Five companies will receive $200K each to focus on cultural transformation in live streaming and interactive technology
NEW YORK – Betaworks, the startup platform credited with fostering the New York City tech ecosystem, announced today five companies have been selected for Betaworks Camp. Camp is a 3-month residency program to help founders build companies in emerging technologies that show early indication they will impact society. This fall’s program, Livecamp, will focus on distinctive live-streaming technology and shared, interactive experiences. Camp combines betaworks’ company building and investing experience into a thematic accelerator program for startups building in areas of interest for betaworks Ventures.
Companies selected for Livecamp are:
- Bunch – An app that lets users group video chat while playing their favorite mobile games
- Content Flow – SaaS solution for cross-channel video live streaming, offering a proprietary player/streaming-engine with a cloud-based cutting engine and interactive widgets
- Culture Genesis – A digital media lab (studio) based in Santa Monica, California, that remixes digital technology for authentic urban culture and entertainment
- Ghost Commander – A new form of interactive game that combines immersive theater and live streaming in a collaborative competition where online viewers affect in-game action with their choices
- Journey Meditation – Live and on-demand guided meditation sessions for high performance organizations and individuals, to reduce stress and increase focus and productivity.
Livecamp is sponsored this year by the leaders and most innovative players in the “live” industry including Microsoft’s live streaming service Mixer.
“There’s a cultural movement forming around live streaming and gaming technology and we believe the five companies selected for Livecamp are well positioned to change the future of this industry,” said Danika Laszuk, betaworks Camp General Manager. “We have entered an era in which audiences no longer want to passively consume all their entertainment, but they want to join in, and potentially influence the shows and sports they watch, the games they play, and the ways in which they connect to streamers, and each other, online. This ‘live’ participation has already been made possible and popular through industries such as eSports and we believe it will continue sweeping through industries across the board.”
Camp is designed to aid participating companies with mentorship from industry leaders and betaworks Ventures’ partners, including betaworks founder and CEO John Borthwick. Each company will also receive a $200,000 investment from betaworks Ventures and co-investor, the Akatsuki Entertainment Technology Fund (AET Fund), an early stage, corporate venture fund born out of Akatsuki Inc., a world-leading mobile game developer and publisher based in Tokyo, Japan. The fund specializes in the intersection of entertainment and technology and companies contributing to delightful lifestyle change.
“We are observing new areas of consumer behavior in media consumption and lifestyle enhancement that have largely been enabled by technology,” said Mark Linao, Principal of AET Fund. “Access to live experiences and entertainment via digital means is an area we’re excited to further explore with betaworks Livecamp.”
Livecamp’s 3-month program starts now and ends November 16 with a “Demo Day” for potential investors and partners. The residency takes place at betaworks’ newly opened Studios, the New York City members-only clubhouse for tech innovators, which offers members benefits such as working space, workshop attendance, and exclusive event invitations.
Camp themes are built around emerging technologies that are shifting consumer behaviors and reflect the areas in which betaworks is most focused. Betaworks’ previous Camp programs focused on conversational interfaces, voice- and audio-based applications, and AR and applied Computer Vision; the fourth Camp, Livecamp, is designed to help companies building live-streamed, interactive experiences, which have begun transcending various genres and interactions.
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