Press Releases

Budapest, June 12, 2013 11:00

• Cloud Computing idea category will be developed into a product using Telekom resources of up to EUR   500,000, team from Slovakia triumphs over 443 entries from 45 countries on four continents.
• Cubilog from Hungary

An international jury of experts selected the winner of the worldwide Telekom Innovation Contest in Berlin today. A total of 444 ideas from 45 countries on four continents were submitted. In the final showdown between the twelve best ideas, the team Excalibur from Slovakia came out on top, Hungarian Cubilog reached second place.

“Excalibur is a big solution, to a big problem. We solve not only existing problems with authentication, but are prepared to serve the authentication need in the world of tomorrow – where everything is connected to the Internet” explain Ivan Klimek,  CEO/CTO of Excalibur, and Peter Luptak, CMO/CFO of Excalibur, at the Pitch Day in Berlin. “Telecom operators will be our key partners in this process, and we will create huge value for them by helping them capitalize an asset that they currently hardly utilize – the trust based relationship they have with their users. Participating in Telekom Innovation Contest was an important step for us toward securing the right connections. We were participating with the goal to reap the grand prize – a strategic cooperation with Deutsche Telekom. Now we can take our idea to the next level!”

Excalibur is the brainchild of four Slovakian entrepreneurs:  Ivan Klimek, Peter Luptak, Tomas Korenko and Marian Keltika. According to them Excalibur is unique in three ways: It’s anchored to an existing direct trust between the telecom operator and the user, projecting this trust between users, objects or services. It combines more authentication layers than anyone else, and does so seamlessly. It keeps all sensitive information invulnerable from leaks, device theft or hacks by using our patent-pending distributed crypto-scheme.

The Contest partners will also support two more ideas: Cubilog from Hungary was named runner-up. The idea will be supported by Magyar Telekom and Telekom Innovation Laboratories.

Magyar Telekom was represented in the jury by Róbert Pataki, chief business development officer. Hungarian applicants made success in a very strong international field.  “Cloud based data collection and control system, Cubilog came out second. Magyar Telekom believes in this idea and will support pilot and development of the project in T-City Szolnok.” - said Pataki.

„I am very proud of the creativity of the Hungarian applicants. Almost 70 of the more than 400 ideas were nominated from Hungary and three of them could present their innovation to the international jury. I am confident that we will keep in touch with the shortlisted candidates and help them with our expertise and resources. “- emphasized Pataki.

Homee from German startup Codeatelier reached third place. They will stay in close contact with Telekom Innovation Laboratories. Both teams received iPads as prizes. Moreover T-Venture will follow up on three more finalists.

The international ideas competition was the brainchild of T-Mobile Poland, Magyar Telekom in Hungary and the Telekom Innovation Laboratories in Germany. It was also supported by Deutsche Telekom's international incubators – hub:raum Germany and Poland, UQBate and Kitchen Budapest – which also took part in the selection process and the final. The winning idea will be developed into a market-ready product and marketed using Telekom resources of up to EUR 500,000. These include business coaching, hardware and software and access to the Deutsche Telekom infrastructure.

Almost 700 start-ups and individuals, including employees of Deutsche Telekom and its subsidiaries, registered for the first Telekom Innovation Contest, with 444 ideas submitted. By mid-May, Telekom experts selected twelve finalists from eight countries in a multi-stage process, who then had to pitch their idea and convince the jury today in Berlin. Over the next months, the winning team will develop a detailed development and business plan together with the Deutsche Telekom experts. The product or a prototype will be presented as early as in December 2013 at the Innovation Day in Poland.

An overview of all finalists, including a short description of the ideas can be found at http://www.telekom-innovation-contest.com/?page_id=7616.

Photos and more quotes as well as video statements from the jury and the finalists will be available shortly at this link: http://www.telekom-innovation-contest.com/?page_id=5424

About the Telekom Innovation Contest
The Telekom Innovation Contest is part of the Telekom Challenge program, through which Deutsche Telekom promotes new means of cooperation – both within the Company and together with external partners and innovators – in order to drive forward innovative products and solutions. Another element of the Telekom Challenge is the "Telemedicine in Kenya" initiative by the Deutsche Telekom unit Group Transformational Change (HR), which looks for employees to design a mobile application to improve the healthcare of pregnant women in Kenya.

Further information on the winning idea, an overview of all finalists and details about the Telekom Innovation Contest can be found at www.telekom-innovation-contest.com, www.twitter.com/innocontest and www.facebook.com/innocontest.