More than 450 applicants from 60 countries: Interest in the
CODE_n14 Contest was truly impressive. Young entrepreneurs from around
the world answered the call of this year’s motto “Driving the Data
Revolution” – all eager to present their unique big data business models
to the world by scoring one of the coveted CODE_n spots at CeBIT in
Hanover. The partners of the initiative – the GFT Group, EY, and
Deutsche Messe – have selected the top 50 companies. “We were
overwhelmed by the exceptional quality of the applications we received,”
states Ulrich Dietz, initiator of CODE_n and CEO of the GFT Group.
“CODE_n will showcase what is already possible with big data – not just
in terms of technology, but also in terms of ground-breaking
applications and industry solutions.” The winner of the CODE_n14 Award
can look forward to prize money of €30,000 and will be announced at
CeBIT on March 12, 2014.
“Being able to select finalists from so many outstanding business
concepts was a true luxury,” states Mark Smith, CEO at Ernst & Young
(EY). “We could easily have chosen three times the number of startups
as finalists, without losing anything in terms of quality.”
Startups from 16 countries made it to the final round of the
competition. In addition to Germany, the US and the UK – which claim the
majority of the finalists – Brazil, the Netherlands, Spain, Bulgaria,
Israel, and France will each also send several startups to appear among
the top 50 CODE_n participants. Belgium, Estonia, Finland, Ireland,
Canada, Luxemburg and Hungary will each send one representative startup.
The contest’s organizers are particularly pleased with the high
number of user applications the CODE_n Contest will present at CeBIT
from March 10-14, 2014. Hall 16 will showcase a multitude of big data
solutions from the areas of health, finance, transportation,
manufacturing, the energy sector and retail. “As the world’s most
important IT trade show, CeBIT does not only appeal to IT departments or
companies from the IT sector,” states Oliver Frese, Head of CeBIT at
Deutsche Messe. “IT is pervasive across all industries and has
fundamentally changed the face of how business is conducted these days.
That is why we are so pleased, as the trade show hosts, to address users
from all of these application areas, and let the young innovators from
CODE_n provide new insights for these target groups.”
The 50 finalists span an extremely broad spectrum in terms of
content: Among the innovations are a 3D model for construction companies
to improve scheduling, an analysis tool that can be used to effectively
tackle power outages and energy waste, a transportation management
system for preventing traffic jams, a digital stress measurement device
as an answer to impending burnout, and software that generates 3D maps
of the human brain to pinpoint tissue anomalies.
Represented multiple times among the finalists are predictive
analysis techniques that make it possible to do things like identify and
significantly influence market trends. Customer intelligence solutions
help retailers gain a better understanding of their business customers
in order to offer them the right choice of products or services in real
time.
As in the past, CODE_n will offer a unique, top-notch 5-day event
right in the heart of the CeBIT grounds. In addition to showcasing the
50 selected startups, the initiative will host an all-day conference
program each day from Monday to Friday, along with exclusive evening
events. Live concerts and the CODE_n Award show on March 12, 2014, are
highlights. Internationally acclaimed designers Clemens Weisshaar and
Reed Kram will specially deck the 5,000 square meters of Hall 16.
So far, the contests have seen more than 1,000 young companies apply
for CODE_n. Past winners include myTaxi (2012), Changers.com (2013, Best
Startup) and Greenclouds (2013, Best Emerging Company).
About CODE_n: CODE_n is an international initiative for digital pioneers,
innovators and groundbreaking startups. Initiated in 2011 by the GFT
Group, the goal of this network is to support outstanding business
talents and their exceptional business ideas, provide them with a
platform for dialog, and therefore stimulate and accelerate innovation
in the field. CODE_n stands for “Code of the New“, the DNA of
innovation. Global partners are EY and CeBIT.
This year, CODE_n will bestow the third annual CODE_n Award under the
motto: “Driving the Data Revolution”. The contest is looking for
business models devoted to the intelligent and efficient handling of
large data volumes. For more information, please visit:www.code-n.org. About the GFT Group:The GFT Group is a global technology partner for
future digital issues – covering everything from discovering innovation
to developing and implementing sustainable business models.Within the GFT Group, GFT stands for competent consulting and
reliable development, implementation and maintenance of customized IT
solutions. The company is one of the world’s leading IT solutions
providers in the banking sector. Emagine offers companies the opportunity to staff their strategic
technology projects both quickly and flexibly with capable experts. To
achieve this, emagine has an international network of highly qualified
IT and engineering specialists at its disposal.
CODE_n is the international innovation platform developed by the GFT
Group. It networks promising startups from around the world with
established companies. It’s where ideas become business. Headquartered in Germany, the GFT Group has stood for technological
expertise, innovative strength and outstanding quality for over 25
years. Founded in 1987, the GFT Group is expected to achieve revenues of
around €260 million in 2013. With a global team spanning more than
2,000 employees, the company is represented in eight countries by its 32
local offices. The GFT Group is listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange
(Prime Standard).
