Ten start-ups have been voted the winners of the Vodafone TNW IoT Challenge. Vodafone and The Next Web organized the competition with the aim to find innovative technological solutions to problems at ten major companies. In all, 267 start-ups and scale-ups participated from 27 countries worldwide. Based on the entries, the partners invited a total of 30 start-ups for a pitch in Amsterdam. The winning ten will start work on their projects in the coming months and share the detailed solutions at the end of this year.

By means of a one-minute pitch and a 30-minute presentation, the young companies explained their idea to the ten partners. The winning companies are: Counterest, Flicq, Motion 10, Netop Technology, Semiotic Labs, Sodaq, Solder Creative, Tanktastic, Undagrid and Zio Health. The partners that provided the challenges are: Damen, de Efteling, Facilicom Group, Health Hub Utrecht, Heineken, Jaarbeurs, Politie Nederland, SHV Energy, Stedin and Vitens. The start-ups that didn’t win were given the opportunity after the election to meet investors during an Amsterdam canal cruise.

John van Vianen, Executive Director Business Market VodafoneZiggo: "As the worldwide IoT market leader we notice an increasing need for IoT solutions. Something we eagerly facilitate. With our IoT expertise we aim for the best possible innovations for our customers. We were positively surprised by the many international entries, which clearly shows the power of IoT. We are really looking forward to the solutions that will eventually be implemented."

"This is the perfect example of how start-ups and scale-ups can cooperate with large companies", says Patrick de Laive, cofounder of The Next Web. "The IoT Challenge stimulates innovation by having real-life challenges solved at ten major companies in the Netherlands."

About The Next Web
The Next Web (TNW) is a tech media company with a focus on Generation T. TNW helps them to make the most of technology by informing them about remarkable stories and insights, and by bringing them together through extraordinary events and workplaces. In addition, TNW’s innovation team TNW X specializes in bringing parties together in the tech ecosystem to initiate cooperation and innovation.