Member Article

Future Cities Catapult launches £50k IoT fund to solve London's urban woes

UK SMEs working on Internet of Things (IoT) innovations will now have the chance to stake their claim for a share of a new £50,000 fund directed at solving some of the capital’s biggest urban problems.

The Things Connected Open Call will award up to £10,000 to successful SMEs to develop and test their innovations in London using the Things Connected Low-Power Long Range Wide Area Network (LoRaWAN).

Future Cities Catapult unveiled its London-wide IoT network in September, consisting of 50 hubs across the capital that entrepreneurs and businesses can freely use to test and trial their technologies.

The initiative is a collaboration between big-name partners including BT, Imperial College London, UCL and other, and will be rolled out to other cities in the UK soon.

Following the announcement of the new funding, Future Cities Catapult Chief Executive Officer, Peter Madden, said: “We’re very excited to be launching the Things Connected Open Call to support UK SMEs and start-ups, and further position the UK as a world leader in connectivity.

“Here at Future Cities Catapult we actively engage high-growth businesses to drive innovation for urban development. If you think you can use the Internet of Things to solve the challenges that cities face, such as air quality or road safety, then I encourage you to take part in our Open Call.”

The UK’s IoT industry is predicted to grow to £20bn by 2018 with hopes that networks of small sensors and other tech can help address challenges in areas such as sustainability, urban planning and traffic congestion.

Interested companies have until midday on 12 January 2017 to apply for a share of the funding.