Six startups win Accenture's Applied Intelligence Challenge for deep tech
Accenture Ventures has announced the names of six startups that won its Applied Intelligence Challenge. MMS.IND, Numberz, Locobuzz, Strayos and Niramai have all emerged atop Accenture’s list, while the audience at the event’s grand finale selected CropIn as the sixth winner.
The challenge was organised with the objective of identifying deep tech, business to business (B2B) startups in India that have promising business models, and are deserving of investment and collaboration from Accenture. The firms have access to the Accenture Innovation Hub and the global management consultancy’s extensive network.
Drawn by these opportunities, the contest received hundreds of entries, of which 15 were shortlisted and assessed by a panel. Alongside senior Accenture executives, the panel consisted of other leaders from India’s business environment, hailing from domestic and multinational firms as well as venture capital companies.
Following their assessment, the panel came up with five winners, each for a different innovative solution that has the capacity to make a significant contribution. MMS.IND, for instance, was recognised for a GeoMarketeer platform that it developed, which has the capability to generate deo-location data and provide analytics as a service.
Numberz was on the list due to its contribution to accounting, through a cloud-based enterprise solution that is based on insights and designed to streamline various accounting processes and make them more secure. Locobuzz’s suite of customer relationship management (CRM) solutions was its claim to fame.
The startup offers a range of solutions housed in the AI and machine learning domain, which are designed to enhance the customer experience. Strayos was selected for developing a 3D visual platform that is based on AI, which has been developed to fit geological processes and improve detection and drilling processes in the mining sector.
Lastly, Niramai impressed the panel with its cancer detection solution, which consists of AI-based thermal imaging for early stage breast cancer, free of contact and radiation. The winners were announced at the event’s grand finale, where the audience was given a say on the winner of their choice. CropIn emerged as the crowd favourite due to its support for the agricultural sector, through a data analytical approach to offer insights on crop stress levels and yield levels. The solution uses remote sensing to offer its insights.
Commenting on the winners, Senior Managing Director at Accenture India Anindya Basu said, “Competitive edge in the age of disruption demands rapid, shorter innovation lifecycles. At the same time, emerging technologies are more important than ever, often requiring ecosystem partnerships in order to fully harness their capabilities. Our Open Innovation program connects the startup community with clients from around the world, enabling them to collaborate, create new ideas more quickly and implement them at scale.”
