Partner Article

Search for most innovative digital start-up extended

The Cisco BIG Awards have announced an extension to the deadline, searching for the UK’s most innovative start-up digital businesses and SMEs.

Launched in February, the Awards are an open innovation competition, providing winners with mentoring, training and access to top in-house expertise from Cisco, the networking equipment specialist.

The new deadline to enter is midnight, May 1, as successful applicants will receive extra support from JP Morgan and other partners, to develop, test and pilot new technologies.

Open to all early age start-ups and entrepreneurs within the UK over the age of 18, entrants are invited to submit across five categories, representing some of the key technology trends and challenges of today; ‘big data’, collaboration, future cities, ‘internet of things’, and mobility.

The awards have sprung from Cisco’s British Innovation Gateway (BIG) initiative, a significant five-year investment of cash, technology and human resources, which aims to develop Britain’s innovation eco-system and create an environment in which start-up digital businesses and their ideas can flourish.

Phil Smith, CEO, Cisco UKI and Ireland, said: “The British Innovation Gateway is all about supporting the future of British innovation, encouraging UK growth through entrepreneurship and advancements of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) skills.

“We believe that by supporting the entrepreneurs of today and inspiring the entrepreneurs of tomorrow, we can help build a brilliant future for Britain.

“There is a huge pool of untapped talent in the UK and we’ve already seen some fantastic entries so far.

“The annual BIG Awards enable us to uncover, celebrate, recognise and reward the UK’s best innovators and if you are a start-up or SME in the digital sector, this is a fantastic opportunity to showcase your business.”

Winners will receive a prize package, worth approximately $200,000, and made up of $100,000 cash, and 12 months of support covering PR, marketing and legal services.

Runners-up and semi-finalists will also win cash packages, supported with mentoring and technology.

To enter the competition, entrants must register online to submit their ideas by midnight on May 1 2012. The competition runs until September 2012, encompassing a four-stage judging process, with the final of the Awards taking place at a special event on September 12, where six finalists will present their business plans live to a judging panel before the winner is chosen.

Cisco is the Official Network Infrastructure supporter to the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, aiming to create programs that will have a long term contribution to growth of Hi Tech industries and UK economy.

The British Innovation Gateway initiative is part of that, launched at the beginning of last year, and tasked with developing Britain’s innovation eco-system.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .