Helsinki Ventures launches IoT acceleration program in Finland in partnerships with SIGFOX

New IoT acceleration program aims to boost development of unique solutions to international markets.

Helsinki, Finland – Labège, France – 2.9.2015 – Helsinki Ventures, boutique accelerator and early-stage investor focused on northeastern Europe today launched its Internet of Things (IoT) Acceleration Program to boost the development of revolutionary IoT solutions in Finland. SIGFOX, the global leader in cost-effective, energy-efficient IoT connectivity, will join the association and provide its support to the teams engaged in the program.  

The IoT Acceleration Program aims to attract 60 companies within the next two years.

"In addition to startup acceleration coming from Helsinki Ventures and its partners, companies will receive technical support from SIGFOX, including access to SIGFOX’s two-way, global network and development kits to easily prototype or test new usages enabled by the network. Further, local corporate partners in the program are looking for new solutions for their IoT and industrial Internet needs, so the pull for new solutions is already there," said Jan-Erik Nyrövaara, managing partner of Helsinki Ventures.

"We are happy to contribute to IoT initiatives such as the IoT Acceleration Program and enable the full potential of the IoT. Our goal is to be easily available for developers and entrepreneurs who have breakthrough ideas and projects that can only be realized thanks to energy-efficient and global connectivity such as SIGFOX,” said Thomas Nicholls, executive vice president of communications at SIGFOX. “The rapidly expanding SIGFOX network, accessible through a simple subscription-based model, is a springboard for IoT companies, because it allows them to distribute their out-of-the-box connected devices wherever the network is deployed.”

The partnership is already in full speed since Bttn, the simplest Internet-user interface in the world and Helsinki Ventures portfolio company, recently announced its physical connected device to be SIGFOX Ready™. By qualifying its device in the SIGFOX Ready™ certification program, Bttn is assured the buttons will have optimal radio capacity wherever SIGFOXs dedicated IoT network is operating.

The IoT Accelerator Program starts in November. Call for applications is now open at www.f6s.com/iotaccelerator 

 About Helsinki Ventures

Helsinki Ventures is a boutique accelerator and early stage investor based in Helsinki, Finland. For further information, see www.helsinkiventures.com.

About SIGFOX

SIGFOX is the only provider of dedicated cellular connectivity for Internet of Things and Machine-to-Machine communications. The company’s network complements existing high-bandwidth systems by providing economical, energy-efficient two-way transmission of small quantities of data, thus lowering barriers to wide implementation of IoT and M2M solutions, and greatly extending the battery and service life of connected devices. SIGFOX's global network is deployed through the SIGFOX Network Operator™ partnership program, with more than 400,000 square miles already covered. The company is headquartered in Labège and Paris, France, and has offices in San Francisco, Calif., and Madrid, Spain.

For more information, see www.SIGFOX.com and follow us on Twitter @SIGFOX.

Contacts: 

Helsinki Ventures
Jan-Erik Nyrövaara
managing partner
+358 40 562 8674
[email protected]

SIGFOX
Amélie Ravier
Mahoney Lyle
+33 6 64 52 81 10
[email protected]