London’s top tech startups each awarded £15,000 to tackle capital’s challenges

 Eight of London’s most innovative tech firms have won financial backing from the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, as they work on developing solutions to some of the capital’s most pressing social and environmental problems.

The winners of the Mayor’s Civic Innovation Challenge (CIC) were announced at an awards ceremony at City Hall – each has been given £15,000 to jointly test and refine their ideas with a group of public and private sector partners.

More than 100 applicants were whittled down to a shortlist of 14 companies, which further developed their ideas in response to seven challenges set out by the Mayor when he launched the contest at this year’s London Tech Week.

The challenges are designed to help tackle some of the most pressing issues for Londoners, including accessing affordable housing, reducing the harmful effect of dementia, cleaning up our air by promoting electric vehicles and helping people lead healthier, more active lives by increasing their physical activity.

The Civic Innovation Challenge was launched in June as part of the Mayor’s Smarter London Together roadmap, which sets out how he will realise his ambition for London to become the world’s leading smart city.

He has been clear that the progress which has been made in this area should be built on and London must continue to use data and smart technology to meet the needs of Londoners.

Sadiq has brought together a range of corporate partners, along with delivery partner Bethnal Green Ventures, to offer the companies valuable mentoring and support as they develop their solutions.

The eight winners are:

• Dementia: Pearl Support Network (partner: Our Healthier South East London STP):
• Active Travel: Go Jauntly (partner: TfL)
• Electric Vehicles: Connected Kerb (partners: National Grid and Shell)
• Affordable Housing: VU.CITY  and Crossmap (partner: TfL)
• Financial Inclusion: Quids In! (partner: Lloyds Banking Group)
• Loneliness and Isolation: Buddyhub (partner: Hackney Council):
• Physical Activity: Elemental – The Social Prescribing People (partner: Ealing Council)