Startupbootcamp accelerator lands in Barcelona to develop Internet of Things business projects

Barcelona (ACN).- Barcelona will host one of the main and most innovative business accelerators of the world, Startupbootcamp, which is winner of Europe's 2014 Best Startup Accelerator and specialises in new technologies. The German company will select 10 start-ups from all around the world to help them develop their projects specifically related to the so-called Internet of Things (IoT), which is the technology connecting electronic devices to each other in order to improve quality of life. Startupbootcamp will set up its office in the 22@ technological and business district, which occupies the revamped Poblenou old industrial neighbourhood. During 3 months it will select the projects from the Media TIC building, where the Mobile World Capital has its main offices, which is the foundation that aims to transform Barcelona into the capital for the world's cell-phone and mobility industry, after organising the Mobile World Congress each year. In fact, Startupbootcamp explained its decision with a post on its blog, stressing that Barcelona "is a leading Smart City, a tech hub, and probably one of the best place in the world to build your Internet of Things (IoT) or Data startup".

By 2015, there will be 25,000 million electronic devices connected to each other. By 2020, it is expected that the figure will have reached 50,000 million. The Internet of Things technology is the concept guaranteeing these connections and developing new applications that aims to help people in their daily lives.

Barcelona is working towards creating a strong business and innovation cluster around smart city and internet technologies, developing manifold projects. Many of those are set up in the so-called 22@ district, a technological and business area developed in the Poblenou neighbourhood, which was known in the late 19^th century and early 20^th as the Catalan Manchester for the large amount of factories within it. In the last decade, the City Council has undertaken a global transformation of the area to ensure it is attracting leading international companies and projects. For instance, recently it was announced that Cisco and Schneider are planning to invest €37 million in new innovation centres that will be located in the old Ca l'Alier factory.

Startupbootcamp will be selecting 10 projects linked to the IoT Technology in the next three months. As a start, the accelerator will grant €15,000 to each business initiative to set up the company. Then they will receive €450,000 to develop the project from the Media TIC building, which hosts the Mobile World Capital foundation. Once the project completed, they will present their ideas to more than 400 potential investors. In exchange, Startupbootcamp will have 8% of the newly-created company's shares. Angel García will be the Director General of Barcelona's new start-up accelerator.