Overview
- The Walt Disney Company selected five companies for its 2026 Disney Accelerator: FieldAI, Physical Intelligence (Pi), Promise, OpenArt and Simile.
- Each startup targets a different AI capability: FieldAI and Pi for general-purpose robotics, Promise for a production OS that embeds generative AI, OpenArt for creator-facing generative art with IP protections, and Simile for human-behavior simulation.
- The Accelerator will provide funding and structured collaboration between Disney teams and the startups in a four-month program that ends with a public Demo Day later this year.
- Disney is testing these technologies for practical uses such as advanced audio-animatronics, studio production tools that support human artists, new fan engagement features, and tools to protect creative intellectual property.
- The all-AI 2026 cohort reflects a broader, company-wide push to move AI from lab experiments into operational workflows and guest-facing products, building on the Accelerator’s 12-year track record of pairing startups with Disney business units.