The European Commission has launched the FIWARE Accelerator Programme. €80 million will be awarded to SMEs, Startups and web-entrepreneurs using FIWARE Technologies. The FIWARE Accelerator is a network of European organisations which has already launched first calls for proposals earlier this month.
Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes, responsible for the Digital Agenda, says: "Many apps have already been built using the FIWARE programme - from warnings of earthquakes to preventing food waste to Smartaxi apps. I am happy to put into your hands today a new tool for SMEs and entrepreneurs. Use this innovative technology to develop Internet services faster and better."
A series of large scale trials have been running in companies working in the energy, health, smart manufacturing, logistics, agriculture and creative industries to test the FIWARE technology building blocks in large-scale and real-life settings. Now this opportunity is opened to SMEs, startups and web entrepreneurs.
The FIWARE Accelerator will select, mentor and sponsor the most talented teams and business proposals building upon FIWARE technology. More than 1000 enterprises and app developers using FIWARE will benefit from funding up to 150.000 Euro.
3 steps to join the FIWARE Accelerator Programme:
- Have a good idea for a new online service and assemble your team;
- Check out the FIWARE online universe; from the 16 accelerators, select the ones suited to your project;
- Put a proposal online.
FIWARE is an open alternative to existing proprietary Internet platforms. It enables an easy development and deployment of advanced Internet applications. FIWARE provides enhanced OpenStack-based cloud hosting capabilities and a rich library of components. These components, called the "Generic Enablers", provide open standard APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) that make it easier to connect to Internet of Things (IoT) devices, process data and media in real-time at large scale, perform Big Data analysis or incorporate advanced features to interact with the user. In FIWARE, API specifications are public and royalty-free, supported by open source reference implementations. Thanks to that, alternative FIWARE providers can emerge faster in the market.
For further information, please visit:
http://www.fiware.org