Startup Weekly: TrueStart’s Retail Productivity Challenge, Kickstart’s startup programme & more
Here’s your weekly round up of news about startup competitions, awards, co-working spaces, accelerators and any other exciting things happening in the UK tech sector.
TrueStart Retail Productivity Challenge
Applications are now open for TrueStart’s Retail Productivity Challenge, which will target startups focused on a specific business initiative.
Morrisons, one of the UK’s most well-known supermarket chains, will be working with TrueStart to find companies seeking to solve some of retail’s key productivity challenges.
Successful applicants will pitch their business ideas to senior executives within Morrisons in March.
Applications close at midnight on 22nd February. The review and selection period will run to 1st March 2017.
Kickstart’s international startup programme
Kickstart Accelerator is now accepting applications from international startups wanting to join its second programme.
The accelerator will select a shortlist of up to 30 startups who will participate in an 11-week programme designed to help them develop their ideas and products across one of the programme’s verticals: food, FinTech, Smart Cities and robotics and intelligent systems.
Patricia Schlenter, programme manager at Kickstart Accelerator, said: “Our inaugural year saw over 850 applications from across the globe and so we are looking forward to seeing the calibre of this year’s innovators. The Swiss ecosystem offers startups the opportunity to work with like-minded entrepreneurs, experienced mentors and some of the biggest corporate players to deliver impactful innovations to key industries.”
The programme will begin on 4th September, with the official Opening Ceremony taking place on 7th September. The final demo day and closing event will be held on 17th November, where each team will present their products to investors, corporate leaders and the media.
To apply for the programme, please visit: www.kickstart-accelerator.com.
Mobile startup competition
iOasys and The Bakery have announced launched the App Factor, a startup competition for mobile business.
Selected participants will be showcased in London in March in front of judges and a live audience. The winner will received a mobile application developed for free by iOasys.
Judges on the day will include: Andrew Humphries, co-founder of The Bakery; Emma Jones, founder of Enterprise Nation; Leo Castellanos, investment director and equity partner at Saatchinvest; and Alexis de Vienne from Startup Pirate.
Applications close on 15th February and the finalists will be announced on the 25th.
C5 Partners hires former US NSA Director of Operations
C5 Capital has appointed Ron Moultrie as a strategic partner.
Moultrie is a former director of the National Security Agency’s (NSA) Global Signals Intelligence Enterprise.
He joins C5 with over 36 years of proven leadership within the military, intelligence community and national security sectors.
Ron Moultrie commented on his new position: “Over my career I have been directly involved with high-level activities around cybersecurity, both in terms of preventing attacks and dealing with the aftermath. Working with C5 means that I will be able to help investors and investees navigate the increasingly complex cyberthreat landscape.”
TechPitch 4.5 winner announced
Makerble has been crowned the winner of TechPitch’s 4.5 pitching competition.
The app, which allows charities to track and share where donations are being used, was closely followed by Flexciton and Wevolve.
- Endorse Social – a booking platform for brands to book fashion models and influencers according to their audience demographics on social media
- LabCore/iShake – a mobile app platform for authentic, traceable and transparent ratings by shaking your smartphone
- ReactAI – a complete on-demand robotic assembly solution
- SoundVault – a global market place for music licensing
- Zap Waste – an on-demand waste collection service for households to to divert disposable nappies from landfill to recycling