Nokia announces Open Innovation Challenge 2016 winners

  • 12 innovators from the United States, France, Taiwan, Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom awarded for their technologies that address opportunities in the Internet of Things.
  • Innovations address the Internet of Things domains of public safety, connected automotive, industry 4.0, digital health, utilities, security and smart cities.

 Espoo, Finland  ( PRESS RELEASE )

Start-ups with innovative products focusing on the connected home, digital health and big data have taken the top three spots in Nokia’s 2016 Open Innovation Challenge, beating a tough field of over 400 entries in a competition which looks for the next big ideas in Internet of Things domains including public safety, connected automotive, industry 4.0, digital health, utilities, security and smart cities. The challenge was organized in partnership with Nokia Growth Partners, which this year announced a USD 350 million fund for investments in IoT companies.

Nokia received several hundred submissions from around the world and after an intensive evaluation period, the finalists were selected. The 12 finalists were invited to Nokia’s site at Paris-Saclay for a two-day workshop with Nokia mentors, followed by the pitching and award ceremony on October 21.

The first prize was awarded to CUJO for their firewall for the connected home, designed to bring business-level security to the home network. The second prize and investors’ choice prize were awarded to iSono Health, who empower people to take charge of their health with early breast cancer detection. The third prize was awarded to Mobagel for their Decanter(TM) Big Data AI engine which automatically chooses the optimal machine learning model and provides the right actionable insights for marketers and executives. A full list of the finalists is available below.

“The Nokia Open Innovation Challenge is all about meeting innovators and thinking about how we can develop future Internet of Things uses cases together, simplifying people’s lives, making industries more efficient and creating new business opportunities for operators and enterprises. I was extremely impressed with the high quality of our finalists, and would like to thank everyone who participated. Congratulations to the winners!” said Stephen Litjens, Vice President of Nokia Innovation Steering.

“For any company in the IoT space, a partnership with a large technology innovator like Nokia can make a significant difference. With more than 400 companies submitting their ideas, we are delighted to support this unique initiative fostering innovation and creating a unique opportunity for companies in the IoT space,” said Bo Ilsoe, Managing Partner of Nokia Growth Partners.

The three winners will be able to join Nokia’s Innovation Accelerator Program to incubate their ideas within Nokia, access Nokia’s global market and network with investors. In addition, the three winners will share incubation prize money of up to 100,000 euros. Nokia will also consider go-to-market opportunities with the other finalists.

The first prize was awarded to:

 CUJO @cujounited

With their main office in Los Angeles, CUJO is a firewall for the connected home, designed to bring business-level security to the home network. With billions of connected devices, our lives are increasingly exposed to virtual threats. Traditional security solutions are outdated with cybercriminals creating new ways to reach into your home every day. CUJO works on a device that will allow users to experience a connected life without compromise.

The second prize and investors choice was awarded to:

 iSono Health @isonohealth

iSono believes in empowering people to take charge of their health with early breast cancer detection. Unlike once-a-year screenings, its personalized solution enables you to conveniently and regularly track any changes over time. We empower people with potentially life-saving data and actionable feedback.

The third prize was awarded to:

Mobagel @Mobagel

MoBagel’s Decanter(TM) Big Data AI engine automatically chooses the optimal machine learning model and provides the right actionable insights for marketers and executives. On 500 Startups’ Demo Day in August 2015, MoBagel showcased the newly revised IoT analytics solution that uses real-time reporting and predictive analytics to help hardware manufacturers save millions in R&D and operational costs per year.

The other finalists are:

Baimos Technologies @BlueID_en

BlueID is a software technology which enables objects to securely connect and interact with users’ smart phones and smart watches. It created BlueID because of the importance of security, especially nowadays, when there is an increasing need for a fast and secure connection between smart devices and objects in the world of IoT. As most of those smart devices can be only controlled by their owners, traditional IT security solutions don’t apply anymore.

Craft ai @craft_ai

Craft ai believes gathering, broadcasting and visualizing data will never be enough to fulfill the promise of smarter services. People are already overwhelmed and getting more dashboards and notifications won’t help making our life better. Craft ai believes Artificial Intelligence can be leveraged to create relevant pieces of information and automate tedious tasks.

Dukorp Corp: Multimer @dukode

DuKorp operates at the intersection of smart cities and quantified self. It develops Multimer, a location analytics system that integrates biosensor data into existing geographic insights. DuKorp’s first product, MindRider, is a low-cost brainwave sensor that integrates with Multimer and was originally developed at MIT.

Flock @flyflock

Big-Data driven risk analysis for drones. Flock’s artificial intelligence platform uses Big Data to make drones safer and smarter in urban environments. Its algorithm visualises real-time population density and traffic conditions.

iXensor @iXensor

Headquartered in Taiwan, iXensor develops, manufactures and markets an integrated self-monitor blood glucose medical device and diabetes management service. The company was established by three STB fellows (Stanford-Taiwan Biomedical Fellowship program).

Minut @minuthq

Minut develops the first camera-free home monitor to allow you to watch over your home without complex systems or intrusive cameras. The point can detect smoke, loud noises and monitors the indoor environment.

Smart Me Up @smart_me_up

Smart Me Up is one of the most advanced face and multi-object detection embedded software solutions in the world. It has been optimized to run on low cost processors to go further than the traditional compromise between precision and speed. Main applications are in automotive, security and smart home.

Tymlez @tymlezbv

Tymlez delivers blockchain based enterprise solutions. Its smart enterprise blockchain platform enables business owners to easily adopt disruptive technologies in their existing environment or use the software to become a disrupter themselves.

Yodiwo @yodiwo_iot

Yodiwo introduces a Fog Centric IoT Platform paving the way to an unthinkable set of new applications that address complex business challenges and personal needs. Yodiwo created a technology for cloud managed, intelligent IoT gateways which unify disparate industrial and home automation systems.