As CES 2015 came and went, the topic on everyone’s mind this year was the internet of things. Wearables, much hyped in recent years as the obvious progression of hardware, appeared to take a back seat.
Google Glass never saw the mass market adoption that was hoped for last year and the industry is effectively waiting for the Apple Watch’s launch this year to see if someone can finally come and dominate the wearables space.
The impact of wearables
Hoping to kickstart the sector and unlock the full potential of wearables, IC Tomorrow have launched a new competition that will reward startups across six distinct categories.
The categories are each backed by a relevant industry partner that will help the startups grow their technologies. Categories include ‘wearables for kids’ (backed by Disney) and ‘unlocking accessibility through wearables’ (backed by Atos).
The winning startup in each category will receive £35,000 in funding and receive promotion, support and advice to speed up their ideas to commercialisation stage.
‘Ambitious concepts’
“We are looking for ambitious concepts that explore wearable technologies in new ways,” explains Matt Sansam, programme manager at IC Tomorrow.
“The early movers identified in this contest will benefit from partnerships with established industry players, who will help bring their ideas to market.”
Interested startups can apply now and the deadline for applications is 12pm, Tuesday 10 March 2015.
Shortlisted entries will be invited to a live pitch and Q&A with a panel of judges. The final trial launch for successful applicants is scheduled to take place in spring 2016.
List of categories and industry partners
- Wearables for Kids – Disney
- Sensor technology and tracking performance – McLaren Applied Technologies and Loughborough University
- Guest centred experience through wearables – glh Hotels
- Reacting to the local environment – Amey & Network Rail
- Unlocking accessibility through wearables – Atos
- Plug-and-play for textile wearables – Queen Mary University London