Advertising agency R/GA has joined forces with its parent company Interpublic (IPG) to launch an accelerator program aimed at artificial intelligence and machine learning technology developers.
The initiative, dubbed R/GA Marketing Tech Venture Studio, is targeting both early-stage and growth-stage businesses. R/GA will participate through its corporate venturing vehicle, R/GA Ventures.
R/GA Marketing Tech Venture Studio hopes to attract companies working on digital marketing technologies such as conversational platforms, natural language processing, chatbots, voice recognition, marketing automation, content personalisation, face scanning and dynamic price automation.
The studio will welcome 10 startups to the inaugural cohort. It will assist with business development, the establishment of partnerships, and in securing capital through R/GA Ventures’ network of mentors, investors and partners.
Startups will also gain access to industry experts across Interpublic’s other agencies spread throughout more than 100 countries. The program will take place at R/GA’s New York headquarters.
Applications are open until October 24, 2016, with the program beginning in January 2017 and concluding with a demo day in early April.
Stephen Plumlee, global chief operating officer of R/GA and managing partner of R/GA Ventures, said: “R/GA is especially honoured to work with our parent, IPG, to create this program.
“IPG has been at the forefront of innovation in our industry and will bring to this program unparalleled expertise which will help shape the future of marketing tech and marketing services.”