The 2019 edition of IoT Solutions World Congress (IoTSWC) will feature a new specific area under the name IoT Solutions.Font that will focus on start-ups with original and innovative IoT, Artificial Intelligence, and Blockchain based products and services. On its first year, it will hold a total of 10 companies from around the globe who have already tested their products in the market and have shown a real potential for internationalization. These start-ups will showcase their solutions in the exhibition area, take part in networking activities and compete to access an acceleration program.
The participating companies provide solutions ranging from cybersecurity to data analysis and enhanced fire extinguishing equipment monitoring. The Data Analysis Bureau (United Kingdom), helps companies design and implement bespoke Data analysis and science with the goal of enabling them to grow through data-driven decisions; Titan FireSytem (Spain), develops, manufactures and markets a range of innovative and quality solutions for the monitoring of fire extinguishing equipment through intelligent wireless manometers; Sternum (Israel) provides a holistic, highly scalable IoT endpoint security solution, that prevents attacks in real-time and provides on-going visibility and monitoring.
Blockchain will also be a main driver. Jitsuin (United Kingdom) has developed a distributed ledger-based log that permanently records events, automates corrective actions and enables a collaborative framework across the cyber security supply chain; while IoTIED (France) has designed a blockhain-based platform for patients to gather and own their complete health data and share selective data with third parties.
Artificial Intelligence AI is also a key element of some of these start-ups. Agile Lab’s (Italy) aim2 solution takes AI to the edge of industries to guarantee autonomous real time operations where timing to take decisions matters; while Bandora’s (Portugal) solution to provide real time command and control of a building’s energy system also uses the potential of AI to drive their product. Wiliot (United States) has developed a battery-free Bluetooth sensor tag that gathers energy from ambient radio frequencies such as Bluetooth, cellular or WiFi enabling it to run endlessly. Irnas (Slovenia) is an innovation lab specialized in developing, prototyping and manufacturing IoT devices such as water-proof IoT turtle cameras and tags used to track and capture video footage of nesting green sea turtles; and Digital Republic (Switzerland) has developed cost-effective flat-fee mobile data plans for IoT connectivity.
On October 30th, the 10 start-ups will all take part in a competition where they will have to pitch their business to experts and investors who will then choose the winner of a fast track to an accelerator program at Conector, an accelerator located in Barcelona.
Barcelona, incubator of new disrupting companies
During the last decade, Barcelona has established itself as one of the top European tech hubs. In 2019 it strengthened its position as the 5th in Europe and the 1st in Spain according to Chrunchbase, holding around 1,100 tech start-ups and the 34% of total start-ups in the country. Besides, Spain is also the 3rd European country attracting top tech talent from other EU locations. IoTSWC will showcase some of these disrupting companies within the stands of many institutions.
Among these are those selected by the Barcelona City Hall and the Government of Catalonia as some of the most promising emerging companies cradled in Barcelona. These include AEInnova, an energy harvesting business developing a range of solutions related to the generation of electricity from waste heat; Bitmetrics, focused on the development of data solutions based on artificial intelligence, statistics and mathematical optimization to deliver highly efficient AI solutions; Tracktio, who work on the tracking of assets and personnel in complex operation environments; and Sigma Industrial Precision, who have designed a predictive maintenance platform that allow companies to have information to increase asset availability and improve the performance of machinery.
