Incubator to Help 9 Local Web Firms

Fourteen Internet entertainment start-ups, including nine from Orange County, will receive a battery of free technical and professional services until they are up and running, courtesy of an innovative new incubator program.

The idea is that once these companies are more established, they will be loyal customers of their now-sponsors.

Led by Internet services provider Epoch Internet of Costa Mesa and International Business Machines Corp.’s Southern California division, the program provides young companies with business development services from Silicon Valley Bank, the law firm O’Melveny & Myers, financial consultants Deloitte & Touche, and strategic consultants Capitalist Group. Technology services from Capital Technologies Inc., VERSIFI Inc., and SiteLite are also part of the deal.

Epoch will provide managed high-speed Internet access and Web hosting services on platform computers donated by IBM. The Orange County recipient companies are ReceiveTV.com, eDeliver.com, FaceCake.com, eNeuralNet.com, LoudEnergy.com, SonicIsland.com, StreamingManiacs.com, Zoom Culture.com and TuffBreak.com. From Los Angeles are VISpectrum and HyperImpact. SitePix from Santa Monica and VivaHollywood from San Diego rounded out the bunch.

The free services are available for six months.