CableLabs Launches UpRamp Startup Accelerator for Cable Industry

LOUISVILLE, Colo. - May 5, 2016 - PRLog -- Cable industry research and development firm CableLabs recently announced the launch of a new kind of startup accelerator, UpRamp (http://upramp.com/), and Monday, May 30th is the deadline for applications to the first session, August 5th through November 8th. The online application process can be accessed HERE (http://theupramp.com/apply/) and should take less than an hour.

While traditional startup accelerators only accelerate the starting-up process, UpRamp is aimed at established startups and later-stage, emerging technology companies; the program helps accelerate the speed of making actual deals once an established startup is ready to bring its product to market. They're committed to finding what they call "true product/market fit" for participating startups within the three-month program. At the same time, the program benefits major cable & broadband companies by connecting them with exciting new products from promising young companies.

Attending startups will gain access to CableLab's network of over 250 executive and senior-level mentors, including cable industry CEOs and other C-level executives from their member operators, including Comcast, Charter, Time Warner, plus international brands from Canada, Asia, Europe, etc. The all-expenses-paid sessions in Boulder, Colorado is structured like an executive MBA course for startups, and include classes, seminars, and plenty of highly knowledgeable, well-connected mentors. Attendees will meet every other week for a few days each, and every session is critical to ultimate success.

According to Scott Brown, UpRamp's Managing Director and VP of Technology Outreach at CableLabs, "UpRamp is built to fill the gap between a startup's time in a classic startup accelerator and their ability to scale a business for the massive cable and broadband industry. Unlike traditional accelerators, UpRamp is closer to an executive MBA for startups - something we like to call a Fiterator™. While most accelerators close their program with a demo day, the outcomes of a Fiterator accelerator are real contracts and customers. This is about deals, not demo days."

This past year, UpRamp did a pilot program with DeepField (http://www.deepfield.com/) - which provides security and performance products, and is now deployed in more than 85% of US cable companies - and they say UpRamp was a major contributor to their recent success. "From identifying technology needs to facilitating industry-wide consensus on solutions, UpRamp helped us bridge the gap between startup innovation and broad industry adoption," says Dr. Craig Labovitz, CEO, Deepfield. "We continue to work extensively with UpRamp on new areas of innovation that improve service quality, simplify network operations, and power the next-generation of services."

"Many startup founders are surprised to learn the level of commitment this industry has to the global democratization of entrepreneurship; few realize that since 2012 the industry has spent over $184 billion acquiring companies, and has participated in more than $8 billion in startup venture investment," adds Brown.

The highly selective, three-month program is limited to four startups per cohort and three employees per startup. It's designed for companies that already have a product in the market, have either raised capital or built a sustaining revenue stream, and are looking to engage real customers in this large and growing market. The online application process can be accessed HERE (http://theupramp.com/apply/).

About UpRamp

UpRamp (http://upramp.com) was founded to skillfully connect startups and cable operators in order to amplify innovation that improves people's experience with cable.  This is a new kind of accelerator for later stage emerging technology companies, designed to amplify startup success by guiding them to the world's largest and most powerful broadband network. UpRamp was built to fill the gap between a startup's time in a classic startup accelerator, and their ability to scale a business for the massive cable and broadband industry. For more information or to apply for the Fiterator, visit UpRamp.com or email info@upramp.com

About CableLabs

CableLabs is a non-profit research and development (http://www.cablelabs.com/specs/) consortium that is dedicated to creating innovative ideas (http://www.cablelabs.com/innovations/) that significantly impact our cable operator members (http://www.cablelabs.com/about-cablelabs/member-companies/)' business. CableLabs also serves to define interoperable solutions (http://www.cablelabs.com/event/interop-lab-events/) among our members and their technology vendors (http://www.cablelabs.com/about-cablelabs/suppliers/) in order to drive scale, reduce costs, and create competition in the supply chain. CableLabs membership is comprised of the major cable operators (http://www.cablelabs.com/about-cablelabs/member-companies/) worldwide. www.CableLabs.com