Accelerators in Glendale
The City of Glendale is home to a number of accelerators, incubators, collectives, and communities that support the startups that call the Jewel City home.
Learn more about some of the programs below.
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Disney Accelerator
Walt Disney had a dream and the entrepreneurial will to make that dream come true. Combining creativity and innovation, he built a company that is forever inventing new ways to tell great stories. From the Multiplane camera and the first feature-length animated film, to Audio-Animatronics® and computer-generated animation, Disney has always been at the forefront of technology.Through the Disney Accelerator, select companies will gain access to the range of creative expertise and resources of The Walt Disney Company to help them develop new entertainment experiences and products.
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Hero House is an entrepreneurship hub in Glendale, CA that combines the scientific potential of local leading universities with the expertise and network of business leaders in entertainment, aerospace, bioscience, advanced transportation located in the Los Angeles area.
Southern California is home to entertainment industry giants such as Walt Disney, Paramount, DreamWorks, Warner Bros., NBCUniversal, MTV and others;
Hero House is established by the in-house venture capital fund SmartGateVC.
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Welcome to [A] Growth!
At heart, we're a team of data-driven growth marketers focused on delivering scalable results!
Growth is our driving force - but speed and execution are our keys to success. From our humble beginnings in 2020, we've evolved rapidly, thanks to our data-driven and creative approaches.
Looking ahead, we're excited about the future, continuing to redefine growth for businesses.
Join us on this exhilarating journey of innovation and success!
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We work with brilliant AI founders to build companies from 0 to 1 and beyond . . .
You bring the domain expertise and we bring the resources to scale with speed.
Our number one goal is to support founders and help make the launch and scale process easier. We build and provide cofounder value-add in a model proven to generate faster exits, fewer losses, and outsized returns. As a Studio, we do more than invest in startups- we help validate, launch, and grow them.
Innovation Grants
Grant Application Open
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Grant Application Open !!!
The City of Glendale has released a Request for Proposals to bring additional growth programs to the city and further grow our startup ecosystem. The City invites qualified respondents to submit a proposal for the operation and program management of a tech startup accelerator, incubator, startup studio, or similar tech-Startup Growth Program located in Glendale, California. Grant funding of $1,000,000 will be awarded to the top 1 or 2 applicants.
FAQs
RFP Timeline:
May 15, 2024
Issuance of Request for Proposals
May 29, 2024
Pre-Bid Conference
(Link to the Pre-Bid Conference Recording)
June 21, 2024
Written Questions Due
June 28, 2024
Response to Written Questions Issued
July 12, 2024
Deadline for Submitting Proposals
Late July and August 2024
Selection Committee Reviews Proposals
Late August 2024
Interviews with Top 5 Proposals
September/ October 2024
Selection Committee’s Recommendations to City Council for Final Approval
Past Accelerator Grants
In 2019 The City of Glendale received $1 million from the State of California to launch a tech startup accelerator. After getting feedback from the tech community, start-ups, accelerators, and potential operators, the City funded 2 accelerators.
KidsX Digital Health Accelerator
Focusing on advancing digital health innovation for pediatric health and healthcare, the program provides innovation in a field that is often overlooked and underfunded. Since it’s founding as the first Pediatric-focused digital health accelerator in the world, KidsX has grown to be the premier innovation ecosystem for startups and hospitals serving pediatric patients. Pediatric health services include the use of artificial intelligence, gamification, virtual, augmented or mixed reality, mobile apps, voice-enabled services and remote monitoring, among others.
Hero House Glendale
Hero House has implemented a non-industry specific “Gateway to LA” program that focuses on international or out-of- state companies looking to expand their product into Southern California and serves as a hub for the startup ecosystem in the area. This program was established by SmartGateVC, and is backed by Draper University of Heroes in San Mateo, CA, as well as the Armenian Engineers and Scientists of America.
Would you like to join our growing community of start-ups and services providers who want to be involved in the Glendale Start-Up Tech Accelerator? Join our public “Interest List” and see who else is excited about our new accelerator program.
Glendale Tech Strategy (2017)