LONDON, ENGLAND: 22nd October 2015 – Nwave Technologies has been crowned winner of the 2015 Cisco® British Innovation Gateway (BIG) Awards. The company has beaten more than 150 entrants to be awarded the $220,000 prize package that will help incubate and accelerate its technology idea into reality. Nwave Technologies was named winner at the end of the Final’s event, held at the vibrant National Theatre on London’s Southbank, which saw i2i Pipelines and EMD secure second and third positions.

The BIG Awards celebrates the next wave of start-up talent and the best of British innovation. This year’s awards, the third iteration of the technology focused talent competition, focused specifically on start-ups working towards solutions in the area of application enablement, security, and real-time analytics, in particular ideas centred on Internet of Things (IoT) solutions. Nwave Technologies will now have the opportunity to capitalise on mentoring, advice and services from Cisco and its partners, including PR, marketing, tax/investment and legal assistance.

“Winning the BIG Awards will be like rocket fuel for Nwave and combines huge motivation with vital capital infusion,” states Yuri Birchenko, CEO of Nwave Technologies. “Cisco has done a great job to pick six start-ups out of more than 150. The event is not just about three winners, it is about getting start-ups into one room, exchanging ideas and finding ways to work together, and it’s probably the best day of my life!”

A dedicated judging panel – chaired by Phil Smith, Chief Executive of Cisco UK and Ireland, which also included last year’s winner, Bruce Hellman, CEO/Founder of uMotif, CTO of Cisco UKI Alison Vincent and senior representatives from the BIG partners put the finalists through their paces with a rigorous ‘Dragon’s Den’-style pitch process and Q&A session, designed to test them on every detail of their business idea.

Smith, commented: “The 2015 Cisco BIG Awards are not only a celebration of the best of UK innovation, but a window into the future of digitisation and the potential of Internet of Everything technology. Each of our finalists encapsulates the innovation, spirit and ambition needed to drive the UK’s digital economy forward, and I am delighted that Nwave Technologies has been crowned the winner of the 2015 Cisco BIG Awards. The founder’s outstanding pitch and unique idea shone throughout the judging process, and I am excited to see it mature in the coming days, months, and years and develop to solve a real business challenge.”

The Cisco BIG Awards, in partnership with Chime Communications, Bird & Bird and Kreston Reeves, aim to reward the UK's most innovative start-up digital businesses and SMEs with an investment of cash, technology and human resources. By developing Britain's innovation ecosystem, Cisco is striving to create an environment in which start-up digital businesses and their ideas can flourish. For more information, please visit the Cisco BIG Awards website: http://www.thebigawards.co.uk/

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Notes to Editors

SIX FINALISTS COMPANY SUMMARY

 Nwave Technologies Ltd A wireless network platform for M2M communications and the IoE that provides low-cost, low-power communications between devices and the cloud.

Asset Mapping Asset Mapping Limited An open, non-proprietary IoE platform that helps to visualise the location and health of building assets in real time across a whole building, estate or city.

Palletechnology Ltd. An application that helps companies never to lose sight of their cargo through smart pallets and a supply chain IoT platform.

EMD Ltd Harvesting energy from the environment by delivering small, ultra-low-power requirement sensor/transmitter devices - the hardware of the IOT/E.

Ingress One - Steer73 Limited A SaaS platform to manage building entry and access control via mobile and tablet apps.

i2i Pipelines Ltd Advanced electromagnetic sensor technology with a simple operational design, providing pipeline operators with an innovative low cost solution for the inline inspection of their oil and gas pipelines.

 

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About Chime Communications plc

Chime is an international communications and sports marketing group including PR agencies Harvard and Teamspirit, CSM Sport & Entertainment, the VCCP Partnership in advertising and marketing services, OPEN Health in healthcare communications, and CIE our insight and engagement group. With 56 agencies and over 2000 people, Chime has offices in the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Russia, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Qatar, South Africa, China, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, USA, Canada and Brazil.

About Bird and Bird

Bird & Bird is an international law firm, with a rare and invaluable grasp of strategic commercial issues. We combine exceptional legal expertise with deep industry knowledge and refreshingly creative thinking, to help clients achieve their commercial goals. We have over 1100 lawyers in 27 offices across Europe, the Middle East and Asia, as well as close ties with firms in other parts of the world. There are three key things that set us apart from our competitors: our deep industry knowledge, excellence in client service and international reach. These differentiators are all underpinned by our commitment to clarity, originality and passion.

About Kreston Reeves

Kreston Reeves is a leading accountancy and financial services firm operating across London and the South East of England. We provide a full range of accountancy, business advisory and financial services that help our UK and international clients achieve their personal and business goals, with peace of mind. Our dedication to meeting the needs of our clients – wherever they’re based and whatever their structure and size – is what sets us apart. So whether your business is well established or a start-up, an international company or an owner managed business – we can help. And, if you’re an individual looking for tax and wealth advice, we can help with that too.