BT Launches Global Infinity Lab Competition with Focus on Mobile Innovation

BT Ireland encouraging Irish entrepreneurs to enter global innovation contest

BT today launched its ninth Infinity Lab Competition, with a focus on finding new innovations for mobile networks. The competition aims to uncover brilliantly simple ideas with the potential to enhance customer experience on BT’s 4G mobile network - the UK’s biggest.

Open to all start-ups globally, the competition aims to shine a light on brilliantly simple ideas, with the ultimate goal of offering new experiences to mobile users. Areas of focus will include, but are not limited to:

• Innovations that enhance the customer experience (analytics & personalisation) and the mobile experience, as well as network efficiency.
• Mobile apps and services that fully utilise the world-leading speed, capacity and latency of BT’s 4G network in the UK.

Launched in partnership with TechHub in September 2013, BT has run eight Infinity Lab competitions to date, attracting hundreds of applicants from around the world.  In 2014, Waterford-based start-up Sedicii won the competition for their innovative use of technology to protect online sign-in information.

Those interested can enter the competition by 7 August via: www.btplc.com/btinfinitylab/futuremobile. Shortlisted companies will be invited to Wembley Stadium, connected by EE, on 6 September to present their ideas to BT and EE. The winners will be announced at a “Dragons’ Den” style panel event on 12 September, after which EE and BT will then work with the winning company to evaluate their business and technology and explore opportunities to work together commercially. The winner will be able to take advantage of insight and expertise from both companies’ research, engineering, commercial and marketing teams. The prize also includes six months membership to the TechHub entrepreneur community.

John Petter, BT Consumer chief executive, said:

We are reaching out to entrepreneurs around the world, seeking brilliant and simple ideas which can help shape future services used by our customers. We’re inviting entrepreneurs and start-ups to pitch their products and services to our leadership teams and look forward to working with them to help develop pioneering mobile innovations.”

In addition to the competition, Infinity Lab also provides a physical lab space, officially opened by Boris Johnson in March 2014. What’s more, BT’s Innovation in Action sessions bring entrepreneurs and BT executives together to discuss innovation and commercial partnerships, while numerous customer events demonstrate how start-ups can bring their innovations to market.