Two Canadian Companies Chosen for Verizon’s Media Tech Incubator
A New York City incubator for young startups on track to disrupt digital media and entertainment selected two Canadian companies in its inaugural cohort.
The Media Tech Venture Studio welcomed its first eight startups yesterday including Halifax’s Imposium and Vancouver’s cognitiveVR. The incubator was launched by Verizon in partnership with digital advertising and design agency R/GA, and selects up to 10 early and growth-stage companies that represent the future of media and content.
Imposium’s video rendering software integrates data into videos to personalize and customize video, leading to higher user engagement through the individualized content. The company has been operating for just over a decade and currently has 10 offices in Canada and the US.
Founded in 2015, cognitiveVR is an analytics platform for virtual and augmented reality that enables their customers—brands, marketers and researchers—to measure visual engagement, analyze behaviour and ultimately influence user experience.
Armed with $100,000 US in funding, the companies began their 14-week program this week at Verizon’s New York City co-working facility in an area coined Silicon Alley, right in the heart of the Flatiron district. The workspace will give the early-stage companies direct access to product leaders from Verizon Ventures and Verizon’s digital media businesses including Oath, Go90, VDMS and FioS. The early-stage companies can also tap into R/GA’s strategic marketing, design, development and branding services.
To help develop and scale their technology projects, the startups have access to Verizon technology platforms and senior product leaders, and can leverage mentorship, strategic support and even investors from Verizon’s and R/GA’s networks.
“Partnering with R/GA Ventures and the new class of startups in the Media Tech Venture Studio allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the digital media revolution while providing these startups with access to our advanced technology resources and acclaimed experience,” said John Doherty, senior vice president of corporate development at Verizon and head of Verizon Ventures in an announcement.
The program wraps up on Nov. 9 with an invite-only demo event where each startup will present their technology to investors and industry leaders.
