Press release -
Europe’s most promising digital technology start-ups reach Idea Challenge final
EIT Digital, Europe’s leading open innovation organisation, has announced the finalists of its annual innovation competition - the Idea Challenge. Seventy-six start-ups from a total of more than 450 entries from 26 countries, will now pitch to a wide audience of potential buyers and investors at events across Europe.
Start-ups will compete in one of eight categories – each hosted by a different city. Three winners from each category will be chosen by an expert jury and will receive a package including a cash prize of up to €40,000, mentoring support, workspace, and access to buyer networks across the EU and beyond. Winners will also be part of EIT Digital’s unique ecosystem, an international innovation network that includes global companies, world-leading universities and research institutes, and cutting-edge innovators.
“Our EIT Digital Idea Challenge has quickly established itself which is demonstrated by the fact that we attract high quality, high potential, disruptive digital innovators from across Europe. Scaling up these European start-ups to global actors in the world markets is central to our strategy to position Europe in the global digital economy.” states Willem Jonker, CEO of EIT Digital.
Pitch events started with the Future Cloud category final in Rennes on 19 and 20 October and will be followed by events in Berlin, Eindhoven, Helsinki, London, Paris, Stockholm and Trento.
Full details of the finalists and final events are available below:
| Event date | Location | Category |
| October 19-20 | Rennes | Future Cloud |
| November 4 | Berlin | Smart Energy Systems |
| November 19 | Trento | Cyber Security & Privacy |
| November 23 | London | Urban Life & Mobility |
| November 25 | Eindhoven | Health & Wellbeing |
| December 1 | Helsinki | Smart Spaces |
| December 3 | Stockholm | Internet of Things |
| December 4 | Paris | Cyber Physical Systems |
Growth in variety and internationality
Coming from 17 different countries, entries have grown in both variety and geographical spread. This year for the first time teams from the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Romania entered a final event.
Having 15 teams chosen out of 93 submissions, Germany brought the most finalists in, followed by France and the Netherlands.
Facts & figures:
- Submissions: 461 tech start-ups from 26 EU countries applied in eight categories
- 57% applied in the three categories Urban Life & Mobility, Health & Wellbeing and Internet of Things (IoT)
- Increase in variety and internationality: Finalists from 17 countries (compared to 11 in 2014)
- First-time entries in the finals by the Czech Republic, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Portugal and Romania
- 83% of the finalists come from outside Germany, France or Italy (compared to 43% in 2014).
About the Idea Challenge
The Idea Challenge is EIT Digital’s contest to identify and support the best European start-ups in digital technology. The competition aims to help the most innovative solutions to succeed in world markets by providing access to EIT Digital’s pan-European innovation network, comprising more than 130 partners, and supporting their international growth through the EIT Digital Accelerator.
Established in 2014, the Idea Challenge has already received more than 1,200 submissions from 27 countries. It focuses on the eight most important trends in digital technology: Cyber-Physical Systems, Cyber Security & Privacy, Future Cloud, Health & Wellbeing, Internet of Things, Smart Energy Systems, Smart Spaces, Urban Life and Mobility.
For more information visit:
https://www.eitdigital.eu/idea-challenge
Follow the Idea Challenge on Twitter:
@_ideachallenge
Topics
- Education
EIT Digital is a leading European open innovation organisation. Our mission is to foster digital technology innovation and entrepreneurial talent for economic growth and quality of life in Europe. We bring together entrepreneurs from a partnership of over 130 top European corporations, SMEs, start-ups, universities and research institutes.
EIT Digital invests in strategic areas to accelerate the market uptake of research-based digital technologies and to bring entrepreneurial talent and leadership to Europe. Our innovation and education activities are organised in and around our co-location centres, where students, researchers, engineers, business developers and entrepreneurs come together to drive the digitalisation of society.
EIT Digital is a Knowledge and Innovation Community of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT). Since 2010, EIT Digital has consistently mobilised talent, ideas, technologies, investments and business across Europe and beyond to stimulate disruptive digital innovation. EIT Digital headquarters are in Brussels with co-location centres in Berlin, Eindhoven, Helsinki, London, Paris, Stockholm, Trento, as well as in Budapest and Madrid.
For more information visit:
www.eitdigital.eu
Follow EIT Digital on Twitter:
@EIT_Digital
