EIT ICT Labs IDEA CHALLENGE: It’s getting serious!

36 teams have been selected for the finals of the EU wide idea contest for early stage startups and innovators.

The finalists now have the opportunity to pitch their ideas in Eindhoven, Munich, Helsinki, or Rennes. The best twelve teams will win all what is needed to get a business up and running: up to 40,000 Euro, office space for six months at a Co-Location Centre in Europe, and mentoring support from the EIT ICT Labs Business Development Accelerator. In addition, the winners have the invaluable opportunity to become part of the unique EIT ICT Labs ecosystem with over 120 partners (in the field of ICT).

Early stage startups and innovators with the drive to found a business from all over the EU were called to submit ideas that revolutionize the information and communication technologies of tomorrow. More than 600 early stage startups and innovators registered for the first wave of the EIT ICT Labs Idea Challenge, and 311 proposals were finally submitted. An expert jury consisting of industry experts, investors, entrepreneurs and business accelerators has reviewed all ideas and selected the best 36 teams that are invited to pitch their ideas in Eindhoven, Helsinki, Munich, or Rennes. Click here for an overview of the teams.

The pitch dates at a glance:

• Health & Wellbeing: May 21 in Eindhoven, Netherlands
• Cyber Physical Systems: June 2-3 in Munich, Germany
• Smart Spaces: June 3 in Helsinki, Finland
• Future Cloud: June 23-24 in Rennes France

Watch the video message of Willem Jonker, CEO EIT ICT Labs, on the first wave of the Idea Challenge.

The Idea Challenge knows a pit-stop in summer. Submission 2: Cyber Security and Privacy, Internet of Things, Urban Life and Mobility, Smart Energy Systems is open from September

For more information on the second submission wave: www.ideachallenge.eitictlabs.eu