Upcoming Event: Inside a Corporate Accelerator

Feb 02, 2023
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Register here to join us for this event on February 9, 2023, 8 am PST / 11 am EST / 5 pm CET

In an increasingly unpredictable world, remaining agile and aware of emerging trends is paramount. Partnering with Techstars puts corporations in direct contact with founders. These early-stage startups are transforming companies by developing innovative ideas and putting them to work. 

In our upcoming event with the Minnesota Twins, Comcast, and Equinor, we'll highlight how they have transformed their business by engaging with startups through a Techstars accelerator.

Our panelists will include champions from each partner listed above:

  • Chris Iles | Senior Director of Brand Experience and Innovation, The Minnesota Twins

  • Milou Slaman | Engineer Innovation at Equinor

  • Katie Teuber | Senior Manager Startup Engagement, Comcast NBCUniversal

When the Minnesota Twins wanted to build brand awareness and ramp up their fanbase, they chose a unique, powerful partnership with Techstars. Joe Pohlad, the Executive Vice President of Brand Strategy and Growth, told SportTechie that their goal was to reach a younger audience of “non-fans,” and it worked right off the bat. (get it!)

Two companies that participated in the 2022 Minnesota Twins Accelerator by Techstars cohort were integrated into the Target Field fan experience during the 2022 Major League Baseball season, and 70 percent of the companies had proof of concepts and meaningful engagements with future partners. The current cohort of 10 companies (who are just days away from Demo Day) will no doubt also transform the sports tech ecosystem, particularly the fan experience of sports and entertainment technology. But don’t take our word for it.

Comcast NBCUniversal has been an active partner since 2018 and has run five accelerator programs with Techstars. The 2022 cohort landed in the record books when Comcast announced that all 11 startups in the Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs Accelerator established partnerships with Comcast, NBCUniversal, or Sky.

Comcast’s Chief Business Development Officer, Sam Schwartz, said the accelerator “serves as a valuable testing ground for businesses at Comcast to identify partnerships that could further benefit the company and the customers we serve through innovation.”

Equinor will kick off its fifth Techstars accelerator program in March 2023. Techstars aligns closely with Equinor’s approach to innovation in the energy sector. “We must work, talk, innovate, and tackle challenges together and, in this way, help accelerate technology development and implementation of new solutions. We believe innovative entrepreneurs and start-ups will play a vital role in this space. In cooperation, we can leverage each other's strengths where Equinor can support with capital, technical experts combined with a strong drive for piloting and implementing solutions in our own business,” said Mary Karunakaran, Equinor Programme Leader. (www.techstars.com, March 2022)

Please register here to join us for this event on February 9, 2023. You can expect to hear about the following: 

  • The organizational impact of working with early-stage startups, including attracting new talent, retaining current employees, and fostering internal innovation

  • Real-life success stories (including how our partners have run pilots with their startups)

  • Solving for the future instead of legacy problems

  • How companies are supporting diversity, equity, and inclusion through accelerators

  • … and so much more!

Is our next success story with you?