Ten early-stage technology companies have gained a place on an exciting new Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G accelerator programme, set to begin in Sunderland this month.

Launched by Sunderland City Council, in partnership with global communications infrastructure provider BAI Communications (BAI) and leading tech sector support organisation Sunderland Software City (SSC), the programme combines leading-edge infrastructure with IoT domain expertise and guidance from internationally renowned organisations.

Spanning six weeks, the initiative will see the cohort each receive up to £10,000 grant funding and the startups will contribute to the scaling of Sunderland Council’s advanced smart city vision.

The accelerator programme, which received over fifty applications from high potential technology startups from around the world, will take no equity in return for participation, while intellectual property (IP) will remain in full control of the teams involved.

Mark Gardner, Startup Growth Manager at Sunderland Software City, said: “The teams will take part in a structured series of workshops, mentoring sessions with experts, pitch development and training, as well as benefiting from introductions to influential and valuable networking opportunities.

“The programme culminates in a showcase event to demonstrate the cohort’s progress; we’re very excited to help accelerate the development of this talented group of businesses.”

Featuring on the programme is healthtech pioneer Floki Health, which delivers technological solutions to enable the delivery of great patient care across the NHS and beyond, and smart buildings disruptor Krellian, which is on a mission to make our built environment smarter, safer and more sustainable.

Also joining the cohort is Awaretag, which specialises in providing smart tech for healthy homes; cyber solutions provider Cystel; better healthcare enabler Digimonk; industrial IoT disruptor Manulytica; intelligent and sustainable heritage management startup Roxid; smart city transportation management firm Simplifai; tech-forward startup in the Web3 space, Trigan; and real-time data facilitator, Urban Data Collective.

Naomi Hutchinson, Chief Innovation Officer at Sunderland City Council, said: “We’re proud to be putting digital innovation at the heart of Sunderland’s future. To successfully deliver our ambitious Smart City Plan, we must invest in next generation digital infrastructure and services to help improve the lives of our residents.

“Partnering with BAI and facilitating a world-class, 5G testbed for startups to experiment with their innovations is a prime example of Sunderland’s commitment to being a forward-thinking city.”

Claire Venners, General Manager at BAI North, said: “We are delighted to announce the inspiring first cohort joining Sunderland’s IoT and 5G accelerator programme. The programme will not only support the growth of these exciting start-ups but will help accelerate Sunderland’s smart city vision, driving innovative use cases and further demonstrating the value technology can deliver to citizens, businesses and the economy.”

The full cohort list is:

  • Awaretag – 3D Sensors and online advice for damp free, energy efficient homes
  • Cystel – Cyber Security consulting and products
  • Digimonk – Enabling better healthcare and long-term health management for the patients affected with gross or fine motor skills.
  • Floki – Harvest locational data from medical devices to improve availability, compliance and equip NHS staff with the usable equipment.
  • Krellian – Provides smart building solutions which make our built environment smarter, safer and more sustainable.
  • Manulytica – Developing a product that unlocks industrial process control systems enabling manufacturers to embrace the benefits of Industry 4.0, digital transformation and artificial intelligence.
  • Roxid – Intelligent and sustainable heritage management
  • Simplifai – Set up to exploit the technology developed in the Innovate UK funded First of a Kind project named SimplifAI. The project was the first of a kind development of the next generation smart city transportation management system.
  • Trigan – Building an operating system for real-world communities using new blockchain technologies we have developed, including human/machine hybrid consensus. Our solution is designed to supercharge the earning potential of communities while addressing poverty, inequality and deprivation.
  • Urban Data Collective – Provides solutions to facilitate the sharing of real time urban data