South: University of Southampton urges open data entrepreneurs to apply for funding

The new EU funded Open Data Incubator for Europe (ODInE), which involves the University of Southampton, is calling out to startups across the UK and Europe to apply for a place on its new programme, with the chance to secure up to €100,000 of grant funding.

The incubator programme has places for 50 startup businesses over the next two years.

ODInE is being delivered by the Open Data Institute (ODI), University of Southampton and six other European partners, and has received €7.8 million of funding from the EU’s Horizon 2020 funding programme. New startups will be recruited every two months on a rolling basis.

Elena Simperl, associate professor in electronics and computer science at the University of Southampton, one of the ODInE delivery partners, said: “ODInE is both timely and unique. It is timely because, as open data enters the agenda of big and small industry and governments all over the world, we need to do more to ensure that the effort that went into publishing the hundreds of thousands of open data sets now available bears fruit. This can only be achieved by creating ecosystems, such as ODInE, in which open data is used to create economic and social value. It is unique because it gives companies the freedom to work on open data projects that matter to them and to the society, using any technology, for no equity. A rarity in the accelerator marketplace.”

ODInE has been modelled on the ODI’s highly successful startup programme, which has so far supported 18 companies, nine of which have now graduated from the scheme. Together these companies have secured over £4 million in funding and investment since joining and they employ over 70 people.

ODInE is aimed at small- and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) building a business around open data.  Interested startups should register here.

The selection team will prioritise those who work on things that matter.

Gavin Starks, CEO at the Open Data Institute, said: “ODInE offers startups access to the latest open data and business expertise, with funding that can make a real difference. In the existing ODI programme we found that startups valued being immersed in an open data ecosystem with others going through the same experience.”