William Hill announces accelerator programme finalists
Operator ramps up commitment to tech development by bringing five start-ups in-house in search of next industry disruption
William Hillâs WHLabs Shoreditch tech hub has announced the five companies accepted into its first start-up accelerator programme.
The programme, run in conjunction with co-investor L Marks, will support the start-ups for three months, with each firm receiving an up-front investment of £25,000, along with 12 weeks of mentoring support and office space at WHLabs in Shoreditch and Tel Aviv.
The five finalists include Asylum Labs, creator of a social bingo game and BetGame, which provides a way for online gamers and eSports fans to bet with friends.
Also selected are developers Skillzgaming, IoT software designers Streetlike and user engagement specialists Winkapp.
The five firms were selected from more than 250 applicants, and the winning company will be awarded a further £150,000 investment when announced in January.
âAs an industry-first initiative, the interest in the accelerator programme has been outstanding,â Crispin Nieboer, William Hillâs director of corporate development and innovation, said.
âWeâre looking forward to working closely with all of the finalists to create products that can truly disrupt the market,â he added.
William Hill has released a number of innovative products in recent months, most notably a beta version of a virtual reality horse racing app known as Get In The Race.