By MARK R. MADLER Staff Reporter Walt Disney Co. is accepting through April 3 applications for its 2020 class in the Disney Accelerator. Ten growth-stage startups will be chosen for the three-month mentorship program that begins in July and concludes with a demo day in October. The startups will receive investment capital, access to co-working space at Disney’s creative campus in Glendale and mentorship and support from top Disney executives. David Min, vice president of corporate innovation at Disney, said the company started the accelerator program six years ago to explore the connection between Disney and companies working on the cutting edge of technology. “Not only has the Disney Accelerator become the premier and longest-running media and entertainment accelerator in the industry, but the program has also launched a number of products, experiences and cutting-edge technologies,” Min said in a statement. Graduates of the accelerator program include Sphero, a maker of programmable robots, including the BB-8 droid toy, the top “Star Wars” toy in 2015 and other science and technology toys; and Kahoot, a game-based learning platform that drew in more than 1.2 billion players in 200 countries last year.
