Member Article

Revealed: Ten startup participants in Virgin Media’s first-ever accelerator

Ten tech startups from around the world have been selected by Virgin Media for their new accelerator programme in London.

The successful startups are drawn from a wide-range of industries and sectors; from P2P real time video streaming disruptors to Internet of Things and virtual reality innovations, and span the globe from Canada to Ireland and Italy.

Following a competitive application process which opened in November last year, the ten chosen startups include:

• Ecoisme – A Polish home energy monitoring solution which allows people to track any device’s energy usage and receive personalised tips to reduce consumption.
• GoalShouter – Based in Italy, GoalShouter is an online platform that connects supporters and football clubs with live reports and updates.
• KonnectAgain – A platform for organisations to keep engaged and up to date with ex-employees from Ireland.
• Synervoz – Canadian software development company focused on always-on voice communication applications.
• Rally Networks – From the US, Rally is a rapid charging network which provides customers with the option to charge their phone for free at retail locations after interacting with advertising on their app.
• Repairly – Newcastle-based startup that connects people with local engineers to fix their electricals on-demand.
• Sponsokit – German collaborative platform where companies learn how to pair up effectively with social media creators.
• Stepsize – UK-based developers of an app which helps programmers find, reuse, and collaborate on code snippets to improve productivity.
• TelToo – British P2P content delivery network that provides robust video streaming.
• Wizdish – UK virtual reality company which allows a player to perform simulated walk and run in any direction on a treadmill without moving from the spot.

The cohort who are participating in the accelerator, which sees Virgin Media team up with tech mentor scheme Techstars, have the option of $120,000 (£84,400) worth of investment from the telecoms giant in exchange for 10% of equity.

Beginning at the end of March, the startups will be housed in a newly refurbished space in Aldgate East, London, with the program culminating in a Demo Day, where the Virgin Media Accelerator cohorts will pitch to investors.

Managing Director of Virgin Media Business, Peter Kelly believes the new accelerator highlights the telecoms giant’s commitment to innovation.

He said: “This accelerator is a true reflection of what we’re all about at Virgin Media – we are passionate about giving innovative businesses the support they need to reach their full digital potential.

“With the level of expertise backing this programme and the London location of the accelerator, these businesses are going to get the very best start to their entrepreneurial journey.”

Ryan Kuder, Managing Director, Virgin Media Accelerator powered by Techstars, added: “We can’t wait to start helping these truly innovative startups grow and develop their business – it’s what we do best.

“With the backing of Virgin Media, Techstars and Liberty Global these startups will have access to some of the best business knowledge and expertise as well as a global network of contacts to help them rise above competitors.”