Spica Technologies’ Devicepoint product shortlisted for the Cisco BIG Awards.
Innovation Birmingham Campus-based start-up Spica Technologies has been selected as a semi-finalist in Cisco’s BIG Awards 2015. The final of the Internet of Things focused awards event will be held in London on 22nd October, where the winner will receive a top prize of cash and support worth $220,000. The runners up prizes are worth $110,000.
Spica Technologies’ nomination is for its Devicepoint for healthy water. The start-up is developing the system on Innovation Birmingham’s Low Carbon Accelerator programme, which is part of the European-funded Climate-KIC initiative. Devicepoint is a risk management tool to control Legionella, powered by a secured wireless network and low-energy sensors.
Real-time data is transmitted to the Devicepoint cloud and the networked solution issues alerts if there are any immediate risks to be addressed. The low-power system also produces detailed reports, identifying any areas of stagnant pipework that need attention.
Paul Collins, CEO of Spica Technologies said: “Devicepoint revolutionises how Legionella is monitored and controlled, which is a basic requirement of every commercial premise and public building. Rather than conducting a manual on-site test, our system continually monitors the risks, producing real-time data and alerts when action is required. By constantly monitoring the temperature of sections of pipe work, it provides a vastly superior picture of any likely risks and eliminates the potential for human error from the process.
“It is great news for us that the 2015 Cisco BIG Awards are focused on Internet of Things start-ups. Being selected as a semi-finalist is a huge endorsement of the work we’ve done to date to launch this new solution to the marketplace.”
20 start-ups have been selected as BIG Awards semi-finalists by Cisco. The shortlist includes projects that turn information into actions and present businesses, individuals and countries with new capabilities, richer experiences and increased economic opportunities. The finalists for the Cisco BIG Awards will be announced on 28th September 2015.
Tom Kneen, Head of the British Innovation Gateway programme said: “We see pilot projects such as Devicepoint for healthy water as a new Internet of Things networked solution, which could have tremendous commercial value and disrupt a traditional market.
“By eliminating regular manual testing work, the risk of a water system being contaminated with Legionella is significantly reduced for a fraction of the current typical cost. The benefits of Internet of Things powered systems such as this are numerous in many domestic and work environments, as we move towards a future of Smart Cities.”