to secure a place within one of the academies offering positions in this call: Spain, Germany and the United Kingdom in Europe; and Argentina, Chile, Peru, Mexico and Venezuela in Latin America.
The projects that Wayra chooses to accelerate share a common thread: leveraging the advantages that the internet and new technologies offer for innovation, regardless of the sector or industry in which they operate. However, this call for proposals will place special emphasis on selecting projects or companies that provide services to SMEs and Businesses (B2B) in some of the following areas:
• Cloud services and solutions for managing and optimizing their infrastructures.
• Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technology-based services, including new devices that take advantage of mobility and connectivity.
• Cybersecurity and projects related to networks and emergency services.
The focus will also be on applications and services for the general public that improve the communication experience between people and enrich their digital environment by integrating their devices, home entertainment, security and family monitoring, among others.
After passing an exhaustive selection process where experts evaluate their characteristics and potential, the best projects will be able to participate in the acceleration program that provides them with funding, dedicated mentors, training and specialized advice, a workspace for their team at the Wayra academy and potential access to Telefónica Group businesses.
Three years after its launch, Wayra already boasts a portfolio of over 340 operational companies, grouped into more than 20 digital industries. Telefónica's investment in Wayra-accelerated startups exceeds €14.3 million, while third-party investment (public and private funds, and angel investors) surpasses €43 million.
About WAYRA:
Wayra's mission is to foster innovation and identify emerging talent in the fields of the internet and new information and communication technologies (ICTs) in Latin America and Europe. Through its global project acceleration model, it supports entrepreneurs by providing them with the technological tools, qualified mentors, state-of-the-art facilities, and funding they need to accelerate their growth.
Wayra, present in twelve countries (Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Spain, Germany, Mexico, Peru, United Kingdom, and Venezuela), has received more than 26,000 proposals for creating new digital companies, making it the world's largest talent identification platform in the ICT sector. Currently, its academies in Bogotá, Mexico City, Lima, Buenos Aires, Madrid, Barcelona, London, São Paulo, Dublin, Munich, and Prague have more than 340 companies in their portfolio.
Wayra is part of Telefónica Open Future, an open innovation platform that integrates the initiatives and investment vehicles of the entire Telefónica Group to foster entrepreneurship and innovation globally. It also includes partnerships with external partners to increase the impact and reach of these initiatives on a global scale.
