed since the first one? Any learning experiences to share?
This year we are breaking from the mold of a traditional program to work with a more focused number of companies (5-7). We’re looking for companies that can strategically benefit from working with R/GA and the Dodgers and vice versa.
We are also taking a more flexible approach to the program in a number of ways, most notably that relocating to Los Angeles will be optional. We are of course providing office space (and there is great value to being out here with us), but its not going to be a prerequisite like last year.
2. What types of companies are you looking for?
We are looking at companies across the board that fall somewhere in the intersection of sports, tech, entertainment, and media. If you’ve got a great idea and a passion we’d love to take a look.
3. What is the process for selecting the final ten startups to be in the program?
Once all applications are finalized on June 10th, representatives from the Dodgers and R/GA will get together to go through the applications and see which companies have the right product/market fit. From there, we’ll assess how we could strategically help the company and select those that have the most potential to gain from our expertise and networks.
4. What does the combination of R/GA and the Dodgers provide startups that other accelerators do not have?
R/GA + Dodgers together are a powerful combination. R/GA is one of the most award-winning and well respected agencies in the world. The Dodgers are one of the most iconic sports brands in the world. Both have unique capabilities that they can leverage for the benefit of the selected companies. For the Dodgers this can include (but is not limited to) their access into to the world of baseball, access into their stadium and more broadly into their wide network. With R/GA, all the companies we work with get a range of services (which depends on what the companies needs are) which can include strategic marketing, branding, design, and technology services – the same services that R/GA provides for their world-class client roster. On top of that, R/GA is always looking for angles to make connections between its client partners and the companies we work with.