The 11 startups chosen for Comcast Corp.'s LIFT Labs Accelerator this year secured 24 pilots and proof of concepts to establish partnerships with Comcast, NBCUniversal or Sky.
It is the first time since the accelerator began in 2018 that all startups in the 12-week program were able to form partnerships with Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) and its subsidiaries. Among them is Philadelphia-based Lluna, a digital human resources platform that helps employees forge connections while working remotely or in a hybrid setting through personalized profiles.
Prior to the high-performing class of 2022, about 70% of LIFT Labs startups received pilots, proof of concepts or commercial deals with Comcast. The 43 companies that had gone through the accelerator prior to this year raised over $115 million combined.
Luke Butler, the executive director of startup engagement at Comcast, said that the success of this year's cohort is "a true testament to the connections these founders have made during the program and the engagement from leaders across Comcast NBCUniversal."
Lluna launched to 42 new companies on Oct. 18, adding about 1,000 users. Coming out of the accelerator, Lluna co-founders Jess Podgajny and Aaron Kamholtz said they are going to more than triple their customers.
The Philadelphia startup also currently has 12 four-month pilots across the Comcast, NBCUniversal and Sky network of companies. Podgajny and Kamholtz hope to convert those pilots into annual subscribers.
Podgajny said the goal coming into the accelerator was growth, "and that goal has been achieved." It's still the priority moving forward but Podgajny also was reflective on her 12 weeks in the Lift Labs Accelerator in her home city.
"It's amazing to represent Philadelphia [in the accelerator]," Podgajny said. "Philadelphia is on top of the world right now. I already had pride in our city, but seeing the level and caliber of talent at Lift Labs and being able to be a part of it, that only elevated the pride I have."
Along with Lluna, the following companies are participating in the accelerator’s fifth cohort: eino of New York; Fade Technology of San Francisco; Imaginario of London; Kosmi of Reykjavik, Iceland; Kyd Labs of New York; Mtion of Toronto, Canada; Neon Wild of Miami; NNext of New York; Parallux of New York; and Visura of New York.
Those companies struck partnerships to have their technology featured across all facets of the Comcast network of businesses, from Universal Studios, to Comcast Spectacor, to NBCUniversal and Dreamworks.
