Announcing the 2015 R/GA Accelerator
R/GA, the agency for the connected age, announces the second R/GA Accelerator, powered by Techstars, focused on startups in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Connected Devices space.
Program support from:
Building on the success of its inaugural program, the second R/GA Accelerator is designed for startups developing connected hardware products and software services with the goal of helping them to build businesses and brands that can scale.
We select ten startups to join our three-month, immersive, mentor-driven program. Show us how you combine hardware, data, digital services, innovative design—anything that adds to the ever-growing Internet of Things—and your company could go from startup to success story.
We are pleased to announce that companies selected into our upcoming program will receive support from ASTRO Studios, the industry leading industrial design and product development studio, as well as PCH Access, a division of PCH, the custom design manufacturing solutions company. Industry leaders Stratasys and Makerbot will continue their support of the program.
The participation of these leaders in the IoT space combined with the support of R/GA’s technology, product design and marketing talent provides startups in the program an incredible advantage over their competitors.
See the Press ReleaseOur focus
The Internet has spilled out beyond the desktop and mobile screens and into devices, objects, and hardware. This isn’t a passing fad, but a innovation that is quickly becoming a part of our everyday lives.
This massive shift in how we experience and harness technology, also called the “Internet of Things,” includes new product categories, such as wearable technology and home automation and enterprise solutions.
The R/GA Accelerator taps into the emerging class of products that combine hardware, data, and digital services in compelling ways for consumers and businesses.
How does it work?
Ten companies are chosen to participate and accelerate their products and solutions for three months at R/GA’s global headquarters in New York. Each company gets the following tools and support:
- $120,000 in funding
- Co-location space provided by R/GA in New York
- Significant support services from the full range of R/GA’s talent including business and brand strategists, designers, and developers who’ve built connected devices and enterprise solutions for global brands
- Product design and development, manufacturing, and supply-chain consulting provided by R/GA, Techstars, and PCH International
- Mentor sessions with industry leaders, entrepreneurs, investors, and influencers
- Access to the R/GA Accelerator electronics and prototyping labs
- Invite-only Demo Day presentation to investors, select R/GA clients, and media in New York
Who should apply?
Any startup innovating at the intersection of hardware and software. Here are a few examples, but don’t feel like you have to fall into one of these categories to apply:
- Solutions in transportation and navigation
- Drone technologies for Consumer, agricultural, and industrial applications
- Telepresence products
- Wearables
- Home health, automation, and monitoring technologies
- Connected Toys
- Hardware and software products that leverage data
- Development and collaboration tools
- Socially enabled health, fitness, or financial products and services
- Connected care products for parents, kids, pets, and plants
If it’s an innovative idea that leverages or supports hardware in the IoT space, then we want to hear about it.
What's the timeline?
-
Jun 24 2014Application accepted
-
Aug 25 2014Application deadline
-
Sep 22 2014Selected companies notified
-
Oct 20 2014Program begins
-
Feb 2015Demo day, NYC