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To stay competitive, Walmart and Target turn to startups for help
Ten startup teams are holed up in Minneapolis through next month to use a new retail-focused accelerator there to launch everything from voice-based search technology for retailers to interactive games that help kids learn STEM concepts. Their workspace is a typical startup bullpen -- an open zone filled with things like boxes of food, Apple products, whiteboards with rows of Post-its and signs hanging from the ceiling that mark each startup's turf.
Inside the Nike+ Accelerator: Fueling the quantified-self movement
Imagine setting aside three months of your life to pursue a dream. As romantic as the idea may seem, it requires a gut check somewhere along the way. Recently, a handful of entrepreneurs said goodbye to their families and loved ones, and in some cases, flew across the globe for an opportunity to do just that. Some put their budding companies on hold, while others came only with an unwavering belief in their idea. In all, 10 companies converged on the Nike+ Accelerator in Portland, Ore., this past March, each united with the goal of building products that integrate with Nike's line of fitness trackers. It's hard to underestimate the sacrifice, or the opportunity. With less than three weeks to relocate, many had to act quickly. But with a vote of confidence from Nike and its accelerator partner, TechStars, support from a vast network of mentors and industry contacts -- and just as importantly, early access to the Nike+ API -- it was a once-in-a-lifetime chance to get a head start over the competition in the burgeoning wearables industry. From the moment these entrepreneurs touched ground at PDX, the clock was already running. In just 12 weeks, they'd pitch their products to potential investors at Demo Day -- first in Portland on June 10th, and again in San Francisco on the 20th. It's a lot to accomplish in three months, and certainly unfamiliar territory for Nike as well. But even amidst the breakneck speed, one must hit the pause button and ponder Nike's motivation behind the accelerator. Ten companies were certainly given an upper hand, but can the same be said for Nike itself?
Nike selects ten companies to participate in Accelerator program
A couple of months after Nike opened its Accelerator startup program for registration, the sportswear giant has deemed just ten companies out of hundreds of applicants to be worthy enough to jump on board the Nike+ API train: FitDeck, GoRecess, Chroma.io, CoachBase, GoFitCause, HighFive, Sprout At Work, GeoPalz, Incomparable Things and RecBob. Selected ideas range from a deck of fitness cards to interactive gaming rewards. As a reminder, the TechStars-run program was designed to encourage companies to use Nike-collected data from devices like the Fuelband and the Sportswatch. As a reward for getting picked, the winners will undergo a three-month retreat in Portland, Oregon, where they'll develop and bring those solutions to fruition. Each company gets $20,000 to use to their advantage, along with expert advice from Nike-selected mentors. At the end of it all, they'll get to pitch their ideas to industry leaders and angel investors in the hopes of taking it to the next level. To find out what each selected participant offers, have a peek at the Nike source link below.
Nike+ opens up its APIs, lets developers see what NikeFuel really is
It looks like Nike+ is making moves to get more people playing with its gear. The Next Web reports that Nike has opened up its APIs on the company developer site today, which means devs now have a way to hook into the data all those FuelBands and SportWatches generate. Among these streams of info is access to a chronological list of user activities, GPS data, and the amount of NikeFuel earned both in total and on an individual activity basis. If that's got you dreaming up fitness apps and games, head on over to the source armed with your Nike+ login info, and that treasure trove of data can be yours to play with, too. TNW goes on to point out that the APIs were freed in conjunction with Nike's Accelerator startup program, on the off chance that any of those apps are part of a worthy business plan. In case you weren't aware, the Accelerator startup incubator's run by TechStars, the same people who also provide seed money and business guidance to aspiring Kinect devs. So, idea-men and women should feel free to embrace the Xbox collaboration possibilities knowing their angel funding's coming from folks who'll understand them. Sound like something you're into? The deadline to apply is February 3rd, so those applying best be ready to hit the ground running when the Accelerator starts a month later.
Kinect Accelerator company profiles: Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku
Microsoft's Kinect Accelerator program kicked off over a month ago, but at the time we were only made aware of the participant start-ups' names, not their innovations. So, when Microsoft offered us the opportunity to talk with the folks behind four of the program's participants -- Freak'n Genius, GestSure Technologies, Kimetric and Styku -- we jumped at the chance. Join us after the break to see what this quartet of fledgling companies has planned to propogate the Kinect effect further than ever.
The Kinect Accelerator contest gives 10 startups a great start
Microsoft and TechStars, a company that provides mentors and funding to potential startups, will support 10 entrepreneurs in their Kinect-based ventures with a three-month innovation incubation contest dubbed The Kinect Accelerator. The program is for commercial applications of Kinect technology, and after a "competitive screening process," each of the 10 startups will receive $20,000, office space, an Xbox dev kit, the Windows Kinect SDK and all the resources of Microsoft BizSpark. After three months, each team will present at an Investor Demo Day to potentially garner more funding and media attention. You can apply for The Kinect Accelerator right here through Jan. 25. TechStars is helping Microsoft with the Accelerator and will get a 6 percent stake in the startups. Microsoft has really run with this Kinect-hacking boom, which is good; perhaps it realized that Kinect is truly a sweeping media application that can also do gaming, as opposed to a gaming system that also supports other media. As much fun as we have with Dance Central 2, the idea of yelling at our entertainment systems to play music, watch TV and surf the net is still much more appealing than any fly-step-out combos.
Turn your Kinect hack into a startup with Microsoft's Accelerator program
Wanna turn your Kinect hack into, um, money? Microsoft can help you out, now that it's teamed up with TechStars to launch the Kinect Accelerator -- a program designed to turn Kinect-based ideas into real world startups. To participate, innovators must first apply to the Accelerator before the January 25th deadline. Ten applicants will then be accepted to a three-month incubation program, and rewarded with $20,000 in seed money. To participate, however, you'd have to relocate to Seattle for the duration of the program, scheduled to kick off this Spring. Plus, if you manage to bring your company to market, you'll have to set aside a six percent common stock stake for TechStars, which is both funding and spearheading the initiative. For more details on how to apply, hit up the source link below.
