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The LA Dodgers And R/GA Announce Second Sports Accelerator Program Companies

IPG | August 22, 2016

Focus is on Growth-Stage Companies and Strategic Business Development

PR Newswire

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2016

LOS ANGELES, Aug. 22, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Los Angeles Dodgers and R/GA Ventures are pleased to announce the five companies chosen for the second LA Dodgers Sports Accelerator. The program launches today in R/GA's LA office.

The companies include new platforms for creating real-time data, video, and highlights for amateur and professional sports teams, community-based content creation tools for brands and organizations, as well as innovative cleaning technology for high-performance sports apparel and gear. The companies are:

Greenfly transforms the relationships of organizations into powerful networks for content creation and distribution.
Keemotion enables broadcast partners, professional leagues, and universities from around the world to produce, customize, stream and share professional-quality HD video content live with the push of a button.
ShotTracker with its innovative "ShotTracker TEAM" solution, affordably captures real-time stats for basketball teams, yielding powerful analytics for coaches, players and fans.
Renegade creates next-generation, Sweat X branded sports detergent, stain and odor technologies, specifically engineered to meet the needs of today's high-performance sports apparel and gear used at the professional, collegiate and youth sports levels.
WSC Technologies has developed a platform that creates personalized sports videos automatically and in real-time, helping sports leagues and broadcasters to engage fans and monetize their content.

"The Dodger organization remains committed to utilizing our brand and this outstanding platform to continue to drive our industry forward," said Dodgers' President & CEO Stan Kasten. "The unbelievable worldwide interest in our first accelerator and the success the 10 companies achieved has certainly been a major asset to us and the sports and entertainment industry."

This program will build on the innovative format of the first program by focusing on growth-stage companies and immediate business opportunities designed to create a path to category leadership and scale. The program will be highly customized to each individual company, including curated connections with relevant domain experts. The companies will receive in-depth engagement with the Dodgers' leadership, business units, and industry network as well as with R/GA's award-winning strategic marketing, branding, design, and technology services.

In addition, starting on day one the companies will engage with a set of external partners to execute pilots and proof-of-concept initiatives designed to achieve line of sight to scaling their businesses.

"We are confident that the combination of a smaller class of growth-stage companies, a customized approach, and the engagement of our partners, the Dodgers organization, and R/GA will drive significant results," said Dodgers' Chief Financial Officer Tucker Kain. "We also see immediate growth opportunities for the program companies through collaboration based on the complementary nature of their businesses."

"R/GA looks forward to working intensively with the five companies in order to help create real momentum for each of them in their respective markets," said Stephen Plumlee, Global Chief Operating Officer, R/GA and Managing Partner of R/GA Ventures. "The design of this program will make it possible to create even more value for the program companies."

The program will conclude in early November with invite-only demo events at which each startup will present to industry leaders, partners, and customers in the sports, technology, and entertainment communities.

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

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 2,000 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 about R/GA, please visit www.rga.com, @rgaventures, and www.rgaaccelerator.com.