ClearQuote (Xenon Automotive), PiChain Innovations, Imaginate Technologies to be part of the co-innovation program; receive a grant of £10,000 each to bring their ideas to life
R2 Data Labs, the data innovation catalyst inside Rolls-Royce, has come up with three start-ups for its first-ever Start-up Accelerator Programme in Bengaluru. The start-ups ClearQuote (Xenon Automotive), PiChain Innovations and Imaginate Technologies will be given an equity-free grant of £10,000 each and put through a six-month co-innovation programme that will include mentoring and technical support from Rolls-Royce.
The final start-ups were identified through a rigorous selection process, wherein they were evaluated on the basis of their ideas, capabilities and project fitment. A jury of Rolls-Royce and ecosystem mentors selected three winners from 15 shortlisted finalists. The programme, powered by R2 Data Labs and supported by NUMA Bengaluru, aims to help accelerate data innovation and drive opportunities for collaborative disruption with the brightest minds in the industry.
Speaking about the initiative, Kishore Jayaraman, President, Rolls-Royce India & South Asia, said: “With the stated mission of pioneering cutting-edge technologies that deliver clean, safe and competitive solutions to meet our planet’s vital power needs, Rolls-Royce believes in the disruptive power of digital technologies in shaping the future of our industry. Our India Start-up Accelerator Programme is a reinforcement of our faith in the potential of Indian start-up minds in creating innovative solutions fundamental to the digital future of the industrial technology sector.”
The start-ups will work closely with the Rolls-Royce team and also get an opportunity to collaborate with industry experts as they work through the development of a Proof of Concept.
Under the programme, Rolls-Royce will provide mentoring to the selected start-ups and offer them an opportunity to connect, collaborate and commercialise their projects. The programme will be kick-started with the allotment of £10,000 of equity-free grant to each of the start-ups, along with the prospect of strengthening their products as well as building a business strategy.
Caroline Gorski, Group Director of R2 Data Labs, said: “Successfully delivering value from data innovation is key to Rolls-Royce’s digital strategy. Working with start-ups helps us to engage with technology innovators who can bring us new technical insights and allow us to get broader perspective on the possibilities of data innovation. At the same time, we also get to help those innovators to succeed and share in their creativity and energy.”