The Internet of Things and the rise of the startup-corporate partnership – two of the most pertinent trends of 2014 so far. Deutsche Telekom, perhaps the most active of Germany’s industrial giants in the digital innovation scene, is combining them with an IoT bootcamp with an €10,000 prize on offer. But for most, the biggest reward will be the opportunity to connect with different parts of the DT empire as well as other corporate industry experts.
Organised by hub:raum, DT’s incubator and accelerator, the three-day event in Berlin is set to feature 12 early-stage startups from around the world in areas including smart home, wearables and B2B commercial applications, and will serve as a platform to connect startups with businesses as well as investors.
Peter Borchers, head of hub:raum, told Silicon Allee that the bootcamp would hopefully lead to concrete deals being made: “I think IoT is one of the hot topics at the moment, one of the really trending topics.. And on the other side, it’s also one of the focus fields for Deutsche Telekom currently, as it’s very relevant for a network and platform provider. Hopefully this will lead to some interesting contacts between the startups and DT, and some external corporate guests and investors.”
The bootcamp takes place from April 6-8, and travel and accommodation expenses will be covered by hub:raum. Applications are open till March 20.