Cambridge Wireless Discovering Start-Ups Competition is Hotting Up
Jointly organised by Cambridge Wireless and Silicon South West – two of the UK’s leading industry networks – the Discovering Start-Ups competition is attracting a strong range of entrants from innovative wireless companies and budding entrepreneurs from across the UK. Now in its fourth year, the competition gives finalists the exclusive opportunity to showcase their concepts, technologies and business plans to a panel of twenty leading wireless industry specialists and investors. 2013 sees a panel of judges formed from senior executives from organisations including BT, Google, Orange Labs, Qualcomm Ventures, Samsung and Vodafone Ventures, as well as investors such as London Business Angels, Cambridge Angels and NESTA.
Entrants already include Blue Badge Style, a website and app combination that provides high quality photos and architectural overlays so people with disabilities can get a good view of what the facilities and obstacles are like in a venue before they arrive; Chirp is a platform that allows consumers and businesses to share data using sound, in the form of electronic birdsong; Chromatrope is a mobile application that turns ordinary product barcodes into smart codes - launching rich media directly into the hands of consumers; and ei Technologies enable patients with depression and anxiety to improve self-awareness of their emotions in real-time from features within their voice.
London-based It Is 3D has a portfolio of easy-to-use and exciting 3D creative design software with a hapticated mouse, 3D scanning equipment and 3D printers, all designed especially for use in the education market with kids in mind; KO-SU is a mobile learning platform open to individuals, schools, small businesses and large corporates alike who want to teach and learn via mobile devices; PhundIt provides accurate buying behavioural data to retailers and rewards customers with Phunds (Philanthropic Money) that can be given to organisations they care about; while Zealify helps job hunters by giving a quantitative score on key criteria that contribute towards employability and provides insights into how students can improve and showcase their potential to employers.
County Broadband deliver super-fast broadband to rural areas using a four-tier wireless network platform and offer services designed to meet the needs of domestic and commercial applications; WaveOptics has developed see-through, wearable Smart Glasses based upon a unique nano-patterned optical waveguide design and is capable of delivering a high brightness and full colour, lightweight, wearable display; SQR Systems has developed technology for surveillance, defence, corporate and government communication applications to securely distribute video data over low bandwidth by optimising video in encrypted form; while HouseCloud’s site and app’s aid property hunters by combining the complete house-buying process, from collating private and agency adverts, whilst integrating mortgage brokers, solicitors and removal companies.
people2persons provides a service and hands-on training to support each enterprise, software vendor, or integrator through their own process of exploiting Operational Integrated Standards (OIS); and Live999 anonymously provides an accurate, real-time situation report with GPS positioning by allowing the user to share videos online, via a free mobile app, of emergencies and incidents witnessed.
From the fifteen finalists, five winning organisations will be selected and will each receive a prize fund worth £4000 including a £500 cash prize sponsored by Qualcomm Ventures. The prize also comprises 12 month memberships to both Cambridge Wireless – the not-for-profit industry forum with a network of nearly 400 members involved in the development and application of wireless technologies – and SETsquared, including a business MOT, networking and mentoring support, investor readiness training and the prospect to be selected for various investor showcases in London and the US. In addition, they will get the opportunity to pitch in the Innovation Hothouse, as part of Cambridge Wireless’ The Future of Wireless International Conference 2014, to 400 Wireless-based delegates from around the globe.
“Now in its fourth year, we are delighted to link up with Silicon South West and Tech City to help make Discovering Start-Ups a national competition,” says Soraya Jones, CEO of Cambridge Wireless. “The UK is home to countless new companies and technologies at the forefront of wireless innovation and we are thrilled to be providing a platform to showcase some of the best in the industry.”
“Discovering Start-Ups 2013 gives tech businesses profile, insight and advice to help them turn their ideas into commercial success,” adds Kevin Coleman, Founder of Alliantus and Chair of the Discovering Start-Ups competition. “Getting exposure to the right people is vital and we have judges with a track record of supporting successful tech businesses, which is great for new companies.”
Discovering Start-Ups is sponsored by Qualcomm Ventures, along with, Google, Rohde & Schwarz, SETsquared, Microlease/Agilent Technologies and Taylor Wessing, who will host the pitch event at its London headquarters on 30th September. London’s Tech City also supports the competition.
The closing date for entries is 15th August and Discovering Start-Ups is open to start-ups and early-stage technology companies looking to take their businesses forward as well as design groups in larger companies looking to exploit new technologies and students or academics in education. Details to enter can be found here.
For more information, please contact:
Simon Bond
Silicon South West, [email protected]
Lily Cheng
Cambridge Wireless, [email protected]