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Europe’s top tech start-ups compete in London
Idea Challenge finalists
Innovator briefing

Innovator briefing

An app that keeps you safe as you walk home after dark, a website that lets fans decide where concerts take place, and a travel guide that uses augmented reality are among ten start-up companies competing in the London final of one of Europe's biggest competitions for digital technology start-ups.

Ten of the most exciting emerging technology companies from across Europe will gather at City Hall in London today (23 November 2015) to participate in the UK final of the EIT Digital Idea Challenge.

Organised by Europe's leading open-innovation organisation, the Idea Challenge aims to reach out, identify and support the best digital start-ups in Europe, especially those that are focused on fast growth in the EU and worldwide. It aims to find the 24 most innovative European start-ups in eight different fields and help them succeed in world markets. The London event is a live final for the "smart cities" category of the contest with ten finalists selected from over 100 applications.

Dennis Moynihan, London Node Director for EIT Digital said: "We're eager to identify and accelerate the best digital innovation in London, the UK, and across Europe - and the Idea Challenge is just one way we're making this a reality. Together with our partners from the Smart London Board, we're focused on creating real entrepreneurial opportunities to make cities "smarter", keeping London at the forefront of global digital innovation."

Three winners will be chosen by an expert jury and will receive a package including a cash prize up to €40,000, mentoring support, workspace, and access to buyer networks across the EU and beyond. Winners will also be part of EIT Digital's unique ecosystem, an international innovation network that includes global companies, world-leading universities and research institutes, and cutting-edge innovators.

The ten finalists pitching their ideas to judges are:

ADDACT - A new website that puts fans in charge of where music concerts take place and helps organisers maximise ticket sales and reduce their risks.

efiester - A web platform that helps you organise parties or celebrations – managing invitations, share the costs, organise what needs to be ordered and get everything delivered to the venue free of charge.

GetCoo - Changes the way people travel: allowing them to take photos of sites to instantly receive historic and cultural landmark information with personalised travel recommendations while connecting to nearby travelers.

Go About - A new web-based tool that helps you avoid traffic jams, react to train delays, plan and pay for door-to-door journeys all in one place.

Greenseed - A social networking app designed for gardeners. It lets you see who's gardening near you, share experiences and ideas, and trade with each other.

iQPayments - The world's first Mobile Payment Solution designed for Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) operators, already in production in Finland and ready for global markets.

Karos - A brand new service that allows you to commute every day in comfortable, affordable, and ecological way.

ParkBee - Provides cloud-based technology to access private parking garages from mobile applications, opening private garages currently not accessible and guiding users directly to parking.

Watcher - Due to be launched this week (23 November), Watcher is a new app that helps people feel safe when they're walking home after dark.

ZonzoFox - A personal navigation tool that helps visitors discover cities, suggesting interesting places to visit. It uses technology to replicate the great advice you would get if you had a local friend in a particular city.

For more information see: www.eitdigital.eu/idea-challenge/about/

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