As corporations continue to invest increasingly at the early stage, the launch of a new accelerator – the R/GA Connected Devices Accelerator – sees two top-tier groups coming together: global advertising holding company Interpublic (of which R/GA is part, creating advertising and marketing products based in technology and design) and technology accelerator TechStars.
Interpublic has already demonstrated its investing prowess when it secured an early stage investment in Facebook, while TechStars is widely regarded as one of the two best accelerators, along with Y Combinator.
The accelerator is designed to ride the trend of how the internet has expanded beyond computers and connected itself to everyday devices, a sector which is otherwise known as the Internet of Things. As the R/GA Accelerator homepage explains when answering its own question, “What are connected devices? The R/GA Connected Devices Accelerator taps into the emerging class of products that combine hardware, data, and digital services in compelling ways for end users and businesses.
“This mega trend, also called ‘Internet of Things’, includes new product categories, such as wearable tech, but also new takes on traditional products like home automation, health & fitness, music listening, and more.”
The accelerator also happens to be riding another trend, of how the advertising space is becoming increasingly technological: the recent merger of Omnicom and Publicis (which does much of its corporate venturing through Iris Capital, jointly sponsored by Orange) was said to be triggered by the increasing competition of Google. Omnicom and Publicis’ merger would replace WPP as the world’s largest advertising firm and Sir Martin Sorrell, chief executive of WPP, in a recent post on LinkedIn said its future was increasingly digital and targeting fast-growing emerging markets.
Start-up founders who are accepted into the programme will have access to the Techstars mentor network and executives from R/GA’s team, as well as $120,000 in funding.
Toby Lewis contributed to this article.