Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2021
Boosting the future of cyber security
The Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2021
Cyber security, one of the most important issues in our decentralised digital world, is the focus for the Swisscom StartUp Challenge 2021.
How should we go about protecting ourselves from cyber attacks and how do we empower organisations and companies to tackle security risks? How can we deploy automated processes and technological solutions to identify and defend against threats and attacks more rapidly and efficiently? What can we do to reinforce a systematic and sustainable security culture and raise employees’ awareness of how to handle workplace challenges and ‘the new normal’ safely?
If you are a start-up or research team developing products, prototypes and solutions in the field of cyber security, then apply for an exploration programme with Swisscom’s cyber security community and take them to the next level.
Here we briefly explain our three biggest challenges in the cyber security environment.
What's in store for winners during the exploration programme?
Access to security infrastructure
Access to security applications and existing Swisscom Services as well as the infrastructure used in the customer environment.
Access to the Security Community
Support and mentoring from Swisscom cyber security experts and partners.
Interaction
Building a network of potential customers and business partners. Consideration given to an investment from Swisscom Ventures.
New cooperation opportunities
Exploration programme and invitation to our Swisscom Outpost in Silicon Valley (US) for a selected start-up.
Applicant requirements
- A cyber security prototype, product or solution
- The team must be able to present a fully functioning prototype or product during the exploration programme (in the Swisscom environment if appropriate).
- The application must be usable in Switzerland
- An ambitious and visionary research or start-up team
What’s in store for the 5 winners?
- A one-week exploration programme with Swisscom’s Cyber Security Community and access to Swisscom’s infrastructure (remote option)
- Mentoring from Swisscom cyber security experts and partners
- Development of marketing and sales skills
- Individual pitch training and coaching from our partner Venturelab
- Discussion of cyber security experiences with leading entrepreneurs and venture capitalists
- Building a network of potential customers and business partners
- Consideration given to a business partnership with Swisscom and investment from Swisscom Ventures
- Invitation and network building for a selected start-up at our Swisscom Outpost in Silicon Valley (US) The programme will be tailored to the individual needs of the start-up.
Schedule
17 May to 4 July 2021
Application
Submit your application with your security case from the field of cyber security at www.swisscom.ch/startupchallenge.
5 July to 31 August 2021
Selection
Swisscom selects the 10 most interesting cases from all applications
1 September 2021
The 10 finalists are announced
Pitch training
Preparation for the finals with Venturelab (remote option)
1 to 16 September 2021
Public voting
Members of the general public vote online for their favourite
16 September 2021
Pitch
The 10 finalists present their pitch to the panel (remote option)
16 September 2021
The 5 winners are announced
21 September 2021
Exploration briefing on the exploration programme (remote)
4 October 2021
Individual briefing on the exploration programme (remote)
Preperation gets underway. The joint collaboration begins.
24 to 28 January 2022
Exploration programme with Swisscom's cyber security community experts (Remote Option)
Programme Partner
Media Partner
Outreach Partners
The Swisscom StartUp Challenge’s jury and mentors
The jury includes members of the Swisscom Group Executive Board and Swisscom Security Group and representatives from Swisscom Ventures and our programme partner Venturelab. During the Exploration Week, cyber security experts from Swisscom and our programme partner will provide support and guidance to the winners.
Roger Wüthrich-Hasenböhler
Chief Digital Officer, Swisscom
Philippe Vuilleumier
Head of Group Security, Swisscom
Kathrin Hösli
Head of Exploration, Swisscom
Cyrill Peter
Head of Cyber Security Services, Field CTO, Swisscom
Dusan Vuksanovic
Security Director and Advisor, Swisscom
Egon Steinkasserer
Chief Product Officer, Swisscom
Dominique Mégret
Head of Swisscom Ventures, Swisscom
Marcus Dahlén
VP Cyber Security & CISO at Swisscom Outpost
Friederike Hoffmann
Head of Connected Business Solutions, Swisscom
Stefan Steiner
Co-Managing Director at Venturelab
Hall of Fame
Robotic Systems Lab_ETH
We bring cutting-edge technology in teleoperation and automation for heavy machinery to a product level - and provide a solution to work in places which are too dangerous or too remote for humans to operate. Our unmanned solution enables safe clean-up of the ammunition, tree harvesting in remote forests, removal of rockfalls and mudslides on roads and allows continued work during Pandemies.
ZaiNar, Inc
ZaiNar provides real time location for any 5G device to within a meter in 3D. ZaiNar location is powered by patented advancements in signal processing for tracking phones, cars, drones and IoT without hardware changes and without additional battery drain. ZaiNar uses an order or magnitude less spectrum than other positioning techniques and is flexible across frequencies and protocols.
HEGIAS AG
HEGIAS VR is world’s first browser-/cloud-based and automated solution for visualization and communication using virtual reality for the construction and real estate sector. It enables architects’ 3D plans to be viewed and altered in a virtual world by one or more people from any location at the touch of a button, at any stage of planning or construction.
Fotokite
Fotokite provides Public Safety teams with live on-site and remotely streamed situational awareness solutions to help them stay safe, save lives, and preserve property. Fotokite systems are mounted on top of Public Safety vehicles and operate with the single push of a button, streaming aerial thermal and RGB video to help them size-up emergency response scenes. Fotokite is a 50-person ETH-Zurich spin-off with offices in Zurich, Syracuse, and Boulder.
qiio AG
qiio provides plug and play, edge-to-cloud secure cellular IoT solutions optimized for bidirectional connectivity through the cloud. We provide customers with everything theyneed to securely connect, monitor, and control their industrial assets. qiio’s technology is ideal for high-security IoT applications requiring remote management, monitoring and predictive maintenance in hard-to-reach places.