Leading brands pledge support to £1m IoT Launchpad competition

Tech City UK, the Technology Strategy Board and Cambridge Wireless announced five new partners in support of the flagship £1 million (€1.2 million) Internet of Things Launchpad competition. Leading brands Bosch, Cisco, Hive by British Gas, RPD International and Fab Lab London will join existing partner companies providing support for startups and SMEs in London and Cambridge, which are working on the Internet of Things.

In addition to a £1 million funding grant to be shared between them, competition winners will benefit from access to the expertise and business support of the new partners, who join EE, John Lewis, Unilever, Seed Camp and Red Gate.

First announced by David Cameron at the CEBIT conference earlier this year, the Launchpad competition will support Internet of Things early stage start-ups or SMEs based in London and Cambridge.

Gerard Grech, Tech City UK CEO, comments: “We are delighted to add a group of such high-calibre brands to an already great list of Launchpad partners. Working with early stage startups, these companies will provide the mentoring and financial support needed for successful acceleration. Their activity will greatly aid our aim to create an IoT ‘super-cluster’, drawing on the software and marketing expertise of London and the hardware and network expertise of Cambridge”.

Hive by British Gas will offer winning companies the possibility of being integrated into their systems in addition to mentoring and business support for shortlisted applicants.

Seb Chakraborty, director of technology, British Gas Connected Homes, commented: “We’re delighted to lend our support to the IoT Launchpad competition and help to develop growing businesses in this exciting sector. With our Hive Active Heating™ product now in nearly 100,000 British homes, our business is a great example of the Internet of Things in action every day. Through the guidance and support we will offer companies on the programme, we hope even more people will see the benefits of connected technology products that make our lives easier.”

Cisco will offer successful candidates access to engineering, marketing and sales experts, Cisco DevNet and Cisco Solution Partner Programme and potential introductions to relevant customers and partners. Cisco will also provide incubation opportunities at IDEALondon and access to the National Virtual Incubator, in particular the virtual link between Cambridge and London.

Tom Kneen, head of business development, The British Innovation Gateway, Cisco UK & Ireland, commented: “Cisco is pleased to be supporting the IoT Launchpad – Cisco has a strong focus on the IoT globally and we see the UK playing a leading role in developing, creating and realising this exciting new Global market opportunity. By being involved in the Launchpad we hope to uncover emerging new talent that we can nurture and accelerate through a variety of the programmes that we already run in the UK.”

Bosch will offer business, mentoring and marketing support as well as possible investment to any suitable winners.

Gitte Bedford, vice-president, Robert Bosch Venture Capital GmbH says: “We are delighted to be collaborating with the Internet of Things Launchpad. At Bosch we want to make the IoT vision a reality – for a more enjoyable life, and new and better ways of doing business. By supporting start-ups, through platforms like the IoT Launchpad, Robert Bosch Venture Capital can provide resource and expertise from a leading global supplier of technology and services – Bosch”

RPD International pledges marketing, mentoring and business support as well as the design and manufacturing of the winner’s products. It also offers a 20% discount on the design and manufacture of products from any shortlisted applicant.

Josh Valman, CEO of RPD International, stated: “Everybody at RPD is a passionate believer that ideas and talent are not the privilege of those with the most money and experience. We’re super excited to see what comes out of the competition, when ideas are given the combined manufacturing and marketing power of RPD and the other partners such as Bosch, Cisco and British Gas.”

Fab Lab London joins the Internet of Things Launchpad as a venue partner, providing a space and facilities for winners to create their IoT product.

Ande Gregson, co-founder Fab Lab London commented: We’re delighted to be supporting the IoT initiative providing an opportunity for the winners to build their projects onsite within Fab Lab London – working alongside a global community of experts and mentors, whilst taking advantage of the latest tools in digital fabrication”

The competition is open to all European entrepreneurs, as long as their company is registered in the UK and has a working connection with either the London orCambridge tech clusters. Closing date for submissions is 3 September 2014.

RECENT ARTICLES

Panasonic and Jasmy unveil Web3 Platform for IoT data control

Posted on: March 28, 2024

Panasonic has joined forces with Jasmy (JASMY) blockchain to introduce a Web3 platform that will facilitate the connection of personal data on the Internet of Things (IoT). The collaboration between the Japanese-based blockchain and Panasonic Advanced Technology was initiated in February, but the official announcement was made on March 26.

Read more

Driving connected personalised user experiences with Generative AI

Posted on: March 27, 2024

As the world continues to rapidly move towards digitalisation, customer expectations are also on the rise. Around the globe, telcos are grappling with meeting these expectations. As well as ensuring connectivity in a secure, seamless, and consistent manner 24/7, to compete and differentiate, operators now need to provide personalised experiences that are as unique as

Read more
FEATURED IoT STORIES

What is IoT? A Beginner’s Guide

Posted on: April 5, 2023

What is IoT? IoT, or the Internet of Things, refers to the connection of everyday objects, or “things,” to the internet, allowing them to collect, transmit, and share data. This interconnected network of devices transforms previously “dumb” objects, such as toasters or security cameras, into smart devices that can interact with each other and their

Read more

The IoT Adoption Boom – Everything You Need to Know

Posted on: September 28, 2022

In an age when we seem to go through technology boom after technology boom, it’s hard to imagine one sticking out. However, IoT adoption, or the Internet of Things adoption, is leading the charge to dominate the next decade’s discussion around business IT. Below, we’ll discuss the current boom, what’s driving it, where it’s going,

Read more

9 IoT applications that will change everything

Posted on: September 1, 2021

Whether you are a future-minded CEO, tech-driven CEO or IT leader, you’ve come across the term IoT before. It’s often used alongside superlatives regarding how it will revolutionize the way you work, play, and live. But is it just another buzzword, or is it the as-promised technological holy grail? The truth is that Internet of

Read more

Which IoT Platform 2021? IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide

Posted on: August 30, 2021

There are several different parts in a complete IoT solution, all of which must work together to get the result needed, write IoT Now Enterprise Buyers’ Guide – Which IoT Platform 2021? authors Robin Duke-Woolley, the CEO and Bill Ingle, a senior analyst, at Beecham Research. Figure 1 shows these parts and, although not all

Read more

CAT-M1 vs NB-IoT – examining the real differences

Posted on: June 21, 2021

As industry players look to provide the next generation of IoT connectivity, two different standards have emerged under release 13 of 3GPP – CAT-M1 and NB-IoT.

Read more

IoT and home automation: What does the future hold?

Posted on: June 10, 2020

Once a dream, home automation using iot is slowly but steadily becoming a part of daily lives around the world. In fact, it is believed that the global market for smart home automation will reach $40 billion by 2020.

Read more

5 challenges still facing the Internet of Things

Posted on: June 3, 2020

The Internet of Things (IoT) has quickly become a huge part of how people live, communicate and do business. All around the world, web-enabled devices are turning our world into a more switched-on place to live.

Read more