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IoT cyber challenge accelerator 2020

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2020 CENSIS cyber accelerator competition

In 2020, CENSIS offered up to five Scottish-based companies or individuals a package of co-ordinated growth support over several months to help them accelerate an IoT cyber security or resilience product or service into the market.

The accelerator was open to:

  • Companies with innovative plans to move in to or grow their presence in the IoT cyber security or resilience space.
  • Individuals with strong ideas and concepts – possibly not yet trading, but with a well-planned, clearly thought through idea for an IoT cyber security or resilience product or service.

There were no limits – were looking for ideas that can be applied to any sector or market. Examples might include:

  • Smart cities and towns
  • Precision agriculture and farming
  • Energy use/energy efficiency
  • Facilities management and building monitoring
  • Healthcare, social care and/or assisted living
  • Transport and logistics
  • Tourism
  • Manufacturing and/or Industry 4.0
  • Natural environment and environmental monitoring
  • Telecommunications infrastructure

This event was part of the Scottish Enterprise and Scottish Government supported IoT cyber challenge programme.  The programme was announced by Kate Forbes MSP at the 6th CENSIS Technology Summit in 2019 to accelerate Scotland’s IoT capabilities.

Terms and conditions and entry details of this 2020 competition are here.

Winning companies

  • Lupovis

    Lupovis, a spin-out from the University of Strathclyde, is creating a digital decoy-rich engagement environment that diverts and traps hackers after breaching an IoT system, without alerting them they have been identified.

    Follow Lupovis on Twitter

  • Craft Prospect

    Space engineering company Craft Prospect is looking to create a safe way of exchanging cryptographic keys between IoT systems and the cloud, enabling secure communications channels to be set-up.

    Follow Craft Prospect on Twitter

  • Beringar

    Proptech start-up Beringar will use the initiative to develop a secure device-to-cloud IoT platform for real-time monitoring of use patterns, workplace performance, and real-time analysis of Covid-19 risks in commercial offices.

    Follow Beringar on Twitter

  • PolyDigi Tech

    Edinburgh-based fintech company PolyDigi Tech will create software that provides reassurance of data ownership and control of IoT devices.

  • Support available to the winning companies

    CENSIS worked with each winning company to tailor-make a support package which included:

    • Up to 10 days’ support from our skilled, industry-experienced engineering team over a maximum of six months (on non-consecutive days).
    • Business development support from CENSIS, including introductions to third party support organisations.
    • IP support workshop from Scottish Patent and Trade Mark attorneys, Scintilla IP
    • Hot desking available on request if possible subject to national COVID-19 guidelines.

    The closing date was 29 May 2020 and applicants could have a 1-2-1 appointment with a member of the CENSIS Business Development team prior to submitting an application.

    Because of the way the programme is funded, these CENSIS support packages were only available to organisations or individuals with an office or base in Scotland.

  • A place in the Scottish Edge semi-finals

    CENSIS selected an overall winner from the five winners of The CENSIS IoT Cyber Challenge Accelerator Programme to go straight through to the semi-finals of the Scottish EDGE competition.

    Scottish EDGE is the UK’s biggest business funding competition for businesses headquartered in Scotland with innovative, early-stage, high-growth potential ideas, offering loans and grants of up to £150,000 and a comprehensive business support package.  The competition is very popular attracting around 250 entries to each bi-annual round of the competition with only around 50 of the initial entrants getting to the semi-final stage

Take a look at organisations we have worked with

If you would like to find out more about our work with businesses of all sizes, public sector bodies and universities, we have highlighted some of the challenges we have faced together with our clients.

View our projects Let's talk
IoT Cyber Accelerator launched at 6th Tech Summit
7 November 2019
IoT cyber security accelerator: winners announced
13 July 2020
IoT cyber security workshops: autumn/winter 2020
13 September 2020
Herald interview with CEO Paul Winstanley
31 August 2020
CENSIS joins Cyber Exchange
9 March 2018
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