Cable industry research and development lab CableLabs on Wednesday launched a new initiative that aims to bring together startup companies and cable operators.

Dubbed UpRamp, the new platform is an “accelerator” that will help emerging technology companies find the best product and market fit within the global cable industry, CableLabs said.

CableLabs said the UpRamp program is a three-month, non-resident program suited for companies that already have a product in the market, have raised capital or built a sustainable revenue stream and are looking to connect with customers in the market. Unlike other accelerator programs that end with a “demo day,” CableLabs said the UpRamp program yields real world deals.

A pilot test of the program was conducted last year with startup company DeepField, CableLabs said.

“UpRamp is the logical next step in how CableLabs catalyzes innovation in the industry,” said Deepfield CEO Craig Labovitz. “From identifying technology needs to facilitating industry-wide consensus on solutions, UpRamp helped bridge the gap between Deepfield startup innovation and broad industry adoption. Today, Deepfield is deployed in more than 85 percent of U.S. cable companies and continues to work extensively with UpRamp on new areas of innovation that improve service quality, simplify network operations and power the next-generation of services.”

UpRamp will consist of four startups per cohort, CableLabs said. Each company will be paired with pair a C-level executive from CableLabs as well as a C-Level executive from one of the 55 CableLabs member operators, the lab said.

UpRamp will be led by Scott Brown, managing director of UpRamp and Head of Technology Outreach at CableLabs, and CableLabs CEO, Phil McKinney.