The Apps Alliance IoT{Accelerate}Berlin program – co-hosted by Google, Ericsson, and Intel – convened 20 European Internet of Things startups from Germany, United Kingdom, Poland, Slovenia, France, Italy and the U.S. for a 48-hour workshop to accelerate their products and businesses.
Throughout the weekend-long program, participants explored new approaches to applying user feedback and rapid prototyping through a Design Thinking Workshop. Then, to better inform their product and business strategies, teams met individually with mentors and attended classroom-style workshops led by technology, marketing, and startup experts. To conclude the program, teams used what they learned to pitch their product, marketing strategy, and business plan to a panel of judges with hopes of winning the top prize of €20,000 and a trip to M2M World in London.
Watch our IoT{Accelerate}Berlin videos to explore the participant experience, gain key insights from presenters and judges, and meet the winners.
For more information read the recap blog post and visit the IoT{Accelerate} website.
Participants Discuss their IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Experience
IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Winners on What’s Next for their Products
IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Grand Prize Winner
The top winner of the competition, was INTACT Healthcare. Prior to joining the workshop, this small Italian startup, founded by Nicholas Caporusso, had developed and begun prototyping a wearable device called dbGLOVE that performs “miracles” for blind and deaf people, as well as their friends and loved ones.
The glove is filled with sensors that digitize hand-to-hand touch-based communication that blind and deaf people have used for more than a century. When one person types a message to a second person who is wearing the glove, the software translates the message into meaningful touches delivered by the sensors using one of several touch-based alphabets, such as Malossi and Braille. Similarly, the glove enables the person to utilize touch-based communication to interact with friends or loved ones – or perhaps simply a customer service person or a new acquaintance – who has no knowledge of touch-based language. INTACT technology is remarkable, and the product well on its way. The prize money will be used to iterate, prototype, and bring the product to market.
An example of dbGLOVE’s technology
Grand Prize Includes:
– Cash prize of €20,000
– Ongoing support from assigned mentors
– Funded trip to the M2M World Congress in London
– Free tickets to the Connected Conference in Paris, May 28-30th
– Fireside chat at Apps Word Germany.
Featured Startup Pitches
Prizm is a multi award-winning, Paris based startup, aiming to change the way we listen to music. Integrating Spotify, Deezer and SoundCloud, their intelligent system uses content analysis algorithms to learn listening habits, know who is in the room, and deliver music playlists that take each listeners music preferences into account.
Based out of Slovenia, Enolyse, is an IoT startup that has created connected tools to help family wine makers measure, track, and manage their cellars. Their first hardware product, the EnoMeter, measures sugar content and temperature, seamlessly delivering the information to the users through the EnoApp. Not only does the EnoMeter and EnoApp help with cellar management, but it also offers substantial savings in comparison to currently available technology.
Founded by diabetics and parents of diabetic children, Insulin Angel aims to improved lives by making it easier to manage insulin. It is a temperature and proximity device that connects to an app running on the users smart device. The app notifies users before mediation reaches a critical temperature or when users lose or forget to carry their medication.
Interview: IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Presenter Michael Vakulenko, Vision Mobile
The Future is Bright for the Internet of Things with Tens of Thousands of Developers Currently Working in IoT
Michael Vakulenko of Vision Mobile, reveals that 53% of developers are working on projects related to the Internet of Things (IoT). Watch this interview for additional key insights on the growth of IoT development and the market at large.
Interview: IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Presenter Sasha Wolter, IoT Expert
Developer Advice:
Play is Essential for Ideation and Prototyping in IoT
Internet of Things expert, and presenter and judge at IoT{Accelerate}Berlin, Sasha Wolter, discusses the importance of play in prototyping and experimenting in IoT product development.
Interviews with IoT Experts from Ericsson
“There is so much potential” – Ericsson on the Future of IoT
nternet Hear Sandra Skiba-Rangol and Daniel Godde speak about the future of Ericsson’s role in the IoT market, and the support they offer to startups and developers working on Internet of Things projects.
Ericsson is Committed to Innovation in the Internet of Things Space
“The Internet of Things is a fundamental part of our strategy,” states David Hall from Ericsson. Hall explains that the company is committed to promoting innovation in the Internet of Things, a transformative space in which Ericsson is excited to be involved.
IoT{Accelerate}Berlin Photo Gallery
