LA Dodgers Accelerator Announces Program Companies

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 24, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and R/GA are pleased to announce the 10 companies selected for the first-ever LA Dodgers Accelerator program.

The companies selected for the program include category leaders and the best emerging companies at the intersection of sports, technology, entertainment and media.

Innovating across categories that include fan experiences, sports operations and the very idea of sports entertainment, companies in the program represent areas as diverse as: community sports, athlete recruiting, advanced analytics for fantasy sports, team and athlete performance management, peer-to-peer fantasy gaming, next-generation customer analytics, live-event POS, and social fan polling.

"This program includes companies that have already established category leadership and are rapidly scaling operations, as well as earlier-stage companies with innovative ideas and visionary founders," said Tucker Kain, Chief Financial Officer, LA Dodgers, and Managing Director, Guggenheim Baseball Management, LP. "All of the companies will benefit greatly from the network and expertise the LA Dodgers, and its ownership, can provide."

The 10 companies selected for the program represent the diverse spectrum of sports technology and entertainment:

1. Appetize – POS, mobile-ordering, and inventory management platform for live events
2. Doorstat – helps businesses and brands better understand foot traffic, customer demographics, and customer behavior through a proprietary technology solution
3. FieldLevel – private social network for sports recruiting that connects coaches and helps college teams find the best athletes for their programs
4. FocusMotion – complete solution that makes it easy to track and analyze movements, gestures, and exercises with wearables
5. Kinduct – develops connected health, fitness and human performance software solutions that help make people better
6. LeagueApps – platform enabling local sports organizers to create and manage amazing sports experiences
7. ProDay – mobile app that lets anyone work out with professional athletes. Anytime. Anywhere.
8. SidePrize – facilitates side challenges for your fantasy league
9. Swish Analytics – algorithm-driven tools for daily fantasy players, and fans
10. Yezno – social platform that allows sports fans to poll, engage and debate each other

Created in partnership between the LA Dodgers and leading global agency R/GA, the program is designed to provide both category leaders and earlier stage companies with opportunities for strategic business development, pilot programs, technology development, and brand strategy customized for each of the participants.

"This program is significantly different from any traditional accelerator. We are fortunate to be working with category leaders such as Appetize, FieldLevel, Kinduct, and LeagueApps, which have already built successful businesses, raised significant rounds, and achieved impressive valuations," said Stephen Plumlee, Global Chief Operating Officer, R/GA and Managing Partner of R/GA Ventures. "We are also excited to work with each of the emerging companies. With their input, we are innovating on the very idea of what an accelerator is and how a program can create value for companies at all stages."

Leveraging the full resources of the Dodgers, their ownership and partner organizations, along with the strategic brand-building, design, and technology capabilities of R/GA, the LA Dodgers Accelerator with R/GA will provide unparalleled access to industry partnerships, mentors, and distribution channels, supporting companies not only in accelerating great products and services, but also in developing successful business models, impactful customer experiences and enduring brands.  

The program will be located in Los Angeles at the R/GA LA office beginning August 24^th, and will culminate in an invite-only demo day for industry leaders, partner organizations, investors, and press at Dodger Stadium in early November 2015.

For more information, visit www.dodgersaccelerator.com and follow @dodgersaccel.

About the LA Dodgers
The Los Angeles Dodgers franchise, with six World Series championships and 21 National League pennants since its beginnings in Brooklyn in 1890, is committed to a tradition of pride and excellence.  The Dodgers are dedicated to supporting a culture of winning baseball, providing a first-class, fan-friendly experience at Dodger Stadium, and building a strong partnership with the community. With the highest cumulative fan attendance in Major League Baseball history, and a record of breaking barriers, the Dodgers are one of the most cherished sports franchises in the world. Visit the Dodgers online at www.dodgers.com, follow them on Twitter @Dodgers and like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Dodgers. For media information, visit www.dodgerspressbox.com.  

About R/GA
R/GA, the company for the Connected Age, develops products, services and communications to grow our clients' brands and businesses. Founded in 1977, the agency has been a pioneer at the intersection of technology, design and marketing with work spanning web, mobile, and social communications, retail and e-commerce, product innovation, brand development and business consulting. R/GA has more than 1,500 employees globally with offices across the United States, Europe, South America, and Asia-Pacific and is part of The Interpublic Group of Companies (NYSE: IPG), one of the world's largest advertising and marketing services organizations. R/GA is a member of the GAN (gan.co), a network of the world's most respected accelerators and organizations in support of the startup ecosystem. For more information on R/GA, please visit www.rga.com, www.rgaaccelerator.com, @rgaventures, and @rgaaccelerator.

SOURCE R/GA

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