The Walt Disney Company Announces the 2022 Disney Accelerator Class with Six Participant Companies

Focused on Building the Future of Immersive Experiences

Today, The Walt Disney Company announced the six companies that will be joining the 2022 Disney Accelerator, a business development program designed to accelerate the growth of innovative companies from around the world. This year's Disney Accelerator class is focused on building the future of immersive experiences and specializes in technologies such as augmented reality (AR), non-fungible tokens (NFTs) and artificial intelligence (AI) characters.

The Disney Accelerator kicks off this week, connecting the 2022 class with the creativity, imagination, and expertise of Disney. Over the course of the program, each participant company will receive guidance from Disney's senior leadership team, as well as a dedicated executive mentor. The Disney Accelerator program will conclude with a Demo Day in the fall at The Walt Disney Studios lot in Burbank, CA.

"For nearly a century, Disney has been at the forefront of leveraging technology to build the entertainment experiences of the future," said Bonnie Rosen, General Manager of the Disney Accelerator program. "The Disney Accelerator is thrilled to be part of that legacy, and with our newest class of companies, we look forward to furthering our commitment to innovation and continuing to bring magical experiences to Disney audiences and guests for the next 100 years."

The companies selected to participate in the 2022 Disney Accelerator program are:

Flickplay: Flickplay is a Web3 social app that enables users to discover NFTs tied to real-world locations that they can experience and share via AR.

Inworld: Inworld allows users to create interactive, AI-driven characters for immersive experiences.

Lockerverse: Lockerverse is a Web3 platform that empowers creators and brands to tell culture-defining stories and deliver unique access and experiences.

Obsess: Obsess is an experiential e-commerce platform that enables brands to create immersive 3D virtual stores on their websites and on metaverse platforms.

Polygon: Polygon is a scalable blockchain network that allows developers and enterprises to build Web3 experiences.

Red 6: Red 6 is an AR company that has created a patented headset and interface that works outdoors in dynamic, high-performance environments.

As the Company focuses on its next-generation storytelling efforts, Disney will continue to work with companies like those in this year's Accelerator class to help develop new technologies and storytelling canvasses to create connected experiences across physical, digital, and virtual worlds.