Insight Robotics douses out the competition, wins SmartCamp China!
Insight Robotics douses out the competition, wins SmartCamp China!
Every summer in the United States, it seems like there are more and more forest fires. Literally thousands of forestland acres are lost each summer season! It always makes me wonder, "Can't we do better?"
Last week's SmartCamp China winner has a great solution for fighting forest fires, called Insight Computer Vision Wildfire Detection System. Insight Robotics uses thermal imaging sensors and advanced artificial intelligence vision technology to quickly locate a forest fire, giving first responders a jump at extinguishing the flames. So precise is their solution that is can spot fires as small as an area of 2m x 1m within 5km radius!
And that's not all it can do! Insight Robotics also says that their solution can be used in a variety of ways for undeveloped terrain, including the monitoring of illegal logging and large city parks.
Now that's what I call a smarter solution! Congratulations to Insight Robotics!
Grush brushes aside the competition to win SmartCamp Silicon Valley
On August 19th, we held our SmartCamp Silicon Valley event, and Grush stole the show! Congratulations to Grush for winning the Judges and People's choice awards!!
As a parent, I can really appreciate how Grush is making a game-chaning solution in kids brushing their teeth. That's right, I said kids brushing their teeth!
Grush transforms the chore of brushing into a fun and interactive game. They've developed an advanced Bluetooth motion-sensing toothbrush, coupled with interactive and instructive mobile games, to guide kids' brushing and let parents track the results.
Talk about the Internet of Things! The motion data is sent to Grush Apps in real-time. Grush Apps are interactive games and apps that receive motion data from Grush Brush and integrate it with a simulated image of teeth or a game theme.
It even has cloud technology! The Grush Cloud stores detailed brushing data of each user for tracking/monitoring. Detailed brushing statistical data can be provided to dentists to customize a treatment plan which could ultimately save in dental costs.
Anything that helps parents motivate their kids to brush their teeth is a winner in my book! Not only are these games fun for kids, they are also Dentist approved!
Nice job, Grush!
Bluemix Girls Night out! Diversity improves performance and increases innovation
Organizations that are the most inclusive of women in top management achieve 35% higher return on equity (ROE) and 34% better total return to shareholders versus their peers – and research shows gender diversity to be particularly valuable where innovation is key, according to research conducted by Illuminate Ventures.
Despite women making up more than 50% of the population, women are conspicuously absent in IT. Only 3% of tech companies were founded by women, and, of venture-backed startups, only 1.3% have a female founder and only 6.5% have a woman CEO. Women make up half of all consumers, but by not having their voice included in the development of today’s new technology, the world is missing out on a wave of new technology and products that would appeal to both genders.
Women in IT has always been low, but today it is even lower than 30 years ago. Today, women represent 12% of all computer science graduates. In 1984, they represented 37% of all computer science graduates.
Much of this has to do with exposure to computer science before college and during college. According to Code.org, nine out of ten schools don't even offer computer science classes, and in 28 out of 50 states, computer science doesn't count towards a math or science credit.
This is why I love the focus on more women in Computer Science! Join our movement to get more women in Tech!
In Japan, our team hosted a great event for a "Girls Night Out" around the cloud!
If you are interested in hosting a "Bluemix Girls Night Out" in your region, please let me know!
2014: Year of the Entrepreneur
Have you noticed the new energy around Entrepreneurship?
For instance, Shark Tank is one of the most popular family shows. Families are teaching their kids about the potential and the feasibility of changing the world.
We now have Restaurant Start-up and even Walmart is running a "entrepreneur" event to gather new products for its US stores.
And more women are also joining the trend .... did you know that nearly 20% of angels invested in women-led businesses — the percentage grew more than 40% from the previous year, according to the Center of Venture Research.
Why is this the case?
1. There is more access to capital and it costs less to start a business. With new technologies like cloud, the cost to begin a start up is less, and areas like social enable businesses to market like the large companies for less.
2. There is more "hope" now in the economy that in the past few years. Yes, CNBC says we are in the period of overjoy, there are signs that our economy is improving -- it's a good time to start a business.
3. Corporate America isn't fulfilling the "need to show value" and to "change the world." To attract and retain the best employees, companies should be more proactive and willing to invest in their workers' future. Many believe they have to create their own company to get that culture.
4. Mentoring abounds. I see IBM offering business and technology mentoring. Virgin is focused on mentoring in the UK and the list goes on. Mentoring provides confidence to get started!
5. Support is pervasive. Unlike in the past, support for start-ups exists in networking groups, meetups, and beyond. For example, for women entrepreneurs, some groups are National Association of Women Business Owners, Women's Toolbox, PBWC, WITI, and Women 2.0.
I love this time of Entrepreneur Energy and know 2014 will truly be the Year of the Entrepreneur!
Announcing our newest BlueMix Garage: The Israel ALPHAZONE!
Are you ready to accelerate your startup? Click here to access the IBM Alpha Zone: A Bluemix Garage!
Have questions? Check out our FAQ here!
Didn't register for this semester? Click here to apply (Second semester registration starts October 2014).
SmartCamp Entrepreneur Winners in France, Italy, and Africa!
We have more exciting news coming from SmartCamps in Africa and Europe!
Last week, we had SmartCamps in Milan, Lille and Nairobi. And at each location, the local entrepreneurial ecosystem was engaged and participated!
Congratulations to Social Bullgard (Italy), Seclud-IT (France) and Digital Vision East Africa (Nairobi)!
Social Bullgard gathers and structures social media content to help companies react quickly to requests and opportunities, as well as avoid and manage crisis efficiently.
Seclud-IT's solution, Elastic Security, brings to cloud infrastructure providers the ability to provide on-demand computing resources to their customers, without compromising with security.
Digital Vision East Africa's solution, Chamasoft, is a simple to use web and mobile application that automates all activities in an investment group. Their solution also promotes transparency and accountability within investment groups.
What an impressive list of startups! And all that just from last week! There are more to come, as our SmartCamps are happening around the world. Find out more about a SmartCamp near you!
Austin SmartCamp - Start Up Winners Announced - BeehiveID & eyeQ
Two winners for SmartCamp Austin 2014 were selected yesterday: a nearly unanimous popular vote from the public audience for BeehiveID and a clear Mentors choice for eyeQ Insights.
Event Highlights:
-
Standing room only with 120+ attendees
-
Two winners selected: a nearly unanimous popular vote from the public audience for BeehiveID and a clear Mentors choice for eyeQ Insights.
The EcoD Designcamp Team joined for the grand finale !!!
Entrepreneur Huddle! Join us on May 22
Back in February during our big Entrepreneur Week, we hosted our first-ever Entrepreneur Huddle webcast! And now I'm so excited to invite you to our second Entrepreneur Huddle happening next week, presented by our IBM Global Entrepreneur program. This is a webcast for startups, tech enthusiasts, current IBM Global Entrepreneur members, and any other person involved or interested in the broader entrepreneurial ecosystem. Coming on the heels of IBM's Smarter Commerce Global Summit taking place this week, this Entrepreneur Huddle will focus on themes in the commerce space, including the CMO point of view, creating a rewarding customer experience, and making moments matter using the right technology. So tune in to learn from commerce experts and a current IBM Global Entrepreneur startup who is using technology to shake up the fulfillment and supply chain model.
During the webcast, please chime in with questions and comments on Twitter using hashtag #IBMGEHuddle! And if you can't make the scheduled webcast time, don't worry. There will be a replay available for you to watch on-demand, and possibly another live broadcast option!
Can't wait to virtually see you there!
Event: Entrepreneur Huddle
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2014
Time: 11AM EDT
Registration URL: ibm.biz/ehuddle
Design Matters to Social, Mobile and Start-Ups!
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tz9or_CNxPk&feature=youtu.be]