Dodgers Launch First Accelerator Class

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The Los Angeles Dodgers and advertising agency R/GA of New York have selected 10 companies for the inaugural L.A. Dodgers Accelerator.

The three-month program, which launched today, provides mentorship from the Dodger organization, R/GA and local sports and tech executives, as well as $20,000, in exchange for a 6 percent equity stake. The accelerator also will invest $100,000 in convertible notes on a case-by-case basis.

The accelerator is run out of Playa Vista by four full-time staff from R/GA. Members of this year’s class include companies in varied sports categories, including ticketing, wearable devices and a sports social network. Companies also range from early to late stage, and are not limited to baseball.

Local members of the class include:

Appetize: a West L.A. company that has developed a point-of-sale software system used on tablets and cell phones.

FieldLevel: a Pacific Palisades company that has developed a software platform used by college sports teams to evaluate players.

FocusMotion: a Santa Monica company that has developed wearable device motion analysis software.

The Dodger’s extensive ties to apparel brands, other professional teams and sports executives was especially enticing for Kai Sato, co-founder and chief operating officer of FieldLevel.

“It was the team that was assembled. … Guys like Peter Guber and other people who are involved in the sports space and people at Guggenheim Baseball Management,” he said. “This network is extremely far reaching.”

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