Telefónica offers start-ups its IoT, blockchain and artificial intelligence technology to help them boost their business

Madrid, 27th May 2020. - Telefónica presents the Telefónica Activation Programme, an initiative aimed at start-ups and SMEs in Germany, Spain and the UK seeking to enhance their technological solutions and accelerate their business development through IoT, Blockchain and Big Data/AI (Artificial Intelligence) technologies grouped into Telefónica Tech. To do so, it will give them the opportunity to get to know and take advantage of the company's different platforms in each of these technologies completely free of charge for a period of six months. Start-ups from these three countries interested in participating in this initiative can submit their applications until 22 June through the website www.activationprogramme.telefonica.com.

In addition, the start-ups will opt for the possibility of carrying out a pilot with Telefónica and its corporate customer portfolio, as well as being analysed to assess an investment opportunity by Wayra.

“Collaboration is more important than ever, which is why at Connected Open Innovation we want to help start-ups scale by giving them access to our technology platforms through the use of APIs, which are free, agile and simple,” said Irene Gómez, director of Connected Open Innovation at Telefónica.

IoT, blockchain and AI: three technologies for a technological present

Those companies accepted in the IoT category will benefit from six months of free IoT connectivity, with access to Kite, an IoT connectivity platform developed by Telefónica, which will allow the start-ups to manage their solution in an integrated manner. Moreover, by requesting LPWA connectivity, they will also receive an IoT module and access to The Thinx laboratories in Madrid and Barcelona, where they will be able to perform prototypes and even tests in a real environment, saving time and optimising the investment.

On the other hand, with the blockchain welcome pack the start-ups will be able to enjoy unlimited access for the duration of the programme to the TrustOS modules, a platform that makes it easy for companies to incorporate the main benefits of immutability and transparency inherent to the technology into their value proposition. Thanks to this hybrid solution developed by Telefónica (which combines public and private networks), companies will be able to benefit simultaneously from the transparency and confidence of public networks, guaranteeing the performance and scalability necessary for business operations.

Finally, as far as Big Data/AI technology is concerned, they will have access to the LUCA Suite, an inhouse developed platform that allows to automate the data processing in minutes, integrating Machine Learning capabilities in an easy and intuitive way. In this way, without prior knowledge of automatic learning, it is possible to make predictions that increase business opportunities.

Throughout the experience, a team of Telefónica experts provides personalised support adapted to the needs of each start-up, as well as additional training and networking services to get the most out of the programme.