The Met Office, Konica Minolta and Greiner Packaging are some of the latest internationally renowned organisations to agree to share their data with European startups for Data Pitch.
Other data providers include Netherlands-based multinational telecoms company Altice, the University of Dundee’s GROW Observatory, Portuguese healthcare company Jose de Mello Saude pan-European travel community MASAI and a global financial services provider.
From Monday 2nd July, startups will be able to apply for a place on the accelerator, which provides world-class business support and up to 100k Euros to companies who can propose data-driven solutions to a series of challenges, using combinations of open, closed and shared data.
Successful applicants chosen after the closing date in October 2018 will be able to join the 6-month programme which offers:
- Up to €100K equity-free funding
- Expert mentoring
- Investment opportunities
- Access to data from established businesses and the public sector
- Webinars, training sessions and networking opportunities
Eighteen startups have already joined the first Data Pitch cohort which is closing at the end of July, working with data providers including Deutsche Bahn, the largest railway operator and infrastructure owner in Europe, and Portuguese retail giant Sonae.
The current startups are addressing a range of challenges – from improving efficiency in transport and retail supply chain systems to predicting male fertility, analysing broken bones and devising the perfect, individually tailored holiday experience.
So far, these businesses have attracted over €830,000 in sales and investment, and have created 30 additional jobs. Furthermore, their final products and services are expected to create significant value from sales, investments and efficiencies and result in powerful new data-enabled business models.
The new data providers that have signed up have each helped set challenges to explore the potential of their data and gather new ideas for tackling tricky business problems.
In addition to the specific tasks set by the Data Providers, there are seven sector challenges which cover the key areas of Pharmaceuticals, Automotive, Smart Transport, Energy, Finance, Telecoms and Privacy and Consent.
There is also an Open Challenge which gives startups free rein to develop something truly transformative in the form of software, hardware, data exchange formats, wearables or registries, which can then be applied over a range of industries and will either reinvent an existing process or find a resolution for a previously unsolvable problem.
To apply for Data Pitch, companies need to be based in one of the EU28 or Horizon 2020 associated countries and registered with the European Commission as an SME as well as being able to demonstrate access to data owned by another party or, in the case of the data provider led challenges, show how they plan to use the data being shared.
For more information on the eligibility criteria and how to apply click here.
The second Data Pitch Open Call is open for applications from Monday 2 July to Monday 2 October 2018.
APPLY NOW!