Swisscom, Ericsson and Qualcomm have launched an initiative to find innovative start-ups and research teams working on 5G applications.
The five winners of the Swisscom StartUp Challenge will be invited to Switzerland in spring 2021 for an Exploration Week during which they will have the opportunity to carry out extensive testing on their prototypes in Swisscom’s live 5G network to develop them further.
They will be supported by experts and mentors from Ericsson, Qualcomm and Swisscom as well as being introduced to entrepreneurs and venture capitalists.
Launched in 2013, the Swisscom StartUp Challenge will this year focus entirely on 5G and for the first time is open to start-ups and research teams from around the world.
Past winners include Ava, Exeon Analytics, Futurae and Sentifi.
Creative solutions
Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler, Chief Digital Officer, Swisscom, said: “Technology only develops its power in combination with innovative ideas and useful customer applications. Together with our partners Ericsson and Qualcomm, we are very curious to see how much creativity start-ups around the world have already developed around 5G technology and look forward to welcoming the finalists in Switzerland.”
The deadline for applications is 11 October 2020. Ten finalists will be invited to the final in December. These will be whittled down to five start-ups that will travel to Switzerland in March 2021.
In November this year, the general public will also be given the chance to vote for their favourite application. The start-up or research team that wins the public vote will travel to Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in 2021.